Satenam Johal was born in Wednesbury, West Midlands and still lives in the area. He qualified as a Social Worker in 1998, obtaining a Diploma in Social Work and a BSc in Social Work from the University of Central England. He also holds a Post Qualification in Social Work, an Award in Child Care and a BPhil degree in Child Care from Birmingham University. His social work experience has included child protection, fostering, adoption and undertaking specialist child protection investigations in relation to persons in positions of trust. As a result of such experiences he has a specific focus on researching trauma and bereavement. He continues to work in social care and undertakes court-appointed independent assessments. He wrote Love in the Midst of Grief in the wake of the tragic deaths of his two brothers-in-law.