How does anyone even begin to process loss on a massive scale following a natural disaster? On this months episode of the What About Grief? podcast, Larry speaks with Megan Katerjian, whose Altadena home burned down to the ground in the recent wildfires that devastated so many communities in the Los Angeles area. Megan shares her harrowing story of those frightening days and how she, her family and the local community are coping in the aftermath of the fires. She also speaks about her role as th...
Mar 04, 2025•40 min•Season 3Ep. 2
We’re kicking off a third season of What About Grief? podcast with Larry’s guest, NBC Sports and Golf Channel host, Cara Banks. She shares how she and her parents coped with the chaos and grief following the tragic death of her brother, Myles, on a family ski trip in 2009. Cara talks openly about the chaos in the early days of his disappearance, her emotions once his body had been found and her own grief journey following the loss of her only sibling.
Feb 03, 2025•51 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Why has mourning a loss motivated so many of our guests into some kind of action? Larry started this podcast as a way to honor his late wife, Sarah, and help others try to understand and cope with grief. Today he speaks with Kate Seamons about her grief journey following the death of her husband, Ben, and how it propelled her to create Rainy Day Boxes - a way to help others suffering from a loss or other difficult life experiences through the people who love them.
Nov 01, 2024•44 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Widowed at 33, Larry's guest, Dana Frost, understands that sometimes in grief, joy has to be forced. Through her own journey following the loss of her husband, Brad, she created a resource known as The Forced Joy Project, a grief community offering support for anyone struggling in the darkness with help looking for, and finding glimmers of joy. The good news is Dana does believe that yes, grief and joy can coexist.
Oct 01, 2024•36 min•Season 2Ep. 9
The bonds we share with our dearest animal companions are very special and today, Larry has a fascinating conversation with pet expert, journalist, radio host and animal behavior consultant, Steve Dale, about those incredible bonds, end of life for our pets and how to cope with and grieve their loss.
Sep 03, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Hard to believe it has been a full year since the launch of this podcast, which started as a way for Larry to try to help others, and himself, begin to understand grief. Along with his producer Marcia Anderson, they cue up just some of the great advice, perspectives, fearlessness and vulnerability their guests brought to each episode, never failing to surprise and move us over the past 12-months.
Jul 02, 2024•40 min•Season 2Ep. 7
The loss of a child at any age is devastating and the emotional pain that goes along with it stays with you forever. But how do you move forward with that pain and grief? How do you try and comprehend that the thoughts and feelings you are experiencing are not original to you only...but rather shared by others. Larry's guest this month, Jenna Rogers, introduces us to Faith's Lodge in Wisconsin which is the first dedicated retreat facility that provides hope, connection, and support to parents an...
Jun 08, 2024•41 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Regret and guilt are inevitably a part of life, but if you're grieving there are important differences to understand in order to better be able to cope. Larry's guest, Litsa Williams, has explored this very subject as Program Director at WhatsYourGrief.com and co-author of a new book called What's Your Grief? Lists To Help You Through Any Loss . She's here to help us understand how best to navigate this sea of emotions in order to begin healing....
Apr 30, 2024•41 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Mourning a loss is one thing for an adult and something uniquely challenging for a child. What's the best way you can help a small child or teenager process their grief? The answer can be very different in each case and today Larry focuses on understanding how grief affects kids with help from guests Tamara Ellis Smith, author of the beautiful children's book Grief Is An Elephant, and Dr. Julie Kaplow, a childhood trauma and grief expert. Both offer deeply moving advice on how to help a child or...
Apr 01, 2024•40 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Kim Witczak never set out to become a drug safety advocate, but in 2003, life as she knew it came crashing down around her when her husband, Woody, took his own life. But Kim met her grief head on and started a journey searching for answers and a way to help others while honoring Woody. Today Kim shares with Larry how her search for the truth gave her grief a purpose that ultimately makes a difference for all of us.
Mar 01, 2024•43 min•Season 2Ep. 3
What's the difference between being alone and experiencing loneliness? How do you cope with loneliness or with those around you? How prevalent is loneliness in our society? Today, Larry has a heartfelt conversation about this most challenging part of his own grief journey with two experts who have both studied loneliness extensively. Dr. Louise Hawkley & Dr. Wendy Lichtenthal will share their wisdom, insight and practical advice for dealing with this surprisingly universal, human issue....
Feb 01, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 2
How does an NFL legend face the most heartbreaking loss of his life? Former Buffalo Bills Hall-of-Fame quarterback, Jim Kelly, joins Larry today and shares how he dealt with the loss of his 8-year old son, Hunter, to a terminal illness, has overcome multiple bouts with cancer and how his faith has shaped the way he gets through everything life has thrown at him.
Jan 03, 2024•22 min•Season 2Ep. 1
How do your memories, both good and bad, impact your grief? Larry's guest today has devoted her career to studying how memories affect our experience of loss. Dr. Mary Lamia, is a clinical psychologist, professor and author, most recently of the book, Grief Isn't Something To Get Over and she will share her understanding of how our emotions and the persistence of memory are keys to understanding and adapting to death, as a part of life. She also has deeply empathetic advice for Larry, as he sort...
Dec 09, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Here come The Holidays. Parties, feasts, get-togethers, celebrations and more...the coming weeks are typically crammed with activities that can exhaust any person, but for someone who is grieving the approaching tidal wave of festivities presents a particular set of challenges. Today, Larry opens up and shares his own holiday ups and downs as a recent widower and he'll also get some helpful advice on navigating the holidays from an expert - Dr. Suzanne Degges-White, who offers valuable insight o...
Nov 05, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Zach Hoffpauir was an exuberant, gifted athlete, playing football and baseball with passion and intensity...described by those around him as always working to make everyone around him better. He loved life, and lived it in a big way, until darkness fell when he died at age 26. Today Larry connects with Doug Hoffpauir, Zach's father, in a conversation threaded with honesty, hope and even some humor, as he shines some light on Zach's remarkable life and how he and other parents who experience a lo...
Oct 09, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 4
How does a 15-year old golf prodigy get through the heart-breaking loss of her mother to breast cancer? Today, Larry’s guest is former LPGA star player and now Golf Channel analyst, Morgan Pressel, who shares some of the lessons learned since her mother passed away twenty years ago, at the very start of her golfing career. In this episode, she takes a look back at one of the most challenging periods in her life, her grief over her mother’s death and how she channeled it to help others....
Sep 12, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Is there a way to deal with the dreaded “grief ambush”? What is a good response to the well-meaning but awkward question, “how are you doing?” Have you ever wondered if there is a timeline to grief? Today Larry’s guests are Mary Spooner and Erin Mayes — the thoughtful mother/daughter duo who lead a Grief Share support group that helps move people through the process of grief. They’ll share actual, helpful ways of coping with grief as well as their own story of how the tragic loss of a family mem...
Aug 08, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Host Larry Holm entered the grief world when his wife passed away from cancer in 2021. As he continues to navigate the landscape of his own grief, he wants to discuss this topic with others who are traveling the unmapped highway that can be so lonely, confusing and very frustrating. Through conversations with fellow grievers and experts in the field, Larry explores how to try and work through and move forward while dealing with the ramifications of life without your loved one....
Jul 01, 2023•5 min•Season 1Ep. 1
