In this episode, I talk with men's mental heath advocate, Addison Brasil! After a string of devastating losses, including his brother to cancer, his father to suicide and a friend in a car accident, Addison struggled with his own mental health, and found that men in general are not always encouraged to be as open with their feelings as he needed. He has gone on to create Tethr, a mobile app focused on peer-enabled emotional fitness and wellbeing for men. Follow Addison on IG @AddisonBrasil Learn...
Oct 07, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 135
In this episode I talk with my good friend and comedian Mark Anthony Ramirez about a wide range of topics, including the death of both his parents, and the ways in which he has coped with life and death after the fact. We talk about the importance of leaning into your grief, and how cathartic it can be to process some of the hard feelings through humor with an audience that really gets it. Follow Mark on Twitter and IG @MarkARamirez...
Sep 22, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 134
In this episode I talk with author David Richman, about his new book "Cycle of Lives," an incredible look at 15 different stories of dealing with cancer, interwoven with David's own literal journey across the country to connect with his interviewees. We talk about just how powerful and healing it can be to show our vulnerabilities and actively listen to those whose paths we cross. Find out more and get the book at http://CycleOfLives.org...
Sep 15, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 133
In this episode I talk with Author Emma G Rose about her new book "Assembling Ella," a contemporary fantasy novel that incorporates Emma's own feelings about loss and life into the story. After the death of her cousin, Emma moved halfway across the world, and began to write as a way to cope and entertain at the same time. We talk about the importance of family support, as well as the isolation we all feel individually after a major loss. Follow Emma @EmmaGWriter Get the book at https://www.emmag...
Sep 07, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 132
In this episode I talk to author Kathy Benjamin about her new book, "It's Your Funeral! Plan The Celebration of a Lifetime Before it's too Late!" Part instructional guide, and part workbook, Kathy manages to tackle a difficult topic with equal amounts of seriousness and whimsey. When people die, very often the task of figuring out what one's final wishes were and how to carry them out falls to the family left behind. This book helps start the conversation about how we want to be remembered, and ...
Aug 25, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 131
In this episode, I talk with Comedian Stuart Preston about his new book, "The Grief Trip; Learning to Heal WITH Grief and Psychedelics." After his son Ian died by suicide, Stuart began an unorthodox journey of self discovery and has continued to find ways to express his feelings through comedy and performance. It's important to note that the use of drugs to cope, even when done for medicinal purposes, can still be dangerous, and should always be done responsibly, supervised by an expert. Stuart ...
Aug 17, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 130
Here's my conversation with Author Autumn Toelle Jackson, whose new book, "Boldly Into The Darkness; Living with Loss, Growing with Grief & Holding on to Happiness" provides insight into her process of healing after the loss of her husband, a cousin and a child in the span of just a few years. We talk about how important community is, and why having a bouncy-castle makes any event more fun, even a funeral. Get the book and follow Autumn at https://growingwithgrief.com/...
Aug 13, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 129
Hooray! After a much needed month off for my own sake and sanity, I am back with more grief! I talked with Michael Lalor, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Trellis Hospice and Palliative Care about the difficulties this past year and half have brought in being able to properly grieve. Already a difficult topic to tackle without a pandemic, we talk about how important it is to understand the human element and bring some normalcy to an otherwise unspoken yet expected life event. Find out more about Mi...
Aug 03, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 128
In this special SOLO episode, I check in with you guys regarding why there aren't as many new episodes this month. July 6th marked 19 years since the death of my brother Russell, and as such I tend to take July off of doing too much. Also, This Wednesday, July 14th is the 16th Annual Russell Ferber Foundation Comedy FUN!draiser! Tickets for our IN PERSON or our VIRTUAL LIVE STREAM are both available! CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!...
Jul 09, 2021•28 min•Ep. 128
In this episode, I sat down with ANOTHER fellow grief podcaster, Dr. Joshua Black, from the Grief Dreams Podcast! After dreaming about his late father, Joshua began studying the effects of dreams on healing trauma and moving through loss. Through his work and his podcast he is able to connect with people on a deep level about understanding the nature of life and death. Follow Joshua's podcast and learn more at https://www.griefdreams.ca...
