Episodes
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Shelby Forsythia (she/her) is a grief coach, author, and podcast host. In 2020, she founded Life After Loss Academy, an online course and community that has helped dozens of grievers grow and find their way after death, divorce, diagnosis, and other major life transitions.
Following her mother’s death in 2013, Shelby began calling herself a “student of grief” and now devotes her days to reading, writing, and speaking about loss. Through a combination of mindfulness tools and intuitive, open-ended questions, she guides her clients to welcome grief as a teacher and create meaningful lives that honor and include the heartbreaks they’ve faced. Her work has been featured in Huffington Post, Bustle, and The Oprah Magazine.
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Trauma specialist and psychotherapist Edith Shiro sits down with Meghan to discuss loss, traumatic growth and the role of hope in healing.
Focused on healing trauma and facilitating Posttraumatic Growth, Dr. Edith Shiro holds space for patients, communities, and individuals to achieve greater potential and higher consciousness. Dr. Shiro's influence extends well beyond her private practice. She frequently engages as a guest expert on national media broadcasts and publications, including TIME magazine, Oprah Daily, and Billboard. Her groundbreaking book has garnered significant recognition, earning her the Innovation Award in Science in 2022, the International Latino Book Awards in 2023, and both the International Impact Book Awards and Book Excellence Awards in 2024. Through her writing, speaking engagements, and media appearances, Dr. Shiro continues to contribute meaningfully to the discourse on mental health, individual and collective trauma. As a board member of the World Happiness Foundation, she is dedicated to promoting happiness, enhancing consciousness and well-being around the world.
https://www.dredithshiro.com
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Missing episodes?
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Uk based therapist Helen Marie is the author of Choose You: Gentle Words to Help You Heal and Grow. She sits down with Meghan to talk, grief, loss, healing and hope in this special episode. Learn more about Helen on her website:
https://www.helenmariepsychotherapy.com/book
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Jason Nark is a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and a freelance writer. He lives in New Jersey with his kids and a dog named Wanda and has written about grief and loss including about his own best friend's death by suicide.
More here: https://jasonnark.com/about-me/
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Novelette is 38 year old woman, living with a life limiting illness, called Epidermolysis Bullosa. I have the Recessive Dystrophic form of Epidermolysis Bullosa, RDEB. I live in Canada. I have a specialist in philosophy from the University of Toronto. Since 2018, I have been a trained hospice and peer bereavement Volunteer. I co-facilitate a lot of peer bereavement groups. I do a lot of mindfulness for grieving loss groups. I also help with training new hospice and peer bereavement volunteers. I’ve also volunteered as a hospice care companion to others, living with a life limiting illness. I enjoy writing poetry and painting. Talking walks in nature. And I enjoy spending time with my nieces and nephew and caring for my cat.
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At the age of five Jessica Fein’s daughter Dalia was diagnosed with a rare degenerative disease that would claim her life at 17. Before that moment came, and inspired by Dalia’s own irrepressible spirit, Fein and her family would discover how to live in the present when the future can’t be fixed. In this heartfelt yet clear-eyed memoir, Fein maps both her journey to becoming an adoptive mom and the roller coaster ride of loving and caring for a terminally ill child, persevering when the simple act of taking a breath can become an act of courage. Through it all, she discovers the need to be both relentless advocate and calm presence, to show vulnerability as well as strength, and to allow joy to be louder than sorrow.
https://www.jessicafeinstories.com
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Lisa Keefauver--Tedx speaker, consulatant, grief educator and host of the Grief is a Sneaky Bitch podcast has written a book of the same name. Written in the tone of your "wise best friend" this book will keep you company, teach you, and support you as you navigate loss. Be sure to follow her
https://lisakeefauver.com
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Jonathan Fleece is the president and CEO of Empath Health
Empath Health is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health systems delivering non-acute care and services through its skilled, medical and holistic programs to individuals with chronic, advanced and terminal illnesses and those experiencing grief. The Empath Health integrated network of care provides expert medical, counseling and support services including hospice; home health; palliative care; grief services; all-inclusive elder care; HIV/STI prevention services and support; primary care; physician services; and full-service pharmacy and durable medical equipment (DME). Empath Health is honored to have approximately 26,000 people enrolled in our Full Life Care services in north central, west central and southwest Florida. We have nearly 130 combined years of experience serving individuals during some of their most vulnerable times. Our wide variety of community-based programs reflects our commitment to the preservation of our charitable mission.
