I’ve spoken with so many people about grief after death, divorce, estrangement, and the loss of a life they thought they were living. But I had never sat across from two people with an experience quite like this one. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Melissa Moore, whose father (Keith Jesperson) was arrested in 1995 and became known as the Happy Face Killer, and her writing partner and friend, award-winning editor Michele Matrisciani.

Together they wrote Killer in the Family, a book that goes far beyond true crime to explore what the families of killers actually go through: the shame, the media storm, the fractured memories, and the grief that almost nobody names.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• How she lost her dad the day he became “the Happy Face Killer”
• How the loss of someone’s identity is its own form of grief
• Why Melissa and Michele say the “before and after” is universal for every griever,
• What Killer in the Family includes: nine families, nine perspectives
• What it’s like to have the media show up on your doorstep with no playbook, no privacy, and strangers writing your story for you
• How families can grieve the same loss in completely different ways
• The delicate balance of honoring your own grieving process without hurting the victims’ families
• How Melissa and Michele both lost a parent during the six years of writing and interviewing
• Melissa’s experience meeting the son of one of her father’s victim
• The ethics of true crime documentaries and podcasts

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode I’m joined by Dana, an author and trauma-recovery voice who lived through a devastating eight-year stretch of loss: discovering her alcoholic husband’s secret double life, losing her mother to pancreatic cancer, divorcing, caring for her father until he died, moving across the country where she knew no one, and losing her oldest son, Alex, to a fentanyl overdose. We talk about grieving a marriage, a parent, and a child, and how to keep a wound from becoming lifelong suffering.

We dig into:

• Why grieving a betrayal or the end of a relationship is a real loss
• How to process the question “Was our love real?” when someone you trusted lived a double life
• What Dana calls the “story of why” and how to use it to find closure
• Why creating a story of why isn’t lying to yourself
• How laughing at the absurdity of life can be a healthy coping tool in grief
• Grieving two parents years apart, and why each loss can feel completely different
• What it’s like to caregive for a parent while your own life is falling apart
• Starting over in a new city where you know no one after multiple losses
• Losing an adult child to fentanyl
• The nightly mantra that became Dana’s first step toward healing
• Dana’s tough-love message for anyone letting the past run the present
• Dana’s book, Becoming Unbreakable: A Big Sister’s Guide to Trauma

Connect with Dana

• Website: https://www.danakillion.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana_killion_author/

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this Mourning Sips & Soul Shifts episode, I’m talking about how grief and loss change the way you handle the unknown, and why so many of us end up more comfortable with uncertainty after loss. This conversation was inspired by a voice note exchange with my friend and fellow grief coach, Nicci Scimone.

We both lost our dads, and we realized that those of us who know grief also know discomfort, unwanted change, and not knowing what comes next. I’m six years out from losing my parents, so I’m also getting real about how awful the unknown felt in the beginning, and why you don’t have to feel strong or comfortable yet.

In this episode, I’m sharing:

• Why people who know loss often become more adaptable, and how grief works your resilience muscle
• How bracing for losses we see coming forces us to plan for the unknown, and why unexpected losses carry their own complex uncertainty
• Why adaptability is never a “reward” for loss
• What to hold onto if you’re in the early days of grief and the unknown feels terrifying
• Four perspective shifts for living with uncertainty after loss
• Five reflective questions you can journal on, voice note to a friend, or think about on your next drive

00:00 Welcome to Life With Grief
00:54 Grief and Discomfort
01:28 Resilience Through Loss
05:51 Time and Perspective
08:05 Why There Are No Silver Linings
09:57 Mindset Shift One
12:35 Mindset Shifts Two and Three
16:20 Reflective Questions

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Content note: This episode discusses a mass shooting and gun violence. Please listen with care.

Losing a child is the loss no one is ever ready for, and losing her to a mass shooting in the safest city in America is something most people can’t even picture. In this episode, I sit down with bereaved father Arik Housley, who lost his 18-year-old daughter Alaina in the 2018 Borderline Bar and Grill shooting in Thousand Oaks, California.

In this episode, we talk about:
Arik’s story of losing his daughter Alaina
Why Arik encourages people not to go down the dark road of “why” after a sudden, violent loss
The surreal first days after loss
Why Arik believes our surviving children are more resilient than we give them credit for
How a years-long legal battle over privacy complicates the grieving process
How each person in the same family can grieve the same loss in completely different ways
How grief humor has kept Arik, his wife, and their son connected
How to give people grace when they say the wrong thing about your loss
What to say to someone who is grieving
How forgiveness can be a way to stop carrying the weight of what happened
The story behind Arik’s memoir, Always November
How Alaina’s Voice Foundation provides free mental health services to victims of violence
Finding comfort in signs and symbols

If you’ve lost a child, if you’re supporting someone who has, or if you’re simply tired of grief advice that doesn’t sound like real life, I hope this conversation makes you feel a little less alone.

Connect with Arik at https://arikhousley.com/

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, I sit down with psychic medium and medical intuitive Julie Ryan, a businesswoman and inventor of surgical devices who learned mediumship and now teaches it.

Julie breaks down how she believes every one of us is already intuitive and how to start connecting with your loved ones in spirit. She also explains how soul contracts and free will can both be true, and what she sees when someone is transitioning, including who shows up first.

We talk about:
How to communicate with deceased loved ones using Julie's "attention, intention" method, and why she believes you don't need a medium to start
What a past life scan is and how Julie uses it to understand what's happening in your life right now
What Julie says to skeptics who think talking to spirit is nuts!
Soul contracts vs. free will
Why Julie believes everyone in our lives is a soulmate, and why she says spirit sees every experience as neutral
The 12 phases of transition from her book Angelic Attendants
Who Julie says shows up first when we die, and why it's always the maternal line
How pets and animals show up at the end of life
Why Julie says you may be "tuned to the wrong channel" when you're grieving, and how to ask for signs
How to invite your loved ones into your dreams
How Julie's view of death changed after watching her own mom transition

If you make it all the way to the end, I truly believe you found this episode for a reason, and maybe your loved ones led you here today.

Connect with Julie:

• Website: https://askjulieryan.com/
• Social media: @AskJulieRyan
• Free copy of Angelic Attendants: https://askjulieryan.com/request-ebook/

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever looked around at the people who are supposed to be grieving right alongside you and felt like you're on a completely different planet? Maybe they seem "fine" while you're barely holding it together. Or, maybe you're moving through it while they still seem stuck, and you feel guilty for that, too.

In this episode, I'm talking about the isolating experience of grieving differently than your partner, siblings, parents, or friends, even when you're grieving the same loss. This can happen with the death of a loved one, a divorce, estrangement, infertility, the loss of a friendship or career, or any kind of loss under the sun.

In this episode, I cover:
Why grieving "out of sync" with the people around you doesn't mean something is wrong with you
The real reasons we all grieve differently
What this disconnect does to us emotionally
Three things you can do to feel less alone
How my own experience grieving my parents' deaths differently than my husband's
A gentle permission slip for navigating the holidays when grief styles collide around the table

If you've ever wondered why you're grieving "too fast" or "too slow" compared to someone else, or felt like you have to hide parts of your grief to keep the peace, this episode is for you. And if it speaks to you, I'd love for you to share it with someone who might be grieving a little differently than you, and could use the reminder that there's no wrong way to do this.

Episode mentioned: Understanding Grieving Styles (ep. 218) | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/218-what-kind-of-griever-are-you-understanding-your/id1688812587?i=1000768376703

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Imagine walking into a prison to sit across from the woman responsible for your children's deaths, bracing to be wrecked for a month, and walking out feeling lighter instead.

That's just one moment from my conversation with Colin Campbell, and it's one I'm still thinking about.

