In this episode, Cristi Habermann discusses the complexities of grief and the various forms of therapy available to those who are grieving. She emphasizes the importance of understanding what kind of help is needed, the differences between individual therapy and support groups, and the role of licensed therapists in the healing process. Cristi shares her personal experiences and insights on navigating emotions, the challenges of grief, and the importance of vulnerability in seeking support. She ...
May 02, 2025•27 min
#grief, #cancer, #road trip, #personal journey, #podcasting, #mental health, #storytelling, #community, #healing, #self-discoveryIn this episode, host Cristi Habermann shares her personal journey of grief following the loss of her son, Christopher, who passed away after battling cancer. She discusses her plans for a road trip to honor his memory and explore places he wished to visit. Cristi also reflects on her health challenges and the impact of her job on her well-being, expressing a desire to...
Apr 09, 2025•5 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In this episode of Grieving Insomniacs, host Cristi Habermann reflects on the profound impact of loss, particularly the loss of her son, on both emotional and physical health. She discusses the importance of recognizing how grief manifests in the body and introduces somatic therapy as a means to address these physical responses. Cristi emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to grief that includes understanding the connection between emotional pain and physical symptoms, and she explores var...
Jan 26, 2025•50 min•Season 2Ep. 100
#grief, #ghosting, #grieving insomniacs, #mental health, #coping mechanisms, #support, #loss, #emotional health, #podcast, #healing In this episode of Grieving Insomniacs, host Cristi Habermann shares her personal journey through grief after the loss of her son. She discusses the importance of communication and connection during the grieving process, highlighting the phenomenon of ' ghosting' —when friends and family withdraw support during a time of loss. Cristi emphasizes the emotional turmoil...
Jan 13, 2025•40 min
In this heartfelt episode of Grieving Insomniacs, host Cristi Habermann shares her personal journey of grief following the loss of her son, Christopher. She reflects on the challenges of navigating life and holidays without him, the impact of grief on family dynamics, and the ongoing struggle with health issues. Cristi emphasizes the importance of acknowledging grief, the complexities of healing, and the need for support during difficult times, especially around the holidays. She also discusses ...
Dec 14, 2024•27 min•Season 2Ep. 97
In this episode of Grieving Insomniacs, host Cristi Habermann shares her personal journey through grief, particularly focusing on the challenges of moving on after the loss of her child, Christopher. She emphasizes the importance of being real about grief, discussing the emotional struggles that come with the holidays, and offering coping strategies for those who are grieving. Cristi highlights the pain of seeing others move on while feeling stuck in grief, and she provides insights on how to na...
Nov 26, 2024•24 min•Season 2Ep. 96
In this episode of Grieving Insomniacs, host Cristi Habermann shares her personal journey through grief after the loss of her son. She discusses the challenges of navigating grief during the holiday season, the importance of self-care, and the need for open conversations about loss. Cristi emphasizes that each person's grief journey is unique and encourages listeners to create new traditions that honor their loved ones while also taking care of themselves. Takeaways Cristi started the podcast to...
Nov 10, 2024•23 min•Season 2Ep. 95
In this episode of Grieving Insomniacs , host Cristi Habermann shares her personal journey of grief following the loss of her son. She discusses the concept of gaslighting in the context of grief, where others deny or trivialize the grieving person's reality. Cristi emphasizes the profound impact of grief on her life and the societal pressures that often accompany it. She explores the themes of trivialization, projection, and the importance of self-validation in the grieving process. Throughout ...
Oct 26, 2024•37 min•Season 2Ep. 92
https://ahealingplaceforgrief.com https://www.instagram.com/grievinginsomniacs/ In this episode, Cristi Habermann shares her personal journey through grief after losing a child and discusses the impact of grief on relationships. She explores common fears surrounding divorce after such a loss, the importance of communication and understanding between partners, and the role of forgiveness in healing. Cristi emphasizes the need for coping mechanisms and support systems, and she reflects on how grie...
Oct 06, 2024•25 min
In this conversation, Cristi Habermann delves into the complex emotions surrounding survivor's guilt, particularly in the context of losing a child. She explores the symptoms and implications of survivor's guilt, the concept of moral injury, and the challenges of navigating complicated grief. Cristi emphasizes the importance of self-forgiveness and finding meaning in loss as essential coping strategies. She also discusses the need to incorporate the memory of lost loved ones into daily life as a...