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Brutally Honest. Achingly Authentic.
In her author debut, Lindsey Kane Leaverton, has written the book she wished she had as she navigated countless trips through despair.
She shares her heart and healing journey to help you raise your awareness, add tools to your toolkit, and find a way to laugh while you cry your way through a messy life.
https://www.notanotherselfhelpbook.com/shes-a-lot-interview-series -
Host of one of the most popular podcasts on death, grief and loss, David Ferrugio comes into the work with a deep personal understanding of loss. His father (also David) died in the world Trade Center on 9/11 when David was only twelve years old. In this episode David shares some of his life philosophies, his appreciation for gallows humor and how critical supports helped him to process his loss. The subject matter may be heavy, but this conversation isn't. David's joy and love of life is infectious.
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What a Day in the Life of a Hospital Chaplain who Sits with the Dying Teaches Us About GRIEF
J.S. Park is a hospital chaplain, author, and online educator. For eight years he has been an interfaith chaplain at a thousand-plus-bed hospital that is designated a Level 1 Trauma Center. His role includes grief counseling, attending every death, every trauma and Code Blue, staff care, and supporting end-of-life care. He also served for three years as a chaplain at one of the largest nonprofit charities for the homeless on the east coast. J.S. has a MDiv completed in 2010 and a BA in Psychology. He also has a sixth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. J.S. currently lives in Tampa, Florida with his wife, a nurse practitioner, and his three-year-old daughter, newborn son, and their adopted dog.
https://www.instagram.com/jspark3000/?hl=en
X: https://twitter.com/jsparkblog?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNc6TwqBwxM
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NPR’s Rhaina Cohen is the The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center,
The Other Significant Others invites us into the lives of people who have defied convention by choosing a friend as a life partner—from friends raising a child together to best friends of 50 years who live together in their retiree years. Based on years of original reporting and striking social science research, Cohen argues that we undermine romantic relationships by expecting too much of them while we diminish friendships by expecting too little of them. At a time when many Americans are spending large stretches of their lives single, widowed or divorced, or feeling the effects of the "loneliness epidemic," Cohen insists that we recognize the many forms of profound connection that can anchor our lives. A groundbreaking book, The Other Significant Others challenges us to ask what we want from our relationships—not just what we’re supposed to want—and transforms how we define a fulfilling life
The book looks at how friendship is woefully undervalued, and we do ourselves a societal disservice by believing that a lifelong romantic relationship is essential for having a full, meaningful adulthood. Cohen makes this case through the stories of people who've built a life with a friend—raising children together, buying homes together, and taking care of each other in old age. Amid a loneliness epidemic, declining marriage rates and changing family forms, she argues that we'd benefit from recognizing the variety of relationships that ground people's lives
“Rhaina Cohen’s moving, intimate portraits of people in unusually devoted friendships upend our cultural narratives about which relationships matter. A perceptive and vivid reporter, she reveals that there are far more pathways to deep connection and fulfillment than we’ve been made to believe. The Other Significant Others is an arresting work of compassion and insight.”
—Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone and co-host of Dear Therapists podcast
“In her lovingly written The Other Significant Others, Rhaina Cohen does crucial work by questioning easy social categorization and the hierarchies of recognition and privilege that too often put romantically coupled pairs at the top. The Other Significant Others is energetic, open, considered, and beautifully reported. It thrums with a passion for the subject, and is powered by a historically rich, intellectually serious curiosity about the relationships that provide backbone and ballast to so many of our lives, but which have only recently begun to receive the consideration they are due.”
