When Faith Wilcox’s daughter Elizabeth began to complain about knee pain, her doctors thought it was just growing pains and she would be fine. As her pain continued, she was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer that affects pediatric patients. Through 10 months of treatment, Elizabeth remained positive and supportive of the other patients. Ultimately, Elizabeth passed away just one year after her diagnosis. In her grief, Faith was able to find moments of comfort and peace despite the things that we...
Jul 23, 2021•47 min•Season 5Ep. 53
Beth Cavenaugh shares with us her personal experience as a nurse-turned-hospice worker at the request of her mom during her mom’s final stage of life. Beth talks about her love of her work with families and patients and what caregivers need to think about during such a difficult period of time. Hospice is a service that provides physical and emotional support for someone who is in their last six months of life. Hospice is a comprehensive team of support personnel that includes family members, he...
Jul 08, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 52
Until he met Patty Furino, bereaved father Dave Roberts didn’t believe that the signs he kept seeing were coming from his beloved daughter, Jeannine. But soon, everything changed. In this episode of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, Dave shares his journey of love and loss and how the signs from his daughter transformed from triggering waves of grief into joy, and how they remind Dave that Jeannine is still close. Dave and Patty describe how Jeannine speaks through her father’s new friend, fo...
Jun 28, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 51
In episode 50 of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, Reid Peterson shares his story of losing both father figures in his life and the grief that comes with living without those important people. Although he was not close to his biological father the way he hoped, Reid still grieves the relationship that he wished he had with him. After his loss, Reid found support through grief groups but wanted more consistent support. This led him to create a grief support app that offers daily audio messages...
Jun 17, 2021•50 min•Season 5Ep. 50
In episode 49, bereaved father Eric Hodgdon explores how he leads a life of intention in the wake of incredible pain over the death of his daughter, Zoi, who died by suicide. He shares his fond memories of a loving and fun girl who was a sweet, supportive peer to those who knew her. Family, friends, and patients who traveled their mental health path alongside her all remember Zoi as a very special person.
Jun 11, 2021•58 min•Season 5Ep. 49
Ronald Mathias talks to us about his field of medical illustration: the art of taking complex medical procedures, descriptions, or concepts and turning them into something visual for ease of understanding. He spends most of his time translating traumatic injuries and building empathy for the pain someone has suffered into a visual medium for litigation. He is also tasked with the extremely difficult job of taking the unseen symptoms and turning them into visual representations. For the cover of ...
Jun 03, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 48
The tables are turned as Heather Stang, the regular host of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, is interviewed by guest host Audrey Hughey about the new guided journal for grief, From Grief to Peace , which releases on June 1, 2021 . Heather shares how she began journaling about her grief over her Uncle Doug's death in high school and the differences between free journaling and guided writing with prompts. Audrey shares how she processed her emotions over her ex-husband's death in her first thr...
May 26, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 47
In episode 46, lifelong friends Shelley Buck and Kathy Curtis share their journey of childhood friendship, staying in touch through college, and the comfort that Kathy provided to Shelley following the devastating loss of her son, Ryder. Ryder was a talented musician and world traveler who continued to live his life to the fullest even after his Stage IV cancer diagnosis. After Ryder’s death, Shelley felt extremely lost and unsure of her next steps in life. So Kathy helped Shelley write the book...
May 20, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 46
In episode 45, Angela Kennecke shares with us her story of losing her beautiful 21-year-old daughter, Emily, to overdose. Angela and her family were just a normal family. Emily was a gifted student and cheerleader. But Emily was struggling with one of the most common problems in America — addiction. Her sudden and unexpected death changed the lives of her family forever. Through her grief, Angela wanted to keep Emily’s memory alive. She originally wanted to just display some of her daughter’s ar...
May 06, 2021•58 min•Season 5Ep. 45
In episode 44, we talk to Author Jenny Lisk about her experience of parenting and caregiving for her husband during his aggressive form of brain cancer and eventually becoming a single parent and widow. Jenny shares how she navigated her way forward after his passing and her calling to help other people who may be losing a spouse. In Future Widow, Jenny goes behind the scenes of her journey through those tumultuous and heartbreaking months. She reflects on the community who showed her how to be ...