Sep 21, 2024•35 min•Season 2Ep. 87
In this episode, we explore the often overlooked emotional burden of grief in medical care. Many doctors are trained to treat the physical symptoms of illness but may struggle to fully understand or address the complex emotional and psychological aspects of grief that their patients experience. We'll discuss how the medical system often falls short in supporting those grieving, whether it's after a terminal diagnosis or the loss of a loved one. Cristi Habermann shares personal experiences and st...
Aug 25, 2024•26 min
In this heartfelt episode, we explore the profound and painful journey of a mother diagnosed with cancer, following the loss of her son, Christopher, to the same disease. We delve into the depths of fear, grief, and guilt, and discover how these emotions can shape a desire for a more authentic life. Join us as we discuss the lessons of grief, the resilience of the human spirit, and the strength it takes to navigate such an intense and personal storm. This episode highlights the raw truth of surv...
Aug 04, 2024•26 min
In this episode, we delve into the "Dark Night of the Soul," a term that describes the deep, transformative crisis many people endure during periods of intense grief and major life changes—at the same time, discussing the hiatus in podcast episodes due to life changes. Christopher's birthday and death day have recently passed along with the death of some dear family members. May and June are not months of happiness for our family. This episode aims to provide comfort, and support, to listeners n...
Jun 23, 2024•22 min
Welcome to Grieving Insomniacs the podcast where we explore the raw and real experiences of life, grief, and healing. I'm your host, Cristi Habermann and in today's episode, we're delving into a topic that holds profound significance for many: surviving Mother's Day as a grieving mother. Mother's Day, a day celebrated with joy and love, can also be a source of profound pain for those who have lost a child. For grieving mothers, this day can feel like a relentless reminder of what's been lost, am...
Apr 14, 2024•24 min•Season 2Ep. 85
Today marks my granddaughter's 13th birthday, a day etched with profound significance in my son's tumultuous journey. It ranks as one of the toughest days he ever faced, second only to the heart-wrenching news of a cancer diagnosis on his 25th birthday. My granddaughter, just three months old when he passed away, remains a poignant symbol of love and loss in our family's narrative. For many years, I found myself estranged from her family, unable to partake in the joyous moments of her growing up...
Mar 17, 2024•25 min
I've returned following an unintentional hiatus of a month. In this episode, I delve into a recent discussion I had with friends regarding the dynamics of friendships. Through this conversation, I realized that the experience of grief has altered the way I perceive these relationships. I find myself not feeling as intimately connected to people as I once did, and this extends to my relationships with family members. Has this happened to you? Let's talk about it on Instagram https://www.instagram...
Mar 10, 2024•24 min•Season 2Ep. 84
Grief triggers can sneak up on you when you least expect it, catching you off guard. In my recent experience, one such trigger catapulted me back to the day right after Christopher passed away. As I found myself navigating the memories and emotions of that moment, it hit me – grief is not a hurdle to overcome; it's a lifelong journey. Join me in this week's episode as I share the raw and real details of riding the wave of grief. https://www.instagram.com/grievinginsomniacs/?hl=en https://cristih...
Feb 11, 2024•28 min
The onset of a new year typically results in the creation of resolutions. Everywhere you turn, there are news articles, blog posts, and memes echoing the sentiment of a "new year, new you." However, for those grappling with grief, this season proves to be challenging. Each new year signifies another year without their cherished ones, a continuous stream of memories left unmade due to the absence of their loved ones. Navigating the transition from one year to the next becomes a formidable task. F...
Jan 15, 2024•27 min
n the midst of last week's reflective journaling exercise, I unearthed a profound realization about my struggle to embrace joy during the holiday season. The overwhelming sense of disloyalty I feel towards my departed child casts a shadow over my Christmas celebrations. Join me as I unveil the journey of self-discovery that led to this insight, delving into the methods I employed to navigate these emotions while journaling. Moreover, I share invaluable coping strategies from this process, offeri...
Dec 17, 2023•22 min•Season 2Ep. 80
Journaling is one of the most helpful ways I have found to cope with my grief journey. When our feelings and minds are confused and full of sadness it can be hard to decide on where to start. Sometimes we need a helping hand. This is why I created the Journal with me series. Each week we will use a prompt to get us started in our grief journal. This week's prompt is what I am missing about my child at Christmas. Write for at least one page and 1/5 without checking your grammar or spelling. Keep ...