I'm sitting down with Colin, author, playwright, and part-time professor of theater and film. On June 12, 2019, Colin and his wife, Gail, lost their two children, 17-year-old Ruby and 14-year-old Hart, when a drunk driver hit their car on the way to Joshua Tree. Content note: this episode includes conversation about child loss and a fatal drunk driving crash.

In this episode, we talk about:
How Colin and Gail leaned on Jewish mourning traditions
Why we grieve better in community
What it looks like to grieve as a couple
Colin's "grief spiel" and how to tell your friends and family exactly what you need after loss (plus what to do if you don't know yet)
Why so many people are afraid to say the wrong thing to a griever, and how compassion can go both ways
How grief needs and identity shift over time
How living fully can become a tribute instead
Grief rituals that give you agency
How to handle anniversaries, birthdays, and hard days without the pressure to do them "right"
Anger, the desire for justice, and what restorative justice and a victim-offender dialogue actually involve
Why Colin offers grace and compassion instead of forgiveness
How writing a one-person show and his book helped
Why the more Colin talks about Ruby and Hart, the easier it is to access joy

If you've ever wondered whether the anger, the guilt, or the way you carry your loss can actually change, this one's for you. Press play, and stay for my gentle challenge at the end: how can you be a little more unabashedly joyful today?

Connect with Colin:

• https://colincampbellauthor.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/colincampbellwriter/

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to a special bonus minisode! This 5-Minute Grief Chat (usually exclusively on YouTube) is all about the second year of loss.

Ever feel like your grief got harder in year two instead of easier? You're not imagining it, and that is a VERY real thing in grief. In this 5-Minute Grief Talk, I'm breaking down why the second year of loss can hit differently than the first, and why that's actually a normal, honest part of the healing process.

✨ Why year one runs on adrenaline and shock (and why that fades)
✨ The loneliness that creeps in once everyone else has "moved on"
✨ The identity question that shows up in year two: who am I now?
✨ Why the guilt around "still grieving this hard" isn't a red flag
✨ What the second year is actually asking of you

If you're in your second year of grief and wondering why this feels harder than you expected, this one's for you.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"You can't be sad forever." A professor said that to Shelby two months after her mom died, and I'm still not over it on her behalf.

Whether you're the one grieving or the one trying to support someone who is, the words we use can make a person feel seen or completely unseen in a split second. In this episode of Life With Grief, I'm sitting down with grief coach, author, and podcaster Shelby Forsythia to talk about what to say (and what to skip) when someone is grieving, how to talk to yourself with more compassion, and the three simple phrases from her new book, "Of Course I'm Here Right Now".

We also get into Shelby's own story of stacked losses, the unexpected moment that finally cracked her grief open, and the three permissions to grieve from her book Permission to Grieve.

In this episode, we dig into:
Shelby's story of cumulative loss
What did (and didn't) help her cope back then
"The Day of the Stolen Wallet": the lightning-bolt moment that finally let Shelby grieve her mom
The three permissions to grieve
Why "losses become gains" doesn't have to mean toxic positivity, and why grief is a creative act
The three stories almost every griever tells themselves
What to say to someone who is grieving instead of platitudes
Why cracking a window beats an "Extreme Home Makeover" when you're supporting a grieving friend
How to rewrite hopeless thoughts

Press play, then send this one to the person in your life who keeps saying the wrong thing (or nothing at all).

Connect with Shelby:

• https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/shelbyforsythia/
• https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast
• https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Grief has a sound. Or more accurately, it has an absence of sound... and that silence after loss is a completely different kind of quiet than anything you've known before.

In this episode, I'm getting honest about why the silence after loss feels so deafening, why it can bring up some of our darker and scarier thoughts, and why—as uncomfortable as it is—learning to sit with it is actually one of the most important things we can do for our healing.

I'm pulling from my own experience losing my mom and dad six months apart, and why I've come to see it as one of the strangest, most twisted gifts of this whole grief journey. Plus, I'm giving you a few gentle tools to help you start sitting with your own silence instead of running from it.

We also talk about:
Why silence after loss isn't just "quiet", it's a deafening absence of the person (or pet) who used to fill that space
How losing my parents six months apart taught me two completely different versions of this silence
Why our thoughts can get dark and scary in that silence, and why that's actually a normal part of grief
The surprising gift of learning to hear your own voice again after losing the people you always went to first
Why avoiding the silence often makes it louder, and how to start building a relationship with it instead
My four go-to tools for sitting with the silence
The balloon analogy that changed how I think about letting grief out little by little instead of all at once

If the silence in your own home or your own head has been feeling deafening lately, I hope this gives you some language for it and a few small ways to start easing into it instead of running from it.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What do you do when loving your baby means having to say goodbye to him before he's even born?

In this episode I sit down with Rosanna Brown, who takes us inside one of the most misunderstood and least-talked-about kinds of loss there is: TFMR, termination for medical reasons. At her 20-week scan, Rosanna and her husband learned their son William had a condition that meant he would never survive outside the womb, and in the space of 24 hours, they were faced with a choice no parent should ever have to make.

Rosanna is sharing all of it with us today, the diagnosis, the decision, the days she spent with William after, and the grief, guilt, and judgment that still live alongside her love for him.

How a routine 20-week "gender scan" turned into the day Rosanna says she died right along with the version of herself she used to be
William's diagnosis, CHAOS syndrome and hydrops fetalis, and the impossible choice Rosanna and her husband were given
The complicated, guilt-soaked relief that comes with ending your child's suffering
Rebuilding an identity after a loss like this, and why Rosanna doesn't want the old version of herself back
The friendships that fell away, and the unexpected people who showed up for her instead
Grieving differently than her husband did, and what that taught her about holding space for someone else's version of grief
The legal and political reality surrounding TFMR, and how it adds a layer of judgment to an already devastating loss
Her book, The Silence of TFMR, why she wrote it, and why she hopes it ends up in the hands of every parent facing this diagnosis

If you've ever had to make a choice no one should have to make, or you love someone who has, I hope this conversation helps you feel a little less alone in it.

Connect with Rosanna

• https://watkinspublishinglinks.com/the-silence-of-tfmr-landing-page
• https://www.instagram.com/thesilenceof_tfmr/

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Twenty-five years ago, Tara Bane's husband Michael kissed her goodbye, walked out the door, and never came home. He was working on the 100th floor of the North Tower on September 11, 2001. In this episode, Tara opens up about that day, the years of grief that followed, and how she eventually rebuilt a life she's proud of, including surviving the sudden loss of her mother just six years later, at only 19 years old.

We talk about what it's really like to grieve a loss the whole world witnessed, why "moving on" timelines do more harm than good, and how art therapy (even when the art itself is ugly and unrecognizable) can become one of the most powerful tools for processing trauma.

In this episode, we cover:
What it was like to lose Michael on 9/11 and the surreal days of not knowing if he survived
Why shock, denial, and adrenaline are the body's way of protecting us in acute grief
The societal pressure to "move on" and how it shows up in the well-meaning things people say
Coping with two major losses ten years apart
How yoga and movement gave her moments of presence when grief felt all-consuming
Why her first attempt at art therapy after 9/11 produced painting she didn't even recognize
The Garden of Reflection memorial she co-created
Remarriage, motherhood, divorce, and what it means to keep your heart open after loss
Why she waited 25 years to write her memoir, Evolution of a Heart
What she wants every griever to know about grief having no expiration date

Wherever you are in your own grief journey—whether it's been weeks or decades—I hope Tara's story reminds you that healing isn't linear, and your heart can stay open even after the worst has happened.

Connect with Tara:

• https://www.instagram.com/evolutionofaheart/
• https://www.tarabane.com/

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever looked at a relationship that used to feel like home and suddenly felt like you were speaking a different language? That disorienting shift is something I hear about constantly from my clients, and it's something I lived through myself in the years after losing my parents.

