In this update episode we talk with Shelby Forsythia (host of the podcast Coming Back: Conversations on life after loss) from episode 52. In this episode we talk about the experience of having someone else share a grief dream of her mom with her, and a couple new grief dreams she has had of her deceased mom. You can find more about Shelby at http://www.shelbyforsythia.com/ and on Instagram @shelbyforsythia
Marlene Rodgers works as a story editor on feature films and documentary television series, and makes short films driven by her personal passions. Her most recent film is a collaboration with her husband, Franco Pante. DREAMS OF THE DEAD tells the story of Marlene’s journey in the aftermath of the sudden and accidental death of her grandmother, Baka, and the vivid dreams that were intrinsic to navigating that loss. Visit the film’s website at www.dreamsofthedead.com to post your own memory of a ...
Nikki Wilson works full time at an electricity company whilst also studying full time at The University of Melbourne. She will be graduating with a Bachelor of Environments degree (currently in her final Semester). While in university she has been taking creative writing classes as elective subjects. This semester she has been writing for a non-fiction class and decided to write about Grief Dreams after having personal experiences with them. In this episode we talk about her university assignmen...
Kayla Moryoussef is a Community Worker/Registered Social Service Worker from Toronto who has been volunteering and working in end-of-life/palliative care for over seven years. She is a Death Educator, Death Doula candidate with Home Hospice Association, and project manager for all of their Death Cafés across southern Ontario. Kayla truly believes in the profound power of a ‘good death’ and its lasting effects on healthy individuals, families, and communities at-large. At the age of fifteen, Kayl...
Amy Vilela entered into politics after the death of her daughter, Shalynne's, needless death at the hands of the USA’s profit-driven healthcare system. Losing Shalynne became a defining moment in her life. The transformation out of grief and into a position of strength was a long journey. Although her life has been full of struggle – and, more recently, tragedy – her experiences have strengthened her resolve in the fight for justice. Her journey is shown in the 2019 documentary on Netflix “ Knoc...
Karen Millsap is a TEDx speaker, Founder of The Groflo community and the CEO - which stands for "Chief Empathy Officer" of Egency. At only 29 years old, her life was suddenly flipped upside down... she became a widow when her husband, Richard, was tragically murdered. On the quest to rebuild her life, she discovered simple habits and lifestyle changes that helped her find her way back to a whole heart. Self-care essentially saved her life. This realization sparked a deep desire to share everythi...
Dr. Sherry Cormier is a licensed psychologist and a professor emerita in the Department of Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling, and Counseling Psychology at West Virginia University. She is a certified bereavement trauma specialist, the author of two textbooks, and the producer of over 100 training videos for Cengage Learning. Her new book, Sweet Sorrow: Finding Enduring Wholeness After Loss and Grief was written by her in the decade following the loss of her husband, father, mother, dog, and ...
Donald Knight is an ordained independent catholic priest, dreamer, light worker, and podcaster ( Spei Lumina - Lights of Hope) . His grief journey began at the age of 10 when his father unexpectedly passed away. The event of his father’s death set him on a path of faith, spirituality and seeking the Divine. In this episode we talk about his father, grieving as a child, understanding dreams, grief dreams of his dad and aunt, becoming religious, relics in the church, and his podcast. You can find ...
In this Father’s Day episode, Shawn Ram talks with Dr. Joshua Black and Darwyn Dave about the Toronto Raptors (NBA) and St. Louis Blues (NHL), players on those teams with a dead father, what it’s like not having a father here for important moments, and grief dreams we think the players would like to have of their deceased father. To find more about Darwyn visit http://www.dealingwithmygrief.com/
Dr. Pei Grant is the Research Director at Hospice Buffalo, one of the largest hospice and palliative care organizations in Western New York. Her research encompasses a diverse range of projects from programmatic studies to psychosocial research, to medical projects. Her work has been recognized nationally and internationally to be innovative and enhancing quality of care to new levels. She believes that while it is important to find ways to lead a meaningful life, she advocates for people to foc...