Jun 17, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 127
In this episode I talk with fellow grief podcaster Tawny Platis! Before Tawny's husband George passed away in their home in November 2019, the two had a popular podcast together. After his untimely death, Tawny coped with the trauma by starting a podcast where she was able to talk with other creative types who use dark humor and jokes to combat their grief. We talk about the difficulties of being widowed at 29, and finding ways to give ourselves permission to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Fo...
Jun 08, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 126
In this episode I sat down IN PERSON! with my friend Tim Lavigne, whose band ToshioBand new album, Lock Your Doors, comes out June 25th. The album was partially inspired by the Tim's mother who instilled a love of music in him, and who continues to inspire years after her untimely passing. We talk about how freeing it can be to own who we are and find ways not to let our past dictate our future. Find out more about Tim and GET THE ABLUM at https://toshioband.com/ and follow them @ToshioBand...
Jun 03, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 125
In this episode, I interview author Eric Hodgdon about his book, A Sherpa Named Zoi, about his journey back into the light after the death of his daughter, Zoi. In the years since her passing Eric has managed to find more meaning in her life than in her death, and helps others to harness their inner strengths to overcome adversity. We talk about the importance of moving forward while continuing to embrace the suck. Check out https://erichodgdon.com for info on his seminars, or to get the book! F...
May 26, 2021•1 hr 34 min
In this episode I interview writer Briana Lawrence! When she was just 13, Briana's brother Glenn died at 26, and since then she has found a lot of impactful ways to honor him and her grief. As a writer for The Mary Sue on pop culture, she was able to write about the ways that WandaVision on Disney + tackled grief head on. (spoiler alert - the whole season is about her grief!) We also talk about how proud our 13 year old selves would be of the crazy adults we turned out to be! Follow Briana @Bric...
May 19, 2021•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 123
In this episode, I interview comedian Rich Kiamco, whose partner Sandy died from Covid just 3 weeks before we recorded this. Having spent years already working on himself and finding mens groups to tackle his feelings head-on, I was incredibly impressed by just how articulate Rich was about his grief so early in the process. We talk about how loss of the people in our lives upend the very structures that keep us grounded. Follow Rich @RichKiamco on Twitter and IG Check out http://www.richkiamco....
May 12, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 122
This episode is Exta-Jordanary! This first in-person interview I did in over a year is with my good friend Jordan Hawkes, who lost both of her parents in a car accident when she was just 3 years old. We talk about what it was like to grow up in the shadow of grief that permeated the rest of the family that helped raise her. We also talk about how we find our identities after trauma. Follow Jordan on IG @JordanANoel Check out http://www.streetheroinesfilm.com/ to learn more about her upcoming doc...
May 04, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 121
This interview was a long time coming! After several years of talking about having him on, comedian James Alexander finally had time to talk with me about a variety of losses, including one of his best friends years ago, as well as his father and other family members over the past year. We talk about how different each loss hits us, and the importance of staying true to ones self in spite of circumstances. Follow James on Twitter @JamesAlexander1 Follow me on Twitter and IG @WheresTheGrief Where...
Apr 27, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 120
In this episode, I talk with Author Dawn Newton about her new book, " The Remnants Of Summer ," a coming of age novel about a young Michigan girl who loses her brother in a tragic drowning accident. Beginning this book before the death of both of her parents, Dawn put it on the back burner while working on other projects, including " Winded: A Memoir in 4 Stages. " We talk about the different ways we create narrative out of the chaos of our circumstances, and how important it is to give ourselve...
Apr 22, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 119
In this episode I talk with NYTimes bestselling author Adam Mansbach about his new book, "I Had A Brother Once. A Poem. A Memoir." Shortly after Adam's brother died by suicide, his first book became number one in the world, creating something of a double life - One who was mourning the loss of his brother and another whose public persona was on a global media tour. We also talk about how artists find ways to filter their grief through their work. Find out more about Adam and ALL his books at htt...
Apr 13, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 118
In this episode I interview comedian and writer Genevieve Joy! We talk about a diverse number of friends that she has lost over the years, and how our relationship to our own mortality changes over time. We also talk about how important it is to give ourselves permission to actively deal with our emotional hurdles. Follow Genevieve on IG @CatFightJoy Check out http://www.genevievejoy.com/ to learn more about her Podcasts and upcoming events! Follow ME across all social media @WheresTheGrief Emai...