Dec 03, 2023•25 min•Season 2Ep. 80
This week's podcast does not have a theme or a particular message. It is more random thoughts and experiences from the week surrounding thoughts about death, dying, and particularly grief at Thanksgiving. I realized this week that we live in a society that does not allow anyone to be sad. It seems like sadness is being equated with depression and as such is being treated as a mental illness. Sadness is not the same as depression. As I moved through the week toward a holiday that is not particula...
Nov 26, 2023•25 min•Season 2Ep. 75
The message "The dark night of the soul" popped into my head when I was thinking about an appropriate topic for the Thanksgiving holiday podcast. In researching, I found several references to the Dark Night of the Soul. One was from Dr. Gerald May, and the other was from Eckhart Tolle. I will link both of them below. As I explored the concept of the Dark Night of the Soul, I realized that the holidays symbolize the dark side of my grief and the dark side of my emotions. As I made these connectio...
Nov 19, 2023•24 min•Season 2Ep. 78
In today's episode of "Grieving Insomniacs," we delve into why grief can become particularly overwhelming during Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving serves as a poignant symbol of all that we have lost. It revolves around the concept of family, cherished traditions, and shared meals—a living embodiment of a Norman Rockwell painting. For a grieving mother, this holiday is a time of mourning for those who are absent. If you have any understanding of grief, it's important to recognize that the holidays can ...
Nov 13, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 75
Summer has now turned to fall in the frozen north. Very quickly after Halloween, the first significant snowfall of the season will occur. Winter will move in and it becomes a time of reflection. This year has me reflecting on how my grief has changed over the years. The holidays are always difficult. In the 11 years since becoming a grieving mom, I have learned the importance of assessing my own ability to cope with the holidays. In the podcast today I talk about how our emotional health, mental...
Nov 05, 2023•29 min
In today's episode, I share everything I wish non-grieving people knew about grief. 1. After the death of a child the life you knew before that moment is over. 2. Grief is solitary and lonely. 3. Grief destroys relationships and your health. 4. There is no way to escape grief. You dream about it. Feel it and think about it all of the time. Please share with me what you wish people knew about grief. https://www.instagram.com/grievinginsomniacs/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/grievinginsomniacs...
Oct 15, 2023•21 min•Season 2Ep. 75
In today's episode, we delve into the subject of Tonkin's Model of Grief. When exploring various grief theories through a Google search, Tonkin's Model of Grief may appear as a potential option. However, it is essential to clarify that Tonkin's model primarily pertains to the experience of parental loss, specifically the loss of a child, and emphasizes the process of adapting and growing while carrying the weight of grief. Therefore, it is not entirely accurate to categorize it as a comprehensiv...
Oct 09, 2023•26 min•Season 2Ep. 74
In today's episode, we discuss how to determine whether a counselor is going to meet your needs for grief counseling. This podcast episode offers valuable insights and practical advice for individuals who are seeking support and guidance through the complex journey of choosing a grief therapist. We explore various aspects of what makes a grief counselor a good match for the grief counseling process. We discuss helping listeners understand how to select the right counselor who can provide the sup...
Oct 01, 2023•26 min•Season 2Ep. 73
Welcome to another episode of Grieving Insomniacs, the podcast where we explore the complex journey of grief and healing. In today's episode, we'll delve into the Dual Process Model of grief. In this episode we break the Dual Process Model down into its key components. Developed by Margaret Stroebe and Henk Schut in the 1990s, this model suggests that grieving individuals oscillate between two primary processes: loss-oriented and restoration-oriented activities. We'll explore how these processes...
Sep 17, 2023•27 min•Season 2Ep. 71
Welcome back to another episode of Grieving Insomaniacs. Today we have a profound and essential topic: Continuing Bonds in Grief Therapy. Continuing Bonds as a way to navigate grief was developed by Phyllis Silverman, Dennis Glass, and Steven Nickman in their book Continuing Bonds, New Understanding of Grief. This theory states that instead of severing our connection to our deceased loved ones, we find ways to continue the relationship. Some practical examples of how to incorporate this theory i...
Sep 10, 2023•28 min•Season 2Ep. 70
In today's episode, we dive deep into the profound impact of unfinished farewells and the complex emotions that come with not getting the chance to say goodbye. Life often interferes with our ability to say goodbye, leaving us with unsaid words, unexpressed feelings, and a longing for closure. Your host Cristi Habermann explores the impact of the weight of unfinished business with the untimely death of her son, and other relatives. In her attempt to seek closure for herself, she shares tips on h...
Sep 04, 2023•25 min•Season 2Ep. 69