Tracy McCubbin is the author of Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Book On Decluttering You’ll Ever Need (releasing Tuesday June 4, 2019 ). While working for a major television director in Los Angeles, Tracy discovered she had the ability to see through any mess and clearly envision a clutter-free space. Before she knew it, dClutterfly was born. Ten years and thousands of clients later, dClutterfly is Los Angeles’ premier organizing and decluttering company. Tracy is a regularly featured exper...
Heather Stang, MA, C-IAYT is the author of Mindfulness & Grief, now in its second edition, and the host of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast. She has a Master’s Degree in Thanatology and is a certified yoga therapist and meditation instructor. Heather is on the Advisory Board for the highly regarded military family survivor organization Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and is the founder of the Mindfulness & Grief Training Institute. In this episode we talk about how sh...
Shavinder Galtere, commonly known to her friends and family as Shivy, is a Celebrity and VIP Relations Consultant to fashion and lifestyle brands. After the passing of her mother Davinder Kumaran, less than a year ago, Shivy started @lovelosslight, an Instagram account with the slogan 'let's try to understand, help + heal', with the purpose of helping others navigate through their process of grief. In this episode we talk about the value of hard work, her love of fashion, her last time seeing he...
This is a special Mother’s Day episode where Dr. Joshua Black interviews Darwyn Dave and Shelby Forsythia. In this episode we talk about our moms, the experience of facing this day when your mom is dead, and tips for those grieving on Mother’s Day. To find more about Darwyn visit http://www.dealingwithmygrief.com/ To find more about Shelby visit http://www.shelbyforsythia.com/...
Brent Birkhoff recently received his Master of Science from Marian University in Thanatology, and is Certified in Thanatology from the Association of Death Education and Counseling. He and his wife, Tina, recently started Heart Strings by Legacy Leaders, which is dedicated to ensuring that all individuals have their story told before death. In this episode we talk about the 2019 International Death, Grief and Bereavement conference, starting Heart Stings, reflecting on legacy, their multiple los...
Medea Bavarella Chechik is the Best Selling Author of “Facing Grief With Eyes Wide Open,” a Transformative Teacher, Transformational Facilitator and Leader, and a Master Coach. Medea is the Founder and Host of WeEvolve TV™, an online talk show, where she has interviewed many Luminaries in the field of Human Consciousness. In this episode we talk about her search for meaning, transforming her life after the death of her son, writing poetry and her book, and a grief dream of her son. You can find ...
Judy Hinderer is a wife and working mother. She has been fascinated and studied dreams for as long as she can remember. The dreams with her deceased father have been integral in her life and they came to her at very specific times. Even though she never had the chance to meet her father before he died, her dreams of him has connected them. In this episode we talk about the death of her father, growing up without him, receiving his guitar, and a series of 5 grief dreams she had....
Jacqui Pagobo has suffered great heartbreak over the years after her brother, John Joseph “JJ” Pagobo, unexpectedly passed away from a longboarding accident and medical malpractice. This April will be his 10 year death anniversary, which she will be honouring him with a memorial event. She hopes that her story can inspire others. In this episode we talk about her brother and his death, grieving while in school, the memorial event, and grief dreams of her brother.
Tanzila "Taz" Ahmed is an activist, storyteller, and politico based in Los Angeles. She currently is a Campaign Strategist at the Asian American new media organizing group 18MillionRising. She is cohost of The #GoodMuslimBadMuslim Podcast that has been featured in Oprah Magazine, Wired, and Buzzfeed as well as live shows recorded at South by Southwest and the White House. In this episode we talk about being an activist for change, her podcast, ghosts, dreams, the death of her mother, and grief d...