In this episode, I'm talking about outgrowing relationships after loss. That strange, often guilt-inducing experience of growing and evolving so much through grief that some relationships simply can't hold who you've become anymore. This isn't about blame, and it's not about anyone doing anything wrong. It's about misalignment, and giving yourself permission to lovingly release what no longer fits.

Here's what we cover:
Why some people show up for us after loss, and why even the ones who DO keep showing up can start to feel farther away than ever
How grief can compress years of personal growth into just months, and why that pace mismatch creates real distance in our relationships
What it means to "stay the same but become a different person" after significant loss
Why some relationships flex and grow with you, while others were only ever built for who you used to be
How to release relationships with love instead of resentment, and why you're allowed to grieve even the ones you're choosing to let go of

If this one resonates and you want to go deeper, I've got two related episodes for you, too:

Episode 26 — 10 Ways to Set Boundaries in Your Grief: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/026-10-ways-to-set-boundaries-in-your-grief/id1688812587?i=1000631914708

Episode 192 — Navigating Relationship Changes & Outgrowing Friendships: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/192-navigating-relationship-changes-outgrowing-friendships/id1688812587?i=1000748896282

Wherever you are in this right now, I want you to know you're in a beautiful season of becoming, and becoming sometimes means outgrowing... even the people you love.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There's a specific kind of grief that comes from losing a child. It's out of order, it defies everything we think we understand about life, and it changes you in ways that are almost impossible to put into words.

In this episode, I sit down with Teresa Davis—grief mentor, author, registered nurse, and host of The Grief Mentor Podcast—to talk about the loss of her son Andrew, a corporate pilot who died in a plane crash in 2018 at just 32 years old.

Teresa doesn't hold back. We talk about the complicated feelings that come with losing someone doing what they loved, what it actually looks like to wrestle with your faith after devastating loss, and why grieving as a family is so much messier—and so much more possible—than we're led to believe.

We dig into:
Andrew's story: who he was, his path to becoming a corporate pilot, and the accident that took his life
Why grief should never be compared, and what it means to hold space for the very specific relationship you lost
The complex feelings of losing someone doing what they loved most, and how Teresa made peace with it
A year spent wrestling with God, how her faith cracked wide open, and how she found her way back
Understanding grieving styles
The boundary work that changed everything for her
How counseling and EMDR helped her heal from the PTSD of losing Andrew so publicly
Navigating grief as a family: marriage, surviving children, and the unspoken expectations that quietly create distance
How her pain became purpose through The Grief Mentor Podcast and her signature program, The Grief Roadmap

If you've ever felt like grief made you a stranger to yourself, or to the people you love most, this conversation is going to feel like an exhale.

Connect with Teresa Davis:
https://thegriefmentor.com/
https://www.instagram.com/griefmentor/

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I don't think I've had a conversation on this podcast that captures the sheer whiplash of compounded loss quite like this one. My guest today is Emilie Eiden—flight attendant, grief and trauma-informed coach, and the heart behind the Instagram community Emily in Transit—and her story is one of those that reminds you grief doesn't wait its turn.

Emilie spent most of her twenties caring for her father as he lived with multiple sclerosis and cancer, watching him lose mobility year after year until he passed away when she was 26. Just when you think that's the whole story, she takes us into her thirties: a marriage that ended in divorce after eight years, and then—four months later—the unexpected death of her ex-husband.

In this episode, we cover:

What anticipatory grief actually feels like when you're watching a parent decline for over a decade
Why losing "the house" that held every holiday and celebration can feel like its own separate grief
The complicated, often invalidated grief of divorce
What it's like to grieve an ex-spouse after divorce
How walking, therapy, journaling, and travel became Emilie's tools for processing compounded grief
The difference between triggers and glimmers
How a string of "failures" (six failed nursing board exams) led Emilie to the career and life she has now
Why alone time and community aren't opposites, and how both showed up in her healing
Emilie's grief and trauma-informed coaching certification and what's next for her

If you're navigating a loss that doesn't fit neatly into one category—a divorce, a death, or both at once—I hope this conversation reminds you that you're allowed to hold it all, and that there is life waiting for you on the other side.

Connect with Emilie:

• https://www.instagram.com/emilieintransit/

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Can grief actually make you more magnetic? I know that might sound like a strange question—maybe even a little "woo woo"—but stick with me on this one.

This episode was sparked by an afternoon walk with my daughter, an episode of Sahara Rose's Higher Self podcast, and my word of the year: magnetic. As I listened to her talk about what makes a person magnetic—present, authentic, unbothered by the small stuff—I couldn't stop thinking about how much of that we, as grievers, already have access to. Not despite our loss, but because of it.

In this conversation, I'm walking you through how to alchemize your grief into magnetism, using six perspective shifts I've learned in the six years since losing both of my parents.

How losing people teaches us to stop half-listening
Why our sharpened noticingis a form of magnetism, not just leftover hypervigilance
How dropping the performance of "I'm fine" gives other people permission to be honest too
Why our forced familiarity with discomfort becomes a superpower others can lean on
How grief teaches us to stop over-explaining our boundaries
Why we become truth-tellers about what actually matters
How holding joy and grief at the same time makes us more compelling, not more complicated
Why our own brokenness becomes the thing that lets us meet other people's pain without flinching
How releasing the need to be understood by everyone becomes its own kind of ease
Why what we've survived becomes the bedrock of quiet, bone-deep self-trust

Episode with J.S. Park: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/223-11-years-at-a-trauma-center-a-hospital/id1688812587?i=1000772192456

Episode with Darnell Lamont Walker: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/139-facing-death-honoring-legacy-living-fully-with/id1688812587?i=1000720195925

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I sit down with poet, therapist, and author Sara Rian to talk about the day her world changed. Sara's mom, Susan, died by suicide in July 2018 when Sara was just 28, and this conversation goes straight into the parts of grief after suicide loss that so many of us are afraid to say out loud.

We talk about what it's really like in those first immobilizing weeks. The police calls, the organ donation decision, planning a funeral while still in shock, and more.

Sara opens up about the anger she felt, not at her mom, but at a world that felt unsafe, and the guilt that lingered long after. She also shares how her mother's earlier suicide attempts throughout her childhood shaped an anxious attachment and a belief that her mom simply "couldn't" die.

This episode is also a love letter to healing tools that actually work. Sara talks about what saved her life: therapy, suicide-loss support groups, community, and writing "Insta poetry" starting just days after her mom died. She's since written seven books. We also get into how becoming a mom herself unlocked a whole new layer of grief she wasn't expecting.

Why the early days after a suicide loss can feel physically immobilizing
Navigating police involvement, organ donation calls, and funeral planning in real time
Why Sara's anger was directed at the world, not her mother
How childhood exposure to suicide attempts shapes anxious attachment
The lifesaving role of therapy, support groups, and community after suicide loss
How writing poetry within days of loss became a form of survival
Becoming a mother without her own mom, and the grief that surfaced

If you've lost someone to suicide, or you love someone who has, this episode will help you feel less alone in it.

Connect with Sara:
https://www.sararianbooks.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sara_rian_books/

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's episode is a little different! Instead of my usual conversation, I'm leaving you with something to hold onto while I'm away.

I'm off exploring Sicily with my husband and daughter, and it got me thinking about how loaded it can feel to want new experiences after loss—especially places or plans you once imagined sharing with the person you lost. So instead of a regular episode, I recorded a quick guided meditation on giving yourself permission to explore again.

This meditation speaks to:
Why wanting new things after loss doesn't mean you're leaving your person behind
A grounding practice to help you notice—without judgment—what you're actually curious about
Why "I'm allowed to want this" might be the hardest and most healing sentence you say all week
A gentle reminder that this might not be where you are yet, and that's okay too
One small, low-stakes way to start exploring your own curiosity this week

If you've been feeling that quiet pull toward more—toward trying something new, going somewhere, wanting things again—this meditation is for you.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I don't think I've ever had a conversation on this podcast quite like this one. Today I'm sitting down with Dr. Gillian O'Shea Brown, a psychotherapist, trauma specialist, and author who has found the most fascinating way to make trauma and grief work accessible: through Greek mythology.

