Award-Winning Mentoring, Support and Training for Celebrants

Your ticket to celebrant success

Confidential Mentoring & Support. Advanced trainings.

Guidance with ceremony writing and public speaking.

Support for difficult days and situations

New skills for experienced celebrants – Confidence as a new celebrant –  Creative solutions for bespoke ceremonies – Facilitating ‘Zoom’ Funerals and Memorials – Public Speaking and Presentation Skills – Singing & Voice Work – Support for Compassion Fatigue – Creative ceremony writing – Stress Management and Boosting Confidence  – Better Family Meetings – Alternative Ceremonies – New Rituals – Managing difficult situations and complicated dynamics – On-going Mentoring – Emotional Support – German, French and Italian spoken language – Blended faith ceremonies – How to do Burials and Memorials – and more.

Celebrant Support is here to help you get better use of your very precious time. Getting some help can save you hours of struggling and that’s what I’m here for.

It’s really simple. Everything is £60 an hour or £1 per minute. You get my full concentration on your issue for your time.

You can use your time as you wish, whether to talk over problems, get ideas, or brush up a skill.

“Emma, the little pieces of advice that you have given me over the last 12 months have been invaluable. You are a natural mentor… this is something that can only serve to aid those of us who wish to offer the very best overall service”

Jonathan K

Independent Celebrant

Celebrant Support (TM) is for you if you would like to talk one-to-one about:

  • the ceremonies you are creating
  • how you feel about your work
  • the challenges you face
  • tips and tricks to boost your services and make you the celebrant of choice in your area

Celebrancy requires a widely varied skill set: great interpersonal and communication skills, creative writing, public speaking, knowledge of poetry and music resources, and the ability to cope really well with other people’s emotions, as well as our own. It’s not easy. Many of us have used online forums for support and learning – however, there have been devastating lapses in confidentiality. Celebrant Support offers expert confidential mentoring and celebrancy supervision to support you in your work.

Testimonials

The reason I asked Emma to be my supervisor was because I want to develop and grow as a Celebrant, to be the best I can possibly be. Without doubt, Emma is enabling me to do just that. Through her exceptional person centred approach and honed listening and analytical skills, we have a productive free flowing discussion on a monthly basis which covers the functions of supervision; to assess my workload, to look at the development of my practice and to provide support. All three functions are naturally explored. Emma uses a method which is based on mutual respect, acknowledging my individual needs whilst also challenging me in a clear and appropriate manner. Problem solving is done mutually to enable me to find my own answers whilst she will also pull on her own vast experience to suggest ideas.

I would highly recommend Emma as a supervisor. She creates a professional, person-centred atmosphere to enable me to openly reflect, learn and grow as a Funeral Celebrant. As a result, I can see I have matured in my practice.

David Miles

Independent Celebrant, Winner Good Funeral Awards 'Funeral Celebrant of the Year'

I messaged Emma for a HELP ME! session as I needed inspiration for a way into a funeral ceremony the like of which I’d not met in the last seven years! Her help was instantaneous, right on the button and I sat down and wrote the whole thing without a pause. Thanks Emma for a perfect service!

Nick Laurie

Independent Celebrant, FPC, nicklaurie.co.uk

I had the pleasure of chatting with Emma recently about a celebrant business idea I couldn’t get straight in my head.She helped me to break it down and enabled me to formulate a plan... Without Emma’s focussed reasoning, my idea would still be swimming around my head making little or no sense, even to me! Thank you Emma for your calm logic.

MIchelle Taylor

Funky Celebrant (Wedding and Family Celebrant), www.mtaylorcelebrant.co.uk

“I have incorporated many of your ideas and simply cannot tell you how grateful I am for your guidance. Of equal help has been your encouragement and support, which had enabled me to get this far!.”

Judith

Funeral Director

Emma was so supportive and helpful during my journey into celebrancy. She shared her experience, advice and skills so selflessly, and observing her work gave me confidence I don’t feel I could have found on my own. Her support both in person and on the telephone guided me through some critical moments in my work. Emma’s approachable, friendly manner, combined with her vast experience, her confidence and her belief in what she does, make her an excellent resource for celebrants, or anyone involved in grief counselling.”

Gillian Keith

Independent Celebrant

Thank you Emma Curtis for your wonderful and inspiring creative writing session at the Convention. It encouraged me to try a new opening today, slightly out of my comfort/safe zone and ‘stretch myself’. At the funeral today it worked so well... The widow said that service was ‘brilliant’ and it was as if her husband was actually there.

Beverley Symonds

Fellowship of Professional Celebrants, Beverley Symonds, Independent Funeral Celebrant

Emma has helped me so much with my work as a celebrant. I didn't feel that my training adequately prepared me for working as a celebrant so Emma mentored me. I felt supported, encouraged and guided and developed my own style of ceremonies. Highly recommended service for funeral celebrants, no matter how experienced.

Louise Winter

Celebrant and Funeral Director, Poetic Endings

The little pieces of advice that you have given me over the last 12 months have been invaluable. You are a natural mentor... this is something that can only serve to aid those of us who wish to offer the very best overall service”

Jonathan K

Independent Celebrant

“Emma is wise and perceptive, compassionate and kind.  ”

Rabbi Dr. David J. Zucker

North West Surrey Synagogue

The Funeral Celebrant Accord

At Ceremony Matters we aspire to the highest standards: for ourselves and the celebrants that we train, in the service our clients. We have Adopted The Accord.

So, how does Celebrant Support work?

Regular mentoring or one-to-one supervision – £60 per hour online via zoom, or in person in Esher. Sessions in London cost £80 per hour to cover room hire.