Monica Meade is currently working in private practice as a clinical therapist with Whole Balance Health, specializing in Grief, and Trauma therapy utilizing EMDR (Eye Movement, Desensitization, and Reprocessing), in Colorado Springs, CO. Monica’s pursuit of becoming a grief counselor was born out of necessity. After the death of two immediate family members, she struggled to find hope for herself in the healing process. She has made it her goal to reach out to others during their grief journey t...
In this episode we talk about where she has been the last 4 months, the new podcast logo, reflections on reaching over 100 episodes, and new events we are hosting.
Rebecca MacDonald is a self-taught memorial jewelry artist working and living in Ontario with her husband and dog. Since immigrating to Canada 10 years ago, Rebecca has experienced loss many times as she moved throughout the country. Her Grandpa has been a huge inspiration in her life and dealing with his passing from the other side of the Atlantic ocean has been one of her biggest struggles so far. By fostering connections with animals, she has also been able to connect with others. Through her...
Kevin Toolis is a BAFTA winning film maker and writer of the acclaimed death guide My Father’s Wake: How the Irish Teach Us to Live, Love and Die. Toolis has reported on famines, wars and plagues all over the world for The New York Times and The Guardian. As a documentary maker he has filmed in the middle east and directed the Emmy-nominated Cult of the Suicide Bomber television history series. He is also producer/ director of a compelling new stage work Wonders of the Wake that revives the lost...
Rachel Leoman and her cousin Hannah Brown created the podcast So Dreamy (Twitter/Insta: @SoDreamySnack) with the intent of creating a safe and fun space for dreamers to share, hear, and discuss dreams of all kinds. They both have been interested in dreams for as long as they can remember. In this episode we talk about dreams in general, the So Dreamy Podcast, their losses (Rachel’s mom and Hannah’s brother, grandmother, and uncle), and Hannah’s dreams of her deceased grandmother. Check out episo...
As a full-time photographer from Canada, Jay Perry has travelled the country and beyond to capture the moments and memories that matter. Following a photo trip to Haiti in 2010, Jay discovered his passion for helping others. He has since dedicated his time and talent to numerous charitable efforts, while founding his own establishment aptly named Friends With Hearts. Jay recently released his book “My Dad Got Sick” that talks about his experiences taking care of his dying father. We talk about b...
Dr. Beth Allen (AKA Bif Naked) is a prominent alternative artist, performer and songwriter. Throughout her remarkable career, Beth embarked on seemingly endless international tours, several feature films and multiple television roles, only to be struck down with breast cancer at the age of 37. She would discover her passion for advocacy, as a triumphant survivor and someone who helps others first. She wrote her biography in 2016 called “I, Bificus”. In this episode we talk about her music career...
Heather Varner is an east-coast born and bred Canadian who moved to Ontario with her then-boyfriend (now-fiancé) after her mother died in 2014. In the 4.5 years since, Heather has dealt with her grief through therapy, faith, and plenty of writing. She has written pieces about grief and loss that have been published by Time, xoJane, and Elite Daily, and shares her grief journey through her Instagram account @stormsandsilverlinings. At the start of this calendar year she launched a blog called Sto...
Aditi Loveridge is a Certified Life Coach, Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, and owner of Pregnancy Loss Healing. Aditi supports mothers in their journeys after pregnancy or infant loss. Her work includes supporting mothers who have recently experienced loss, are trying to conceive after loss of any kind (pregnancy/infant loss, failed IVF, missed adoption), pregnant again after loss, and those still struggling after the birth of their baby. Aditi helps mothers who have experienced loss to reconnec...
Pennie Hunt is a speaker, author, and the President and founder of Journey Through, LLC. Her book is titled “Love Your Life-No Matter What - 76 Tips to Live Life with Love and Gratitude.” She also writes a weekly blog called “Writings From The Corner of Spirit & Brave.” In this episode we talk about a series of life changing events (including the death of her son and dog), her weekly blog, getting a memorial tattoo, and grief dreams of her son and dog. You can find more information on Pennie...
In this episode we recap some of the dream conversations we have had with guests since August 2018. This is episode 5.