Gillian grew up in Ireland where emotions were something to be feared, not felt (hello, banshee folklore). That background shaped her belief that "the opposite of depression is expression", and it's part of why she wrote Psyche's Awakening: A Guide to Emotional and Somatic Healing Through the Wisdom of Greek Myth, using figures like Narcissus, Sisyphus, Medea, and Chiron as allegories for the healing principles she's used with trauma survivors for over 15 years.

In this episode, we talk about:
How Gillian bridges complex trauma and Greek mythology
Why "the opposite of depression is expression," and what happens when we suppress our emotions instead of processing them
What trauma actually is: when the past intrudes on the present
A simple, real explanation of EMDR
How the body holds onto memories we don't consciously remember and how to start noticing the clues
Ego state work
Complex PTSD vs. PTSD, and why relational trauma is often the death by a thousand cuts
Repetition compulsion, and why we're wired to keep reliving familiar pain
The archetypal emotional map journaling exercise Gillian uses to help people spot patterns across their relationships
Why rediscovering playfulness and creativity might be one of the final steps of true healing
An inside look at Gillian's book, Psyche's Awakening, and the archetypes she uses to map the healing journey

If you've ever wondered why you keep attracting the same dynamics, why certain sensations show up in your body when you're triggered, or how to start doing this healing work even if therapy isn't accessible to you right now, this episode is going to open a lot of doors.

Connect with Gillian:

• https://www.drgillianosheabrown.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/dr.gillianosheabrown

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In today's episode of Mourning Sips and Soul Shifts, I'm talking about something I don't think gets named enough in grief: the shame spiral. That heavy feeling of watching everyone around you move forward—working, laughing, planning vacations—while you're still carrying the weight of your loss. If you've ever asked yourself "why am I not further along by now?", this episode is for you.

We dig into:
Why grief comes with a hidden layer of shame, and why that shame is not a sign anything is wrong with you
How productivity culture and unrealistic bereavement policies fuel the pressure to "get back to normal"
Why comparing your grief to someone else's highlight reel—online or in person—isn't a fair comparison
How well-meaning comments like "you seem so strong" can unintentionally add to the shame
Why grief doesn't follow the neat five-stage narrative we were taught, and how that mismatch creates guilt
Mindset shifts to help release the shame spiral

Mentioned in this episode (listen wherever you get your podcasts!):
Episode 86 | Navigating Social Media & Our Mental Health as We're Grieving: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/086-navigating-social-media-our-mental-health-as-were/id1688812587?i=1000680126476

Episode 148 | The 5 Stages of Grief: Myths vs. Reality (and What Grief Really Looks Like): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-5-stages-of-grief-myths-vs-reality-and-what/id1688812587?i=1000724369638

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Losing a parent changes you, but losing a parent as a man when you've been taught your whole life to keep it together? That's a different kind of grief. In this episode, I sit down with Roger Nairn, co-host of the Dead Dads Podcast, to talk about his father's death from cancer, his choice to pursue Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in Canada, and what it's really like to grieve as a son when you weren't given the tools to feel your feelings.

Roger opens up about the guilt he felt when he didn't cry the way he expected to, how his counselor helped him understand that his grief had been "front-loaded" during his dad's illness, and why dark humor—including one unforgettable story about the funeral home—became his pressure-release valve.

Why Roger felt "flat" and neutral when his dad died, and what his counselor taught him about anticipatory grief
The MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) process in Canada and what it's like to know the exact day and time
The funeral home story that became the spark for the Dead Dads Podcast
How toxic masculinity shapes the way men experience and express grief
Why so many men have never had a real conversation with a friend about death
The power of journaling as a grief ritual
How to find the right grief counselor (and why it's okay to "break up" with one that isn't a fit)
Navigating parenthood after losing a parent
The complicated feelings around using AI to "bring back" a deceased loved one's photo or voice
Why laughing about death and grief doesn't mean you've moved on

Learn more about Roger and his work at https://www.deaddadspodcast.com/

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I first connected with Korie Leigh at GriefTastic and I knew I had to get her on the podcast, because we don't talk nearly enough about what it actually looks like to build grief-informed spaces, especially in the workplace.

Korie's background is truly incredible. She started as a child life specialist in pediatric hospitals before going on to get her master's in thanatology and her PhD in transpersonal psychology. In this conversation, she opens up about how she learned to manage vicarious trauma and burnout through reflective practices, supervision, rituals, and understanding her own stress capacity—lessons that apply just as much to grievers as they do to the helpers supporting them.

This episode is packed with practical guidance, too. How to actually show up for someone who's grieving (hint: stop asking "let me know if you need anything" and just help), why saying the deceased's name matters more than you think, and why you don't need to expect a response every time you reach out.

What we covered:
How Korie's path from pediatric child life specialist to thanatologist shaped her understanding of grief
Managing vicarious trauma and burnout as a grief professional (and what that teaches the rest of us)
Why compartmentalizing helps in a crisis, and hurts when it becomes permanent
Cultivating nervous system safety and regulation after loss
The archaic bereavement policies most workplaces still operate under
The inequities around pregnancy loss that don't get talked about enough
How grief-informed leadership starts with understanding grief's cognitive and physical impact
What actually helps a griever
Korie's book, "When Everything Changes: Parenting Through Loss and Grief", as a practical resource for families

Connect with Korie:

• https://www.korieleighphd.com/
• https://www.korieleighphd.com/books
• https://www.instagram.com/drkorieleigh

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why does happiness feel scary after you've lost someone? If you've ever caught yourself waiting for the other shoe to drop right in the middle of a genuinely good moment, this episode is for you. I'm unpacking why joy can feel unsafe after loss—especially after compounding or back-to-back losses—and what to actually do about it.

I lost my mom and dad within six months of each other, both to cancer, and less than a year later I lost my 19-year-old dog, Princess. After that kind of loss, your nervous system doesn't just grieve the person or thing you lost, it changes how safe the whole world feels. That's what today's conversation is all about: naming the hypervigilance, understanding why your brain does this, and learning how to let good things in again without needing a guarantee they'll stay.

What "bracing for joy" actually is, and why it's a form of hypervigilance, not negativity or ingratitude
Why compounding or back-to-back losses make this fear so much louder
The difference between "something bad is about to happen" and "I'm having a thought that something bad is about to happen"
Why pattern-matching your past losses isn't a prediction of your future
5 mindset shifts to help you start trusting joy again

If this resonated, I'd love to hear about it! Send me your own "waiting for the other shoe to drop" moment on Instagram or in the reviews. And if you know someone who's been white-knuckling their way through good moments since their loss, this one's for them, too.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode I sit down with Amanda Lentz, host of Who We Become: Life Beyond Change, to talk about something we don't say out loud enough: that surviving a life-threatening illness comes with its own kind of grief.

Amanda found out she was BRCA-positive at 28. She felt a lump in 2020, and at 34 (in the middle of COVID), she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. In this conversation, she takes us through six months of chemo, a double mastectomy, six weeks of daily radiation, and a later hysterectomy to lower her risk. And, the layers of loss underneath all of it: facing her own mortality, grieving her body, going through menopause at 35, and missing years of her kids' childhood while she waited for her recurrence risk to drop.

Amanda is five years in remission now, and she's honest with me about what's still there. The intrusive thoughts, the therapy, the community that held her, and how movement and intentional living have become part of how she heals. If you've ever felt like grief isn't just about death—if you're grieving a body, a version of yourself, a timeline you thought you'd have—this episode is for you.

