Double blow of losing a son and cancer diagnosis prompted mother to set out on voyage of self-discovery

Andrew Robinson

JUST hours after the death of her 20-year-old son, devastated Nhys Glover received a telephone call saying that she had breast cancer.

“I was picking coffins out from a glossy magazine with the funeral director when the call came with the test results,” she said yesterday.

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Many people would crumble under the burden of losing a child and facing a life-threatening disease.

But out of the turmoil she found the strength not only to carry on but also to create a board game aimed at helping people face life’s challenges and setbacks.

Nhys, 55, developed the game Psyche’s Key in the months that followed the death of her eldest son Chris, 20, from an epileptic seizure.

The board game, described as a “journey of self-discovery”, gives players the opportunity to set personal goals and overcome obstacles or challenges in their daily lives.

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According to Nhys, a business coach and author, it can be played for fun or used as a means of identifying, understanding and dealing with setbacks and tragedies.

Australian-born Nhys, who lives in Addingham, near Ilkley, said she designed the game as a way of dealing with her own grief.

She said: “The loss of my son, and the onset of breast cancer, led to an unimaginably difficult period of my life.

“I was left in tatters and it required all my strength just to carry on.

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“The idea behind Psyche’s Key was born at this time. It helped me come to terms with what had happened, and went a long way in healing the hurt, pain and confusion.

“Since then, the game has helped dozens of other people to overcome life’s challenges, become stronger individuals and go forward with confidence.”

Nhys, originally from Maclean on Australia’s east coast and a former English teacher, moved to Britain in 2006 to work as a personal development trainer and find her British roots – her father Geoffrey Clark was born and raised in Halifax before he emigrated to Australia and she still has relatives in the region.

Although she intended staying in the UK for a few months, she “really felt as if I had come home” and decided to stay.

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Her move to Yorkshire followed the devastating events of 2002 when she lost her son and was diagnosed with cancer.

Nhys, a divorcee, turned to writing as a “lifeline”, and went on to publish Labyrinth of Light, a fantasy novel, the following year.

“I was faced with two of the most horrific pieces of news a woman can hear, and both came within a few hours of each other,” she said.

“Up until that point, I’d helped hundreds of people in their life and career choices – suddenly my own path was blurred and I needed help myself.

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Writing proved to be that lifeline. It brought be back from the depths of depression, and helped focus my energies on something constructive and tangible.”

The success of her novel led to the creation of Psyche’s Key, a mix between a traditional board game and a personal development programme.

Dubbed Monopoly for the spiritually minded, its name stems from the Greek word psyche, or soul.

The object of the game is to find Psyche’s Key – the answers that “only our soul knows”.

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To achieve this, players take turns moving through a “sacred spiral” into the centre of the board, finding answers to “deep, meaningful and often difficult” questions along the way.

Unlike other board games, Psyche’s Key is said to be non-competitive – “everyone’s a winner”.

But its players can “win” by reaching the centre and gaining key insights into their life journey as a result.

Nhys admits Psyche’s Key may sound “a little weird”.

But she says it has proven life-changing for many players, and she has already sold more than 100 copies through her website and via Game Days which she has hosted in Yorkshire and abroad.

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“The idea of a board game-cum-awareness program is unique and, as such, may seem a little weird,” she said.

“But it’s really a matter of combining two known methods of self-help – coaching and future focus – in one package.

“It means the game can be played like a normal board game by a group of friends, or used as a form of deep reflection in its own right.”

Nhys, who underwent a successful bi-lateral mastectomy in 2002, joked: “You finish a game with clarity, direction and a deep sense of peace – you don’t get that from Trivial Pursuit!”

Copies of Psyche’s Key are now available on Nhys’ website: www.thejourneywoman.info priced 15.