Apr 06, 2021•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 117
In this episode I talk with comedian Mick Diflo about a number of losses he has experienced over the years, including both his parents, two siblings, a niece and a nephew. Coming from a family that didn't always express their feelings to one another, Mick has managed to find new ways to acknowledge the difficulties and use humor to negotiate an ever adapting approach to life and death. Follow Mick online at https://mickdiflo.com Follow ME online @WheresTheGrief on twitter and IG Email me at Wher...
Mar 30, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 116
In this episode I talk with comedian and fellow podcaster Andrew Steiner! We talk the difficulty we can have in feeling as though we are properly expressing our grief, and how to deal with our struggles when everyone we know only shares their successes. We also talk about the ways in which we prioritize content creation versus promotion, and the power of passion projects. Check out Andrews podcast Knowledge Daddies! Watch the show on YouTube! Follow me @WheresTheGrief on twitter and IG WheresThe...
Mar 02, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 115
Huzzah! This is the first episode I actually recorded after a 3 month hiatus, and also the first episode I've done where we don't deal with the loss of a person, but rather the loss of a whole way of life, of BEING. It felt appropriate to start up again by talking with my good friend Michael Wasserman, a teacher (among other things) who had already been trying to put his life back together when the pandemic hit. We talk about the nature of grief itself, and the different ways that we are all exp...
Feb 24, 2021•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 114
In this episode I interview comedian and fellow podcaster Jenn Welch! After the death of her father, Jenn found her own ways of coping by being open and creative about her loss. We talk about her Dead Dad Tinder account, and the impact it can have when we take ownership of our own issues. We also talk about how great it is to have a community that welcomes expression, even when it's not funny. Check out Jenn's podcast LadyHD - A Podcast for distractable women! Follow her @JennWelchNow and @LadyH...
Feb 16, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 113
In this episode, I interview Author and fellow bereavement speaker Allison Gilbert! After losing both of her parents at a young age, Allison found solace in being able to tell her story of overcoming the depths of her grief, and in helping others find their own path as well. We talk about the importance of community, and how just being genuine with people, even when dealing with them on a professional level, can create lasting bonds and new perspectives. Follow all things Allison at AllisonGilbe...
Feb 09, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 112
Hello to 2021! What a crazy year it has been for all of us. In addition to the pandemic fatigue we are all collectively feeling, life and death continue to go on. I wanted to take this opportunity to check in on myself and bring you up to speed on how the podcast is going, and the resources that are out there should you need more. After a brief hiatus, and dealing with some fresh personal grief of my own, I am back at it with new episodes! PLEASE RATE/REVIEW THE SHOW! If you have ANY questions o...
Feb 09, 2021•13 min
Huzzah! In this episode, I finally sat down for a full hour with my good friend Luciana Rossi! A registered nurse, and a fellow bereaved sibling, Luci and I met over a decade ago at The Compassionate Friends (TCF) national conference. Luci lost her brother Doug when she was a baby, and her other brother Tony in 2009. She has become a much needed voice in the bereavement community, a leader in the TCF world, and a trusted friend and confidant to me over the years. I am very honored to have her in...
Dec 08, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 111
In this episode, I interview comedian and improv performer Ronny Pasquale! It's been 15 years since Ronny's mother died at the age of 39, when Ronny himself was just 20. He has since managed to combine parts of his pain with his love of dead-mother jokes as a way to cope with the difficult parts of life without her. We talk about how important being about to have tough conversations can be, as well as just how tough it can be to write jokes about topics the audience might be trying NOT to think ...
Nov 18, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 110
I don't know who NEEDS to hear this episode right now, but I hope it's a lot! Here's my interview with comedian Myq Kaplan, who manages to create humor out of the intersection of wordplay and philosophy. Enjoy an in depth discussion about the ways that human nature has us alternately hide/express our true feelings, and the power of truly connecting with other humans. Follow Myq at @myqkaplan across social media, or HERE! Check out his podcast Broccoli and Ice Cream! Get Myq's Album AKA here!...
Oct 07, 2020•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 109
In this episode, I sat down to talk with Ken Levy and Sam Feldman, two of the founders of The National Widowers Organization. Having each lost their wives, both Sam and Ken struggled to find a place where widowers (and men in general) were allowed to be vulnerable and open about their feelings, leading to them stepping up to help others while helping themselves. Check out the National Widowers Organization here!
Sep 30, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 108
