Your grief is normal, and your grief has ALWAYS, ALWAYS belonged. Plus, a BIG announcement! Order my new book, Your Grief, Your Way here: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/your-grief-your-way Find 90-minute Zoom workshops here: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/events Get grief support for just $3/month! Support Coming Back on Patreon and receive weekly grief guidance prompts, LIVE grief support calls with me, and fun podcast swag: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia Apply for one-on-one grief g...
Nov 18, 2020•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast What if death is not a thing we’re all waiting for, but instead is an integral part of every second of every day? This week, Rob Bell and I are discussing grief through the lens of his new book Everything Is Spiritual. We’re talking about how two total opposites can be true at the same time, why some losses feel like graduations and others feel like divorces, and how to reframe the phrase, “Now what?” from a question of despair to a call for curiosity. Find Rob’s book and work here: https://robb...
Nov 11, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Diane Zinna became an adult orphan at 23 after losing her father at 15 and her mother the day she graduated from a master’s program in creative writing. Each time she sat down to write, themes of grief and loss filled the page. Diane's new novel, The All-Night Sun, tells the story of a grieving teacher whose losses follow her to a Midsommar’s Eve celebration, where things take a dark turn. Today, we’re talking about how we decide when to share our grief stories with others, and how common it is ...
Nov 04, 2020•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast When Art Shaikh’s father died, he left Art letters and flowers to deliver to relatives that were still living. Inspired by the human desire to leave a legacy after death and continue to be there for loved ones who are living on, Art created CircleIt, a free app that helps you send letters, flowers, photos, videos, and gifts to people you love after you die. This week we’re talking about why people long to be remembered and all of the different ways people are preparing to leave a legacy through ...
Oct 28, 2020•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Within the course of a year, Mona Luna acknowledged two major griefs in her life: the grief of growing up with a father struggling with alcoholism and the grief of enduring emotional abuse in a long-term romantic relationship. Yoga, therapy, and working with life coaches helped her return her to herself after years of never truly feeling “at home". This week, we’re talking about creating boundaries after living a life with no boundaries, honoring why it’s not selfish to work on yourself, and sha...
Oct 21, 2020•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Osteopath, doula, and zero-balancer Avni Trivedi marries Eastern and Western practices to treat grief in the body. After a myriad of losses including being present during her grandmother’s stroke, she studied the body, which—intuitively—became a doorway to studying grief. Today, we’ll talk bout how the body responds to grief, even years after a loss, how to cope in a world of six feet apart during COVID-19, and how to deal with feeling stuck by moving the body. Find Avni's work here: https://www...
Oct 14, 2020•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast What does it mean to make love to grief? To welcome it into your body instead of casting it out like garbage? This week, I’m speaking to Sara Chizek about the sensuality and creativity that arrives when we practice the art of grief embodiment. After shutting herself off to the four-year-old girl who lost a father, her exploration of grief in her body opened her up to feeling whole and at home. What would it look like if we tried to practice grieving as much as we practiced resisting grief? Liste...
Oct 07, 2020•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast After her father’s death in 2016, Mana Bhatt Sanghvi committed to living a live with no regrets. Her business, Treasure Texts, helps people communicate unspoken gratitudes to the people they love while they are still alive to receive them. This week, we’re talking about the different between anticipatory grief and the permanent grief that comes with loss, why it’s important to distinguish between “How are you?” and “How are you FEELING?”, and how Mana’s Hindu background gave her comfort when it ...
Oct 02, 2020•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Cristina Chipriano grew up knowing grief, losing her 5-year-old cousin, her aunt, and her godmother all before second grade. After becoming a social worker, she helped create grief support programs in Spanish at Bo’s Place in Houston, where much of the community is Latino. Today, Cristina and I are talking about how death can take families farther apart AND closer together, how the cultural value family pride prompts Latino grievers to get grief support, and why it’s so important for grievers to...
Sep 24, 2020•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever felt grief in your body? This week, Victoria Albina is teaching all of us how to use the body as a method to move from resistance to acceptance, release people-pleasing and perfectionism, and harness the oh-so powerful vagus nerve to pay close attention to grief. This conversation is full of tips and tools to reclaim ourselves and our bodies after devastating loss. Find Victoria’s work and so much more here: https://victoriaalbina.com/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=comingback&utm...