In this episode, we cover:
Amanda's BRCA-positive diagnosis at 28
Being diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at 34, during COVID
What treatment really looked like
The layered grief of mortality, early menopause, and body changes
Grieving missed time with her kids while living in "wait and see"
Life five years into remission—intrusive thoughts, therapy, and community
How movement and intentional living became part of her healing
How to support someone going through cancer treatment (patient or caregiver)

Amanda's podcast, Who We Become: Life Beyond Change, digs into exactly this — who we become on the other side of change we didn't choose. Go find her show after you listen here.

Connect with Amanda:

• https://www.amandalentz.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/lifebeyondchange
• https://www.youtube.com/@lifebeyondchange

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Surprise! I'm popping in with a bonus episode, and I am SO excited about it! 🥹

Today I'm officially introducing you to something I've been quietly working on for months and cannot wait to get into your mailbox. It's called Letters of Light, and it's a monthly letter set created specifically for grievers. And in this quick bonus episode, I'm walking you through everything. The story behind it, the why, and exactly what you'll find inside every single envelope.

This idea was born from so many places. From years of coaching grievers and noticing how much we all crave to truly feel seen. From finding old letters my dad wrote to my grandparents when he was in the Army in his early 20s. From being a millennial who grew up watching the internet come to life and now finds herself deeply craving something slower, more intentional, and more human. And, from becoming a mom and realizing how desperately I want to slow down time.

In a world that is noisier and more digital than ever—and where AI seems to be everywhere—I wanted to create something that was the complete opposite of all of that. Something real, tangible, and that shows up for you every single month in your actual mailbox, from an actual human who has genuinely been there.

✨ The personal story behind Letters of Light
✨ Why I believe the grief space has been missing something really important (and why Letters of Light fills that)
✨ A full walkthrough of everything inside your Letters of Light envelope
✨ The letter: written entirely by me, handwritten first, then printed on beautiful linen cardstock, and signed personally by me with a note just for you
✨ The reflection card: a gentle monthly prompt to sit with, centered around that month's theme
✨ The affirmation card: printed on linen cardstock with a seasonal photo on one side, and a detailed affirmation on the other
✨ Why every single detail was chosen with complete intention
✨ How my background as a grief and soul purpose coach is woven into every piece

Visit https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters for more information and to join us 💌✨ 

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sally's mum Rose died suddenly in November 2019 from a prolonged seizure. No warning, no goodbye, just a 6am phone call that flipped her world upside down. She and her now co-host, Imogen, met at a support group for motherless daughters and turned their shared grief into Good Mourning, a podcast built on honesty, humor, and refusing to make grief feel taboo.

In this episode, we get into:
Sally's story of sudden loss and how she and Imogen built Good Mourning from the ground up
Grieving styles—the difference between "instrumental" (doing) grievers and "intuitive" (feeling) grievers, and why neither is wrong
The physical side of grief nobody warns you about: exhaustion, brain fog, immune changes, and more
How COVID complicated (and in some ways deepened) both of our grief journeys
The special kind of hell that is "deadmin"—settling an estate while your heart is in pieces (plus a story involving a cake tin that will make you laugh out loud)
The mind-body connection, breathwork, and one simple technique you can use anywhere to calm your nervous system
Why the second (or third!) year of grief can hit harder than the first, and why that doesn't mean you're going backwards
Sally's best advice for anyone in the thick of it right now

Sally is proof that you can build a full, joyful life alongside your grief, not after it. I know this one's going to make you feel so seen.

Connect with Sally:

• https://www.instagram.com/sallydouglasgrief/

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever been deep in grief and wondered: why does my chest actually hurt? Why can't I sleep no matter how exhausted I am? Why do I feel like I'm getting sick all the time? If that's you, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I'm breaking down how grief shows up physically in the body and, more importantly, why it happens. Drawing from Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor's book The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing, I walk you through some of the most common physical symptoms grievers experience, the science behind them, and a few gentle ways to take care of yourself while your body is doing some of the hardest work of your life.

Here's what we cover:
Why grief is not just an emotional experience
The role of attachment theory and how our loved ones were actually regulating our nervous systems while they were alive
The difference between heartache and heartbreak
How cortisol and stress hormones stay elevated long after a loss
Why sleep becomes such a difficulty during grief
How grief suppresses your immune system
The gut-brain connection and how grief shows up at the dinner table
Crying, including why it happens, what it does for our brains, and why I am a huge proponent of letting it out
Five gentle, doable ways to support your body while it's grieving

Whether you're in the thick of early grief, years out from a loss and still noticing physical effects, or supporting someone who is grieving, this episode is for you.

The Grieving Body by Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor → https://www.amazon.com/dp/0063338904

The Grieving Brain by Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor → https://www.amazon.com/Grieving-Brain-Surprising-Science-Learn-ebook/dp/B093ZZ7HZY

️ Episode 213: Grief Brain / Brain Fog → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/213-grief-brain-why-youre-so-forgetful-and-foggy-after-loss/id1688812587?i=1000763788105

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens after the heaviest part of grief begins to lift and how do you actually start to feel alive again without feeling guilty about it?

In this special episode, I had the honor of joining four incredible women for a Reimagine roundtable panel on life beyond deep grief. Together, we explored what it really looks like to move from surviving loss to slowly, imperfectly re-engaging with life—not by "moving on," but by holding both the sorrow and the joy at the same time.

In this episode, you'll hear from:
Nina Rodriguez, who lost her brother in 2019 and now integrates his legacy through her grief work with Grief and Light
Kera Sanchez, who lost her mom in 2022 and recently lost her father-in-law, and channels grief alongside gratitude through Get Griefy Magazine
Imogen ("Im"), co-founder of Good Mourning, who lost her mother to suicide in 2020 and is a powerful voice for somatic healing in grief
Blair Kaplan, our host who brings her Navigating Grief Framework, the Global Resilience Project, and her own experience with multiple losses including separation
And me, Tara Accardo, Grief and Soul Purpose Coach, founder of Losses Become Gains, and someone who has lost both of my parents and my beloved fur baby

We dive deep into:
The "both/and" of grief—holding sadness and joy without toxic positivity or pressure to "move on"
What post-traumatic growth actually looks and feels like (including the friendships you lose along the way and the boundaries you find)
Continued bonds with our loved ones—signs, mediums, and the ways they stay present
Non-death losses and why they deserve just as much space (yes, including divorce and separation)
The role of time, community, and nervous system regulation in grief healing
Meaning-making and how we begin to find purpose after loss

We also opened it up to the audience for real-time takeaways. If you've ever wondered whether it's okay to feel joy again, whether you're "healing right," or whether life can still hold beauty after devastating loss, this episode is for you.

https://letsreimagine.org/
https://www.instagram.com/getgriefymagazine/
https://www.instagram.com/griefandlight/
https://www.instagram.com/blairfromblairland/
https://www.instagram.com/healwithim/

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I'm sitting down with Grief Educator Heidi Dunstan, who lost her husband Mike unexpectedly to a heart attack in 2018—the day before her 40th birthday, after she performed CPR trying to save him. We talk about what early grief actually feels like (numbness, brain fog, trauma) and what it took to feel steady again.

In this episode, we cover:
Why the first 3-4 months are often the hardest, and what shifted for Heidi around the 18-month mark
The brain fog of grief, and why it's a real, physical response, not "losing it"
How she chose grief-specialized counseling and why that mattered
Why she traveled to Mexico to avoid the triggers of home, and what that taught her
The shift from saying "I miss you" to "I love you" and how that changed her healing
What friends and family get wrong when someone's grieving, and what to say instead

If you've ever felt like no one knows what to say to you—or you're the one who doesn't know what to say to someone else—this episode is for you.

Connect with Heidi:

• www.heididunstan.ca
• https://www.instagram.com/leanintogrief/
• www.facebook.com/leanintogrief
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidi-dunstan/

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you're past the early, gut-punch stage of grief but nowhere near "healed", you might be living in what I call the messy middle. And it's one of the most disorienting, confusing, and misunderstood seasons of the entire grief journey.