Apr 27, 2021•58 min•Season 5Ep. 44
In episode 43, New York Times-bestselling author Adam Mansbach talks with us about his new memoir, “I HAD A Brother Once ,” which details his grief of losing his brother by suicide a decade ago. As a writer, he struggled for nine years before he was finally able to write about his brother. Although Adam is known for his very successful novels, his new book is written poetry-style with dramatic storytelling about his life. In it, he shares how his brother David felt he had to wear masks to hide h...
Apr 14, 2021•58 min•Season 5Ep. 43
In Episode 42, Dr. Amy Novotny shares her emotional journey of living with a mother that was bipolar and suffered from borderline personality disorder, being tutored by her throughout higher education, and eventually losing her to cancer. The grief left Amy struggling with an unexplainable physical illness that she was eventually able to overcome, and now she teaches how to ease your physical pain when grief is stored in the body. Amy developed a method called PABR, which is a technique to help ...
Apr 06, 2021•42 min•Season 5Ep. 42
In Episode 41, Daniel Hess talks to us about his struggle with losing his cousin after a long battle with cystic fibrosis. Daniel was only 9 years old at the time. The trauma of losing his best friend at such a young age created a void in his life that he has since tried to fill with creativity to keep the memory of his cousin alive. Daniel began writing poetry as a way to cope with his feeling of loss and to stay creative throughout his young adult life. It’s been a place of solace for him. A p...
Mar 30, 2021•47 min•Season 5Ep. 41
When two health scares hit Katherine May’s family, she was forced to slow down and learn a valuable lesson — staying busy doesn’t always mean you're doing something productive with your time. The idea of wintering creates the opportunity to slow down the pace of life, observe as it transitions from one season to another, and find hope in the next phase of your life. Katherine also discusses the issue of the “get over it” societal norm we have in regard to grief and children, recalling her own ex...
Mar 23, 2021•51 min•Season 5Ep. 40
Neil Beresin never set out to become a chaplain. In fact, he worked in the nonprofit world for 20 years. But everything changed for him when both his parents became ill and passed away within 5 weeks of each other. This devastating loss changed the trajectory of his life. Neil is now a chaplain and counselor specializing in grief, loss, and transition, and he uses poetry in his healing work. During our interview with him, Neil shares how poetry has brought him peace and understanding even in the...
Mar 16, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 39
Sally Hill Mills learned to write children’s books by writing with children, as a creative writing teacher in elementary schools in Albuquerque. She learned from kids what keeps them interested in a story – relatable characters, obstacles that have to be overcome, and action. Her first book, Jimmy: Toughest. Dog. Ever. grew out of Mills’ experience as a special education teacher. She saw that kids who left the room for “special” classes or who had visible disabilities feared being labeled and no...
Mar 09, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 38
It’s hard to feel like a superhero while amid tremendous grief. But through her work composing Superhero Grief: The Transformative Power of Loss, Dr. Jill Harrington shows us how we are more like superheroes than you might think. Each superhero that you can think of has experienced some level of trauma that they’ve had to overcome. While their superpower may seem more significant than yours, the motivation to stand up and put one foot in front of the other is the same, whether you can fly or not...
Feb 26, 2021•1 hr 27 min•Season 5Ep. 37
After 27 years of marriage, Marla Polk found herself dealing with the sudden death of her husband. Losing her spouse creating a hole in her life that she didn't know what to do with. She tried to turn to her friends, her work, books -but nothing seemed to help her. She then decided to start journaling through her grief. What started as a way to document stories of her beloved Randy for future grandchildren became a firsthand account of what it was like for her to walk through the grief process a...
Feb 09, 2021•55 min•Season 5Ep. 36
Rabbi Steve Leder is no stranger to grief. As a rabbi, he has consoled hundreds of families over the years during their most difficult times. In his new book, The Beauty of What Remains , he walks us through his experience of losing his father. He takes us on the journey of self-discovery of how he learned to balance the conflicting emotions of losing someone who wasn’t always easy to love but was still an important figure in his life. In his book, he discusses how making peace with the fact tha...
Jan 19, 2021•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 35
If you have experienced the death of a loved one from the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic, the American Red Cross offers free support to help you through this difficult time. From spiritual care to help with planning virtual services, their Integrated Condolence Care Program is staffed by compassionate professionals and volunteers through their Virtual Family Assistance Center. In this episode Valerie Cole shares how this program can help you navigate grief during these unprecedented times....