Sep 17, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast A massive amount of family deaths plus his work as a Hospice chaplain enlightened Gary Shockley to the reality of kids as “forgotten mourners.” His children’s book, My Heart Sings a Sad Song is a non-denominational guide for children and their caregivers to sparking conversations about grief and emotions. Today we’re talking about how we can help kids get better acquainted with the human experience of loss and how we can hold a little more space for ourselves in our grief. Find Gary’s book, My H...
Sep 09, 2020•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dara Kurtz received decades of wisdom from her dead mother and grandmothers after stumbling across a Ziplock bag of letters. Her new book, I Am My Mother’s Daughter is an inside look at the intimate wisdom shared across maternal generations and a love letter to the power of preserving the written word. Today we’re talking about the four different types of letters you can write or receive, why you might consider writing a legacy letter to your loved ones, and why it’s important to allow yourself ...
Sep 02, 2020•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s helpful to remember that grief is an experience, not an obstacle or a destination. Plus, enroll now in my best-selling online grief support course, Life After Loss Academy, beginning August 31. Now at a lower price due to COVID-19. Join me August 31, 2020 for a 12-week online course that will help you feel safe in the world again, say goodbye to “the perfect griever,” and love the person loss has forced you to become. Enroll now in Life After Loss Academy: http://www.shelbyforsythia.com/lif...
Jul 22, 2020•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Melissa Bottorff-Arey’s life turned upside down when her son, Alex, took his own life during his junior year at college. Her new podcast, The Leftover Pieces, features conversations on living life after suicide loss. This week, we’re discussing the rage that often follows learning more information about a loss, how our mental health is impacted when someone we love dies, the glaring holes in our school systems that fail kids at an emotional and mental level, and how the suicide of a child change...
Jul 15, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Instagram-famous therapist Dr. Jenn Hardy is known for her intuitive wisdom on boundaries, self-care, rest, and grief. Today, we’re talking about how most of us underestimate the weight of emotional labor (especially in COVID-19), and why it’s impossible to compare losses. Also, we touch on how to shop for a therapist in the aftermath of a loss and why you might consider swapping out your critical inner voice for one you love and admire. Find Dr. Jenn’s Instagram and new online course, Mend, her...
Jul 09, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Lindsay Joy Taylor, founder of The Joyful Jewelry Box, lost her mom when she was just 13 months old. Growing up without true memories of her mom, Lindsay Joy found solace and comfort in her mom’s jewelry box. She now makes keepsake and remembrance jewelry so that others can honor their loved ones through physical mementos. This week, we’re talking about how we can witness ourselves in grief, how Lindsay Joy is finding peace in the still-unsolved murder of her mother, and how the stories we tell ...
Jul 02, 2020•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Denise Soler Cox lost her father and her brother before the age of 18. Convinced she was “the most unlucky person she knew,” she believed she was doomed to a life of isolation and not-belonging. A seminar in her twenties opened Denise's eyes to the realization that she could invent a new story. This week, we’re talking about how vulnerability is a true measure of power, why sharing pain can help others know they are not alone, and how being willing to belong opens us up to a world of connection ...
Jun 26, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast At the age of 38, Rachel Wilkinson’s dream of motherhood ended. Thrust into the emotional and confusing grief of death of a lifelong dream, she turned to ancient practices of witchcraft and divination to create and direct her life after loss. This week, we’re talking about the power of dreams and signs to guide us in grief, how we can come to acceptance through stereotypically “occult” methods, and why leaning on intuition and spirituality isn’t as uncommon as you think. Find Rachel’s podcast, L...
Jun 17, 2020•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Almost immediately after giving birth to her second daughter, Katie Arnold got the news that her father was going to die. Less than 10 weeks later, he passed away from terminal kidney cancer and Katie was forced to reckon with motherhood and the loss of a parent at the same time. Her book Running Home is a detailed look at her life after her dad died. Today we’re talking about how Katie used running to cope with her father’s death, why it’s normal to fear your own death after a loved one dies, a...
Jun 11, 2020•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Speaking Grief is a new television documentary that features grieving and expert voices from a variety of backgrounds—all with the goal of kickstarting conversations about grief and loss. This week, I’m talking to producer, writer, and director Lindsey Whissel Fenton about how we can become more comfortable in awkward conversations, why we should normalize changing our minds after learning new information, how we can open the door for others to share their grief, and helpful scripts for supporti...