Let's talk about that in-between season where the shock has worn off, you're functioning, you're showing up, but something still feels off and you're not quite sure who you are anymore. It's confusing, it's uncomfortable, and not enough people are talking about it.

I'm getting real about why the messy middle is one of the most disorienting—and also very important—seasons of the grief journey. Because here's what I truly believe: healing is not a destination. It's a continuous process, and this in-between place? It's not a detour, it's the work.

We dig into:
What the messy middle actually looks and feels like, and why it's more valid than you think
Why this phase is doing something really important in you, even when it doesn't feel that way
The truth about healing that nobody tells grievers in this season
Three mindset shifts to help you stop fighting the in-between and start working with it
A simple grounding tool to come back to when the confusion gets loud
Why curiosity about what's next isn't a betrayal of your grief

If you've been feeling lost in the in-between, I hope this episode feels like a deep exhale. You're in one of the most quietly powerful seasons of your entire healing journey.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Losing a dad changes everything, and no one talks about the full picture of what that actually looks like. In this special episode in honor of Father's Dat, I'm joined by two incredible women who get it: Liz Quinn, host of the Healing Hearts podcast, and Nicci Scimone, certified grief coach. Together, we open up about losing our dads, the ripple effects that followed, and what it really means to rebuild your life after father loss—especially when you're also navigating motherhood.

Liz lost her dad Edward to stage IV esophageal cancer in 2018, right as she was also supporting her mom through Alzheimer's and her eventual passing. Nicci lost her dad Donny 13 years ago to complications from a stem cell transplant following leukemia remission, and I share my own story of losing my dad Greg to prostate cancer just six months after losing my mom.

We go deep on the things people don't say out loud: the paperwork, the funeral decisions, the vulnerability, the rebuilding, the continuing bonds, and how we're passing our dads' legacies on to our own children.

In this episode, we dig into:
The full, unfiltered reality of losing a dad and what the "after" actually looks like
How father loss disrupts your identity, motivation, and sense of home
Navigating layered grief and multiple losses in a short window of time
The grief brain fog no one warns you about
The unspoken logistics of loss: paperwork, funeral decisions, and estate overwhelm
Continuing bonds and keeping your dad's presence alive even now
Sharing your dad's legacy with your children
Finding community, grace, and joy while still carrying grief

This episode is for anyone carrying father loss, fresh or long-standing.

Connect with Liz and Nicci:

• https://lizquinnheals.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/lizquinnheals/
• https://www.nicolescimone.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/nicciscimone_/

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when the person who holds space for the dying suddenly becomes the one who needs to be held?

I sat down with J.S. Park, hospital chaplain of 11 years at a Level 1 trauma center, for one of the most profound conversations I've ever had on this podcast.

And before we even hit record, life had already handed us a plot twist: our original recording date had to be pushed because J.S.'s own mother was struck by a drunk driver and became a trauma patient at the very type of hospital where he works. Just sit with that for a moment.

What followed was a conversation I'll never forget, and one I know you won't either.

We talk about:
What it's really like to be a chaplain in a Level 1 trauma center
What J.S. learned about grief from suddenly being "on the other side" when his mom became a patient
How he processes the emotional residue of caregiving
The concept of being a "mid-road companion"
Asynchronous grief in families and why everyone grieves on a different timeline
Why rituals and storytelling at the bedside matter more than most people realize
The grief literacy gap
End-of-life lessons: what people actually regret, and how J.S. is living differently because of it
His book, As Long As You Need

Whether you're a grieving person, a caregiver, or someone who loves someone who is hurting, this episode is going to meet you exactly where you are.

Connect with J.S.:

• https://www.instagram.com/jspark3000/
• https://substack.com/@jspark
• https://www.threads.com/@jspark3000

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever grieved someone who's still alive? Or lost yourself so completely inside a relationship that when it ended, you didn't even know who you were anymore?

In this episode, I'm sitting down with the incredible Jess Prudhomme—podcaster and host of The Great Detour—to talk about one of the most misunderstood forms of grief out there: divorce grief and identity loss.

Jess married her high school sweetheart at 17. By 35, her marriage was over—and so was the version of herself she'd built around it. What followed was a deeply honest reckoning with grief, self-worth, and what it actually means to come home to yourself.

In this episode, we get into:
What disenfranchised grief is and why divorce grief is so often dismissed
Grieving a living person , and the unique pain of losing someone who's still here
Losing your identity, your future plans, and the life you thought you'd have
How therapy, journaling, and solitude became part of Jess's healing
Leaving a 10-year career to take a sabbatical and rebuild from the inside out
Solo travel as a tool for healing
How a trip abroad sparked the creation of The Great Detour podcast
Finding alignment in friendships, career, and self after major loss
Why the losses that break us open can also bring us home to ourselves

Whether you're navigating a divorce, the end of a relationship, a career loss, or any kind of identity shift, this episode is going to make you feel deeply seen.

www.thegreatdetour.com
https://www.instagram.com/thegreatdetour/

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever woken up and panicked because you couldn't quite remember the sound of your loved one's voice, or the exact way they laughed? That quiet, creeping fear of forgetting is one of the most common and least talked-about experiences in grief.

And if you've felt it, you are so not alone... and you are absolutely not failing them. Six years out from losing both of my parents I'm still navigating this fear myself, and today I'm sitting with you in it, breaking down why it happens, what it actually means, and what you can gently do about it.

In this episode, we explore:
  Why the fear of forgetting your loved one is so common in grief
The shame spiral that tends to come with it
The neuroscience of grief and memory
What neuroscientist and author Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor says about how the brain works
Why the feeling of someone stays encoded in you even when the specific details start to fade
The continuing bonds framework
  Gentle, low-pressure ideas for preserving memories and staying connected to your person

Whether you're newly grieving or years out from your loss like me, my hope is that this episode leaves you feeling seen, validated, and a little more at peace with the perfectly imperfect way your brain holds onto the people you love.

Resources mentioned:
The Grieving Brain by Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when grief keeps finding you in different forms, at different stages of life? In this episode, I'm joined by Robin Ducharme, author and founder of Real Love Ready, for a truly honest and vulnerable conversation.

Robin shares the story of losing her twin brother Reese suddenly to a heart attack in 2012, and the profound, beautiful experience she had with his spirit that same night.

She also opens up about losing her father just weeks after closing Reese's estate (after serving as executor twice in two years, something so few people talk about), navigating separation and divorce, and ultimately surviving a toxic second marriage. Through all of it, she found her way to forgiveness, relational literacy, and love as the through-line of everything.

We dig into:
The sudden loss of her twin brother Reese and the incredible experience she had with his spirit the night he passed
Planning a funeral with your brother's guidance, including why shot glasses were the perfect send-off
What it actually means to be executor of an estate, and doing it twice, back-to-back
Losing her father shortly after closing Reese's estate, and how grief compounded on grief
Why divorce is a legitimate grief process, and why no relationship should ever be called a failure
What relational literacy is and the skills Robin teaches through Real Love Ready
Forgiveness as non-attachment: not condoning, not forgetting, but releasing
Self-forgiveness and why Robin believes it's often the hardest kind

This one goes deep, and I think it's going to hit home for many of you.

Connect with Robin:

• https://realloveready.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/realloveready/
• https://www.instagram.com/robinducharmeofficial/
• https://geni.us/RealLoveReadyBook

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when the grief you're carrying is the kind most people don't know how to talk about? Toni Filipone knows, and she's here to walk you through it.

I'm sitting down with Toni Filipone, an international, multi-certified grief expert, author, speaker, and the founder of MasterGrief, a global platform helping people heal after loss all over the world. With over 30 years of experience in personal development alongside leaders like Tony Robbins, Toni has dedicated her life to helping people understand grief, master their emotions, and rebuild a life they actually want to live. 