—Rebecca Traister, New York Times bestselling author of All the Single Ladies and Good and Mad
https://www.rhainacohen.com
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Anne Gudger is an autobiographical essayist who writes hard and loves harder. She’s been published in Real Simple, Cutbank, Cutthroat, The Los Angeles Review, The Normal School, The Rumpus, and the Columbia Journal, among others, and has been a Best of the Net nominee twice. She is also the co-founder of Coffee and Grief, a reading series that’s been thriving since March 2020 and hosts five curated readers every month reading on grief. Anne lives in Banks, Oregon with her beloved husband. The Fifth Chamber is her first book.
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Recognized as one of today’s foremost experts on grief, Claire Bidwell Smith is a licensed therapist, international speaker, and the author of five books published in 22 countries. Led by her own experience in grief and fueled by her work in hospice and private practice, Claire strives to provide support for all kinds of people experiencing all kinds of loss. Claire has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, MSNBC, CNN, Scientific American, Goop, Oprah and many more outlets. Her most recent books Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief and Conscious Grieving have provided groundbreaking and transformative approaches to the process of grief. Learn more at clairebidwellsmith.com or by following @clairebidwellsmith on social media
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In 2018, Nikki Mark’s healthy twelve-year-old-son Tommy went to sleep one night and never woke up. Nikki went into a state of shock and her body quickly started to deteriorate, but she had to be there for her remaining family. Without a religious or spiritual background, she relied on the one skill she could still access — the ability to figure it out.
Along her unconventional journey, Nikki discovered something surprising: that if we’re open to the possibilities, grieving offers a unique opportunity to access life’s magic.
From raising over $1,000,000 to build an athletic field in her son’s name, to working with diverse (and sometimes divisive) players in Los Angeles to get it approved, to exploring every kind of healing modality from mediation to mushrooms, Nikki now shares the intimate details of navigating grief with purpose and action – and a little coaching from beyond.
Download Nikki Mark's personally-tested resources and invaluable advice for triumphing over grief (for you or someone you would like to support) — available for free at NikkiMark.com. Treat yourself to her memoir, "Tommy’s Field: Love, Loss, and the Goal of a Lifetime," the inside story about Nikki's transformation from deep despair to accessing the magic that life wants for us all. -
Don't miss the wonderful episide with the the incredible ane L. Rosen author of On Fire Island as she explains how her personal exprience with grief informed her charachters in the book.
Jane L. Rosen is an author, screenwriter and former Huffington Post contributor. Jane often takes inspiration from real-life stories and interviews to craft her novels. Her first novel Nine Women, One Dress was translated into ten languages. Her second novel
Eliza Starts a Rumor has been optioned by NBC. A Shoe Story and On Fire Island are out now!
She lives in New York City and Fire Island with her husband and three daughters.
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Amy's work went viral. Learn the story of how and why in this episode where Amy discusses her how her viral list, was really a reaction to compound grief and loss.In her own words:I’m a psychotherapist turned “accidental” author
I started my career as a psychotherapist intending to help others build mental strength. I never imagined how much I was going to need mental muscle in my own life.
My mom passed away when I was 23. Then, my husband died when I was 26. Losing the two most important people in my life sent me on a quest to learn as much as I could about how to be mentally strong.
As I studied mental strength, I realized that mentally strong people don’t just have good habits. They also avoid any unhealthy habits that could hold them back.
In 2013, during one of my lowest points in my life, I wrote a letter to myself about all the things mentally strong people don’t do. When I was done, I had a list of 13 things that could rob me of mental strength if I let them.
That letter helped me so I thought maybe it could help someone else.
I published it online expecting a few people would read it. But that list went viral and more than 50 million people read!Within a matter of days, a literary agent reached out to suggest I write a book. Nine years later, I’ve written six books that have sold more than 1 million copies around the globe. And my life has never been the same.