HELP ME! Sessions – £15 for 15 minutes by phone or online as soon as possible after you text 07768878764 requesting ‘help’ and how many minutes you think you need.

HELP ME! URGENT – as much time as you need at £1 per minute by phone or online video, as soon as possible after you text 07768 878764 requesting ‘help urgent’. Whether you are having writer’s block or are sitting in the car after a difficult service, I’ll be with you as soon as humanly possible.

Support from the START package – If you just finished your training and don’t feel ready, I can put together something just for you that covers the areas where you need more confidence – £POA, we can talk about a package price for a number of hours.

Group supervision in London – £15 per session. If you would like to be part of our London group supervision group, meeting a Angel Islington N1 please send me a message

Celebrant Support is a part of Ceremony Matters, which offers Continuing Professional Development for funeral celebrants to help you feel more assured in your practice and to offer you new tools and ideas for your celebrancy practice.

“I messaged Emma for a HELP ME! session as I needed inspiration for a way into a funeral ceremony the like of which I’d not met in the last seven years! Her help was instantaneous, right on the button and I sat down and wrote the whole thing without a pause. Thanks Emma for a perfect service!”

Nick Laurie

Independent Celebrant, FPC

How do I set up and pay for a HELP ME! session?

For HELP ME! sessions. You purchase one 15 mins session or you can purchase an hour of time, then let me know how long you think we will need, and ‘time bank’ what you don’t use for next time. So, say you buy an hour and think we will need about 20 minutes, let me know that when you text 07768 878764 or email me to book, I’ll make sure we have 20 mins to chat.
If we run over because you want more time, and I have more time available, we stay on the clock and the extra minutes are already paid from your ‘time bank’, whatever remains is saved for next time you need support. If I don’t have more time available, we can continue our talk in the next time slot available. ‘Time bank’ credit remains valid for 90 days
You book a HELP ME! session by texting me at 07768 878764 – HELP ME! Time you want, when you need it, your name. e.g. “HELP ME! 15 mins, Tomorrow, Jane.” You can say ‘Urgent’, ‘Today’, ‘ASAP’, ‘Friday’, ‘Weekend’. Whatever you need, and I will give you the first time slot I have available.
I take payment by BACS or by credit or debit card through Stripe . All sessions are payment in advance, because I can’t tell you how much time I have spent chasing payments, and I’d rather spend it being available for you!

About Emma

EXPERIENCED. EMPOWERING. SUPPORTIVE.

My name is Emma Curtis, the founder of Celebrant Support. I am an award-winning, experienced non-religious minister and independent celebrant. I am also a cognitive behavioural hypnotherapist and pastoral counsellor, and I offer specialist mentoring, training and support to celebrants. I’m also an opera singer and actress with 30 years experience onstage internationally. I won the National Celebrant Award for ‘Influencing the Wider Profession’ for funeral celebrancy and my work with Celebrant Support, providing further training and support to celebrants. I’m passionate about making sure that you have the support you need to feel great about providing beautiful and meaningful personalised ceremonies to your clients.

I can help you with:

Training from notice to advanced

Confidence as a new celebrant

New skills for experienced celebrants

Creative solutions for bespoke ceremonies – keeping it fresh!

Public Speaking and Presentation Skills

Singing & Voice Work

Easing anxiety and boosting confidence

Creative ceremony writing

Interviewing techniques

Alternative ceremonies and new rituals

Managing difficult situations and complicated dynamics

On-going Mentoring

Emotional Support

German, French and Italian languages

Qualifications:

Certified Thanatologist – Death and Grief Studies – Specialising in Carried and Complicated Grief, PTSD as Traumatic Grief and Grief Group facilitation Dr Alan Wolfelt, Center for Loss and Life Transitions/Colorado State University

Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist CBH Dip, UK College of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

Independent Celebrant – Funerals & Weddings and Family Ceremonies Fellowship of Professional Celebrants

Ordained Minister and Pastoral Counsellor Venus Rising Association

Post Diploma Vocal Training (Opera and Concert singing) Certificate of Advanced Study  Guildhall School of Music & Drama

Graduate Diploma in Music GGSM 2.2 (Bachelor’s degree) Guildhall School of Music & Drama

CPD in CBT for Insomnia, Panic Disorders, Low Self-esteem, PTSD by UKCHH, Supervision for Bereavement Practitioners by CBUK, and Working with LGBT+ clients.

Emma is a Dementia Friends Champion and Death Cafe host and facilitator.

She also gives talks about ‘Death and Music’, ‘Why talking about Death might make Life better’, about Death Cafe’s, and ‘All you ever wanted to know about funerals but were afraid to ask’.

Emma is also a certified Sound Healer, Master Breathwork Practitioner, Reiki Master and Laughter Yoga leader.

Contact me:

10 + 13 =

Or send me an SMS text to 077687 878764 saying “HELP ME! Time you want, when you need it, your name”.

e.g. “HELP ME! 15 mins, Today, Jane.” You can say ‘Urgent’, ‘Today’, ‘ASAP’, ‘Friday’, ‘Weekend’. Whatever you need, and I will give you the first time slot I have available.

Caveat

If you want me to write a service for you, I wont. I don’t believe that is a good use of your money, but I will help you where you are stuck. I’m here to help raise the bar, to help us all be better at what we do. So, I will talk you quickly through how you can get your ceremony written, and how to cope with your feelings, if that’s an issue. I’m here to mentor and support. I’d rather “teach you to fish” than just give you “a fish” every time you need one! (We are celebrants – we work with metaphor!)

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