She's also the author of In the Trenches: A Coach's Walk Through Grief, which shares her own raw and honest story of loss and the tools that helped her move forward.

Toni's expertise isn't just professional. It's deeply personal. Three and a half years ago, she lost her partner Terri to suicide. That loss cracked her open, reshaped her work, and gave her an entirely new lens for what it means to truly grieve.

In this conversation, we get into ALL of it:
✨ What makes suicide grief uniquely traumatic and complicated
✨ The shock, denial, and self-blame that so many suicide loss survivors experience
✨ The concept of "causation bias"
✨ A powerful mindset shift: moving from "what if" to "even if"
✨ Why you can't go back to the life you had before loss, and what it looks like to build a new one
✨ Honest thoughts on grief groups, including what to look for and what to walk away from
✨ The difference between grief and mental illness
✨ Finding daily "pockets of joy" and what that actually means

Whether you're navigating suicide loss, supporting someone who is, or just trying to understand what healthy grief can actually look like, this episode will leave you feeling seen, equipped, and a little less alone.

Connect with Toni:

• https://www.tiktok.com/@tiktoktoni75
• https://www.instagram.com/mastergrief_t
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/mastergrief/
• https://www.youtube.com/@MasterGriefT
• https://www.facebook.com/people/MasterGrief/61576327545212/
•  https://mastergrief.com/

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, I'm diving into one of my favorite topics—grieving styles—and why understanding yours can be such a powerful part of your healing journey. Because here's what I want you to know before we even get started: there is no right way to grieve. There is only your way.

I'm pulling from real research here, specifically the work of psychologists Terry Martin and Kenneth Doka, who identified a spectrum of grieving styles that explains so much about why we all move through loss so differently.

Here's what we cover:
✨ The difference between intuitive and instrumental grieving, and why both are completely valid
✨ The five griever types: The Feeler, The Doer, The Blender, The Bottler, and The Spiraler, and how to identify which one you are
✨ How attachment theory connects to the way you experience and express grief
✨ Why some people bottle their grief inward, and how it can quietly show up in the body instead
✨ What's happening for the Spiraler, and why feeling stuck or consumed by grief doesn't mean you're failing
✨ How to use your grief style as a map, not a box, so you can start giving yourself exactly what you need
✨ A Soul Shift prompt to close the episode and carry into your week

If you've ever looked at someone else's grief and thought how are they doing that?—or looked at your own and thought what is wrong with me?—this episode is for you.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When grief becomes the very thing that leads you to help others heal, that's when loss truly starts to become a gain.

In this episode, I'm sitting down with Erin Blechman—mom, certified grief educator, and suicide loss survivor—for a conversation that is raw, real, and so deeply needed. Erin shares the story of her son Max, a wildly creative, deeply sensitive, and brilliantly funny young man who lived with medication-resistant depression and epilepsy, and who she lost to suicide in June 2020, right in the thick of COVID.

Here's what we dig into:
✨ The early grief fog: numbness, depression, yearning, and an anger that surprised even her 
✨ How journaling became a lifeline and eventually evolved into a book
✨ The coping tools that helped her survive: creating a memorial garden and finding her people in a suicide loss support group
✨ Her path to becoming a certified grief educator who now leads online grief groups and speaks publicly about suicide loss
✨ The cultural problem of grief illiteracy
✨ Parental guilt, the brutal "what ifs," and how Erin learned to reframe them into "even ifs"
✨ Why healing in community isn't just helpful, it's transformative

If you've ever lost someone to suicide, loved someone who struggled, or just needed a reminder that your grief doesn't have to look a certain way to be valid, this one's for you.

Connect with Erin

• https://www.instagram.com/erin.blechman/
• https://erinblechman.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/erin.blechmanauthor

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mother's Day can be one of the most painful days of the year when you're missing your mom. And if you're dreading it, this episode is for you.

In this special panel episode of the Life With Grief Podcast, I'm joined by three incredible women—Liz Quinn, Sara Rian, and Chelsea Ohlemiller—for an honest, heartfelt conversation about what it's really like to grieve your mother, navigate Mother's Day without her, and find your way forward without losing the love you carry for her.

Each of us shares our own story of loss:
💔 Tara's mom, Lori, passed away from esophageal cancer in 2019
💔 Sara's mom, Susan, died by suicide in 2018
💔 Chelsea's mom, Rita, passed away in 2017
💔 Liz's mom, Colleen, died in 2020 following an Alzheimer's diagnosis

Four different losses, four different journeys, one shared truth: grief doesn't follow a timeline, and you don't have to face Mother's Day alone.

In this episode, we cover:
✨ The early days of grief: silence, trauma, confusion, and those overwhelming "never again" thoughts
✨ How grief shifts over time: identity changes, finding community, writing as healing, and reaching new life milestones without her
✨ Experiencing motherhood without your own mom by your side
✨ The duality of joy and grief, holding happiness and heartache at the same time
✨ Practical ways to approach Mother's Day that actually help
✨ Why grief is deeply personal, and why every loss, every relationship, and every timeline is valid

Whether you lost your mom recently or years ago, whether this is your first Mother's Day without her or your tenth, this conversation will remind you that what you're feeling makes complete sense, and that you are not alone in it.

🎙️ Listen now and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it this Mother's Day.

Connect with each of us through our websites:

• https://lossesbecomegains.com/
• https://lizquinnheals.com/
• https://www.sararianbooks.com/
• https://hopeandharshrealities.com/

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever found yourself doing all the things, showing up, checking the boxes, keeping the pace, but quietly wondering if something needs to give? If you've been feeling that pull to pause, pivot, or finally make room for the thing that's been calling to you... this episode is for you.

This week, I'm getting really real with you. I'm sharing a personal update about Mourning Sips & Soul Shifts—and more importantly, the why behind it. Because the honest truth is, this decision didn't come from nowhere. 

It came from a lot of self-reflection, some really vulnerable conversations with myself, and the three key reasons I made this decision and how I got here that I think you're going to deeply relate to—grief journey or not.

Here's what we're getting into:
✨ The announcement: what's changing with this podcast and why
✨ Burnout in grief: what it actually looks like (hint: it's not always a breakdown)
✨ The pressure to keep producing, and why consistent output means nothing when you're running on empty
✨ Embracing slowness in a culture that glorifies busy. and what grief has taught me about truly living vs. just moving through life
✨ Fear disguised as logic: how many of us stay stuck in things that no longer serve us because change feels scary
✨ The exciting things I'm making room for, including a book I am no longer putting off
✨ A gentle invitation for you to ask yourself: do you need to take a sacred pause somewhere in your life, too? Where does your energy need to be reallocated? 

This episode is for the person who has been going, going, going... not because they love the pace, but because slowing down feels terrifying. The one who has been holding on tight to everything they can control after loss took so much from them. The one who knows something needs to shift, but hasn't quite given themselves permission yet. If you see yourself in this, I know you'll get so much from this episode.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever felt like loss cracked something open in you, like it changed not just your heart, but the way you see the world? You're not imagining it.

I'm sitting down with Jessica Rachel, spiritual medium and intuitive coach, to talk about exactly that. Because here's what I'm learning more and more: grief has a way of awakening us. And your intuition? It's been there all along, just waiting for you to tune in.

In this episode, Jessica and I dig into:
✨ Why loss so often triggers a spiritual awakening, and why that's actually more common than you think
✨ What intuition really is (hint: it's a muscle, and you can strengthen it)
✨ The "clairs" : clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, claircognizance, and even rarer senses like smell and taste, and how to figure out which one is yours
✨ How to tell the difference between intuitive guidance and anxious thoughts (this one is a game-changer)
✨ A simple, body-based practice for actually receiving guidance: breath, movement, meditation, and calling in your guides or loved ones out loud
✨ How to ask questions and request physical confirmation so you know when you're being answered
✨ Signs, timing, and surrendering control (aka the hard part)
✨ Using your body as a yes/no compass
✨ The difference between spirit guides and guardian angels
✨ Soul purpose as service, and how your repeating life patterns and past-life lessons might be pointing you exactly where you're meant to go

If you've been feeling called to explore the spiritual side of your grief journey, or if you've been sensing something but don't quite know what to do with it, this episode is for you.