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What happens when someone whose job is supporting other people’s mental health is rocked by their own traumatic loss?
In this episode, Juliet Haas LPC, LMHC, shares her story, including the personal and professional impacts of her loss.
Juliet is an embodied trauma-informed counselor, registered dance-movement therapist, and owner of Mindful Counseling and Wellness LLC. Licensed in both Wisconsin and Massachusetts, Juliet supports adults through grief, both death and non-death loss, trauma, and anxiety. Her therapeutic approach is person-centered, mindfulness based, and integrative. Her approach includes a blend of traditional talk therapy, mindfulness tools, expressive movement and art, and humor. She has specialty training in Accelerated Resolution Therapy for Trauma and Mind-Body approaches to assist in nervous system regulation. Juliet is also certified in Laughter Yoga: bringing more laughter and joy to the Milwaukee area!
To learn more, visit: https://www.mindfulcounselingandwellnessllc.com/
Instagram: @mindfulcounselingandwellness
And to connect with Julianne, please visit www.juliannemanskerollefson.com
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Is there room for humor in the world of grief and loss? According to Kathleen Wallace, creator of Grief: A Comedy, laughter can serve as a tool for connection as we navigate the losses in our lives.
Kathleen is an actress, writer, producer, and facilitator whose work spans both the entertainment and corporate worlds. Her short film GRIEF: A COMEDY was recently selected for the Stowe Story Labs - Sidewalk Narrative Lab and the Stowe Story Labs TV Writers Room with Derek Simonds (showrunner, THE SINNER) and David Pope (co-founder, Stowe Story Labs). Notable work includes her series SETTLING UP, which is available on Amazon, and her feminist comedy series THE EVAGELISTS, about evangelists for feminism, which was a finalist in the Raindance Pilot Competition and won a Made In NY Women’s Fund grant. She has facilitated classes and conversations for organizations including the Yale Alumni Association, World50, and Google.
To learn more about Kathleen and Grief: A Comedy, visit KathleenWallace.com and linktr.ee/griefacomedy
And you can follow the project on Instagram @griefacomedy
To connect with Julianne, please visit www.juliannemanskerollefson.com
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What is the cost of framing motherhood only in terms of its potential gains, without acknowledging its inevitable losses?
That’s one of the questions that Molly Milllwood addresses in her brilliant book, To Have and To Hold: Motherhood, Marriage, and the Modern Dilemma. A mix of research, client stories, and Molly’s personal experience, the book tells the truth about the realities of motherhood in an effort to normalize and validate the experience for women everywhere.
In this conversation, Molly discusses the current state of parenthood, its impact on mothers and their marriages, the role that social media and shame play in its difficulties, and its capacity to expand our emotional experience.
Molly Millwood is a licensed psychologist, author, speaker, singer-songwriter, mother, wife, and devoted advocate for women’s mental health and wellbeing. She holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Montana and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center. After juggling an academic career with a part-time psychotherapy practice for over 15 years, Molly now practices therapy full time. She works with adult individuals and couples, helping women rediscover themselves within the metamorphosis of motherhood and helping couples of all sorts improve their relational health. Her 2019 book, To Have and To Hold: Motherhood, Marriage, and the Modern Dilemma explores the emotional landscape of early motherhood and the inextricable link during this phase of life between women’s wellbeing and the wellbeing of their marriage or intimate partnership. Her work has been highlighted by The Washington Post, Mother Untitled, WNYC Radio, and numerous other media outlets, along with dozens of podcasts. She lives with her husband and two sons in the mountains of Vermont, where in her free time she can be found with a guitar in her hands, her nose in a book, or her feet on a steep dirt road.
To learn more about Molly, visit www.mollymillwood.com
To purchase her book, visit https://bit.ly/mollymillwood
Follow Julianne on Instagram at @juliannerollefson
And to learn more about Julianne or to get in touch, visit www.juliannemanskerollefson.com
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