Jun 07, 2020•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast On July 13, 2011 Kelley Lynn woke up to an entirely new life. Her husband, Don, collapsed from a massive heart attack at work just four years and nine months into their happy marriage. Kelley suddenly became a widow. This week we’re talking about how loss forces us to reinvent ourselves, why we need to grieve both personal and joint dreams, and how one laughable grief cliche turned into a global rainbow-spotting movement honoring Don’s life. Find Kelley’s book, blog, and grief support here: http...
May 27, 2020•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast The death of his cat prompted Kevin Ringstaff to study pet loss and find ways to open up conversation on the devastation that comes with the loss of a pet. Today, we’re discussing why the loss of a pet is so devastating, how to cope with the guilt of euthanizing a pet, and how to navigate coming home to an empty house after a pet dies. Find Kevin’s pet loss support resources here: https://petcloud.pet/ Get grief support for just $3/month! Support Coming Back on Patreon and receive weekly grief g...
May 21, 2020•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast When she was in her senior year of college, Cheryl Strayed’s mother, Bobbi, received a cancer diagnosis and died in just seven weeks. Today, I’m speaking with her on Motherless Mother’s Day 2020 about the death of her mom and how we can live full, beautiful lives after a mother dies. This is a replay of a live conversation where we explored what to do with the feeling of longing that never goes away, the helpfulness of self-forgiveness, and why putting ourselves in the way of beauty can help us ...
May 13, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ten years ago, Jan Warner lost the “person who held her kite string”—her husband Artie. In the years after his death, Jan wrestled with suicidal thoughts and the urge to wallow. She began writing in an attempt to wear different “perspecticles” about her loss, and in 2018, she published a book called Grief Day by Day that speaks to grievers through a year’s worth of quotes and exercises. Today, we’re talking about the very real feeling of wanting to die after a loved one dies, changing how we mea...
May 06, 2020•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the midst of coronavirus, life is anxious, overwhelming, and terribly uncertain. I’m sharing a quick mindfulness meditation you can use in the face of the unknown. Plus, I’m announcing the next session of my 12-week online course, Life After Loss Academy. Join me May 4, 2020 for a 12-week online course that will help you feel safe in the world again, say goodbye to “the perfect griever,” and love the person loss has forced you to become. Enroll now: https://shelbyforsythia.thinkific.com/cours...
Mar 18, 2020•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast When she was just 17 years old, Frankie Orella lost her mom to breast cancer. Her religious community was less than helpful and while she remained a part of the church, Frankie also looked to music and songwriting to “speak” to the pain of her loss. Her latest endeavor is a series of songs based on Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s Five Stages of Grief. Today, we’re talking about becoming comfortable with the mystery of grief, why being in a safe or stable place is often a trigger for grief, and how after...
Mar 11, 2020•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kim Peacock watched her daughter fall off a cliff to her death while on a family vacation in 1998. A joyful event instantly became a nightmare as she wrestled with her religious foundations and her need to know "WHY?”. This week, we’re talking about the grief of the empty room when a child dies, the prayer Kim and her husband said to keep them from “the pit,” and why grieving is not a sign that you’ve lost your faith. Find Kim’s book Victorious Heart here: https://www.wildvictoriousheart.com/ Ge...
Mar 04, 2020•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Comedian, nurse, and ex-nun Kelli Dunham had two partners die in her arms within the course of five years. You might think she’s cursed, but she sees it a little differently. Join Kelli and I as we discuss the role of humor in grief, why finding meaning doesn’t make grief magically “go away,” and what it’s like to be the partner of someone who’s chosen to die by medically-assisted death (also known as physician-assisted suicide). Host a house show with Kelli and find her latest CD, Not the Gym T...
Feb 27, 2020•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast At the age of six, Tammy Faulds was diagnosed with cancer. Her yearly visits to an oncology office are a regular reminder that she’s going to die one day, and before that happens, she wants to live a life she’s proud of. This week, Tammy and I are talking about how Western society equates death with failure, how we can use our own mortality and our deathbed regrets as motivators to live how we actually want to live, and how feminizing grief can help us honor its cycles and seasons of light and d...
Feb 19, 2020•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Gabrielle Valdes is a former hopeless romantic on a quest to help others live better by learning to love better. On this breakup + relationship geared episode, we’re talking about how romanticizing grief keeps us isolated, why the grief of betrayal and loss of trust hurt so much, and how to navigate the strange world of ambiguous loss—in other words, grieving someone who is still alive. Gabrielle’s work: https://www.gabriellevaldes.com/ Get grief support for just $3/month! Support Coming Back on...
Feb 12, 2020•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