Oct 02, 2020•27 min•Season 4Ep. 34
If you wonder what happens to your loved one after they die, you are in good company. Wanting to know they are OK, that they are not suffering, that they may even be happy, is a universal feeling rooted in the love that is the root of our grief. In her book Becoming Starlight, Surviving Grief and Mending The Wounds of Loss , Dr. Sharon Prentice shines a light on where your loved one goes after they die. She has visited the other side - not through a near death experience - but a shared death exp...
Jul 27, 2020•52 min•Season 4Ep. 33
Pets are not just animals that live in our house, they are our chosen family. When they die it is heartbreaking because we love them so much! The key to surviving the death of our beloved cats and dogs is to first acknowledge that it hurts, and acknowledge that our grief is real and understandable. As with the loss of anyone we love, it is helpful to find ways to honor their memory and the imprint they leave on our heart. In this episode of the Mindfulness & Grief podcast Dave Roberts and I ...
Jun 01, 2020•54 min•Season 3Ep. 32
If you have been blaming yourself for the death of your loved one, or feeling guilty that you didn't do something you "should" have done, you are not alone. Whether your special person died by suicide, an overdose, long-term illness or suddenly, self-blame often appears. Guilt and shame are heavy burdens to bear, and add more suffering on top of our broken heart. In the 31st episode of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, award-winning author of When Their World Stops , Certified Grief Recovery ...
May 04, 2020•51 min•Season 3Ep. 31
Dreams and sleep are understandably impacted as we all try to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Those of us who are already grieving carry an extra load of anxiety in addition to an already aching heart. In this episode, returning guest Dr. Joshua Black shares helpful insights that will empower us to take care of our emotional needs during the waking hours so we can find peace at night, and explores how our dreams give us insights into how we are really doing. A timely follow up to our first inter...
Apr 21, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Season 3Ep. 30
Grief is hard at any age. As a queer young adult in the south, Shelby faced the worst four years of her life as both of her parents were diagnosed with life-limiting illnesses. When her mother died "the stuff really hit the fan," as she put it. At first she resisted her pain, but it was in the giving in to her grief that real wisdom was found. Shelby has evolved into a compassionate young woman that helps people of all ages learn how to face their grief with radical self-compassion. In this ca...
Apr 13, 2020•55 min•Season 3Ep. 29
"Hope is not fragile; just hard to find when the lights go out." This quote from bereaved mother Kim Peacock's book, Victorious Heart resonates with so many people who have suffered and survived a traumatic loss. Kim knows this intimately, as her beloved daughter Nicole died in an ATV accident just a few days after Christmas in 1998. In episode 28 of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, Kim shares how she pulled herself out of the void that was left in her world so she can grieve and still live ...
Mar 04, 2020•40 min•Season 3Ep. 28
Coping with grief after a loved one has died from an overdose has a unique set of challenges. All too often the focus is on the circumstances of the death, not the life, of a very special person who loved, lived, and most likely tried to overcome their addiction. Often exhausted by the worry, caregiving and anticipatory type of grief that precedes this type of loss, friends and family members of someone who died by overdose need compassion, self-care, and each other. In the 27th episode of the M...
Feb 26, 2020•49 min•Season 3Ep. 27
The death of a brother or sister can be devastating, but all too often it goes unacknowledged or at least minimized. Social cues direct bereaved siblings to "be strong for your parents," but how can you be strong when your world is shattered by loss? Heidi Horsley is no stranger to this kind of pain. Her brother, Scott, died in an automobile accident, alongside her cousin. This life changing experience inspired her to be a champion for grieving siblings and earn a doctorate in psychology. In thi...
Feb 19, 2020•36 min•Season 3Ep. 26
Widows, widowers, and anyone who has lost a partner knows just how hard it is to cope with grief on Valentine's Day. Claudia Coenen, widow and creative grief counselor, shares creative ways to cope with grief and heartache on Valentine's Day, as well as activities and practices to honor and celebrate you love that undeniably very much present. She also shares tips from her upcoming book release, The Creative Toolkit for Working with Grief and Bereavement: A Practitioner’s Guide . Heather Stang's...
Feb 13, 2020•58 min•Season 3Ep. 25
Richie Pryor's son and namesake, Richard, sadly died in his sleep a few weeks after a family vacation to Hawaii. Naturally, Richie felt great heartache after the loss of his son, but has found a way not only to live again, but to live fully and in honor of his son while helping others find their path through grief and life. In the 24th episode of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, Richie shares his story along with valuable insights about compassion and communication for partners who have lost...
Feb 10, 2020•49 min•Season 3Ep. 24