Connect with Jessica:
🔗 https://www.jessicarachel.co/
🔗 https://www.instagram.com/iamjessicarachel

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you been forgetting things more than usual since your loss? Walking into rooms and blanking. Missing appointments. Re-reading the same sentence five times. Feeling like your brain just isn't working the way it used to?

You're not irresponsible. You're not "losing it." You're experiencing something called grief brain, and it's more common than anyone talks about.

In this episode, I'm breaking down what's actually happening inside your brain when you're grieving, why the fog and forgetfulness make complete sense, and how to gently support yourself through it.

Here's what we're getting into:
✨ What grief brain is and why so many grievers quietly struggle with it
✨ What's actually happening in your brain and nervous system during loss
✨ The shame that comes with feeling "slower" than you used to be — and the reframe you need
✨ 6 gentle ways to support yourself through the fog
✨ A closing reflection to help you offer yourself a little more grace this week

This episode is for the griever who has been silently criticizing themselves for not keeping up, not remembering, not functioning the way they used to. The one who wonders if something is wrong with them. The one who just needs someone to say: this is normal, and it won't be like this forever.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Grief doesn't always look like loss of a person. Sometimes, it looks like losing a dream. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Clay Brigance, an Infertility Counseling Expert, professional counselor, researcher, and host of the Love and Infertility podcast, for one of the most powerful conversations I've had on this show. 

We're talking about infertility and pregnancy loss as a grief experience. The kind that so often goes unnamed, unseen, and completely unsupported.

Dr. Clay brings both the clinical expertise and the deeply personal experience to this conversation. He and his wife navigated male-factor infertility, IVF, a traumatic birth, and a hysterectomy—and came out the other side with a whole lot of wisdom, purpose, and a marriage that's stronger for it. 

Here's what we dig into:
✨ Why infertility is a grief experience, and why so few people recognize it as one
✨ The "reproductive story" we all start building around age 2 or 3, and what happens when it gets torn apart
✨ Dr. Clay's four pillars of connection, and why some couples grow closer through infertility while others fall apart
✨ The "crescendo effect" that builds stress in relationships and what to do when your amygdala takes over
✨ Well-intended chivalry, and why trying to rescue your partner from their pain actually makes things worse
✨ Two practical tools: reverse engineering your conversations and the boardroom method for getting in touch with your emotions
✨ How to navigate the painful "at least" comments from well-meaning family and friends
✨ The grief that comes with relationships, learning who can truly hold space for you, and letting go of those who can't

Whether you're in the thick of an infertility journey, have experienced pregnancy loss, or love someone who has, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Clay:

• https://www.drclaybrigance.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_claybrigance/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Shiloh-Counseling-LLC-100090955350701/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-brigance-phd-lpc-99a4381a4

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever wished someone would just tell you the truth about what it's like to lose a parent, and what to actually do while they're still here?

That's exactly what this Ask Tara episode is. I'm answering two questions from a listener who has already lost one parent and is now watching the other navigate a serious illness. These are the questions I wish I had been asked when I was in the thick of it... and the answers I wish someone had given me.

Here's what I'm getting into:
✨ Why being genuinely, fully present with your sick parent is one of the most important things you can do, and what that actually looks like
✨ Why it's okay—and necessary—to take guilt-free breaks, even when it feels wrong
✨ How to capture more than just photos: the sensory memories you'll be grateful you held onto
✨ How to have meaningful conversations with your parent without it feeling like a race against time
✨ Why anticipatory grief, as painful as it is, gives you something sudden loss doesn't
✨ What I wish I had known about the emptiness, the isolation, and losing your footing after both parents are gone
✨ Why grief is non-linear, and why the "firsts" will hit harder than you expect
✨ How survival mode quietly limits your emotional capacity, and why grace is the only right response
✨ Why your identity, your relationships, and your sense of self may all shift, and what's possible on the other side

This episode is for the griever who is still in the middle of it. The one caring for a parent while quietly bracing for the loss that's coming. The one who has already said goodbye to one parent and is terrified of saying goodbye to another. The one who wants someone to just be honest with them about what this is really like... and what to do with it.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you've ever watched someone you love slowly slip away—or wondered if your grief response was "normal"—this one's for you.

I'm sitting down with Grief Coach Nicole Scimone, who lost her father Donny at just 24 years old after a nearly decade-long battle with leukemia. 

But this isn't just a story about loss. It's about the messy, non-linear, deeply human journey of learning to carry grief... and still choose joy.

In this episode, we talk about:
✨ Watching her dad Donny fight leukemia for nine years and surviving a stem cell transplant, only to later face a lung infection that took him at just 55 years old
✨ What anticipatory grief actually feels like from the inside
✨ Why anger became her go-to grief response for years, and how avoidance and drinking crept in as ways to survive triggering moments
✨ The rock-bottom moment that led her to a 13-week grief support group and how that changed everything
✨ Finding unexpected outlets like kickboxing that helped her move grief through her body
✨ How motherhood added a whole new layer of grief, including the complicated feelings of jealousy around grandparents
✨ Keeping her dad's memory alive for her kids
✨ Her journey from grief blogger to grief coach, and why she felt called to walk alongside others in their loss

Whether you're in the thick of anticipatory grief, years out from a loss and still trying to find your footing, or somewhere in between, Nicole's story is a reminder that grief doesn't have an expiration date, and healing doesn't have to look perfect.

Connect with Nicole:

• www.nicolescimone.com
• @nicolescimone_ 
• nicolescimone.grief@gmail.com 

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you tried returning to something you used to love after loss, and felt absolutely nothing? Maybe it's the hobby you looked forward to every week. The music that used to move you. The routine that once made you feel like yourself. And now it feels flat, heavy, or just... different.

If that's been your experience, this episode is for you. In this Mourning Sips & Soul Shifts conversation, I'm diving into one of the most quietly disorienting parts of grief: losing your sense of joy, passion, and identity through the things you used to love.

Here's what we'll cover:
✨ Why your nervous system makes hobbies and interests feel muted after loss
✨ How grief shifts your identity, and why the old version of you may not fit anymore
✨ The role of memory in avoiding activities tied to your person
✨ Why the "lost spark" feeling doesn't mean joy is gone forever
✨ How to move from "I feel nothing" toward curiosity, one small step at a time
✨ Practical, gentle ways to begin reigniting your sense of aliveness

I also share one of my favorite gentle reframes: instead of asking "What am I passionate about?" right now, try asking "What feels even five percent interesting today?"—because that's often exactly where the spark begins again.

This episode is for the griever who feels lost inside their own life. The one who misses feeling like themselves. The one who wonders if joy will ever feel real again.

If this episode resonates with you, I'd appreciate it if you left a positive review and share it with someone who needs it!

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some losses are so profound they don't fit inside any framework we have for grief. Collin Farias's story is one of those, and his willingness to share it with the world is an act of extraordinary love.

In May 2024, Collin's wife Camry was diagnosed with colon cancer that quickly progressed to stage four. Choosing a holistic path instead of chemotherapy, Camry was navigating her illness while also navigating a pregnancy—holding two enormous, beautiful, terrifying things at once. At 23 weeks, her water broke. On July 3rd, their son Chance was born prematurely. That same day, Camry died.

Nine days later, Chance followed his mother.

In this episode, Collin walks us through all of it—with honesty, with tenderness, and with a kind of clarity that can only come from someone who has sat in the deepest depths of loss and chosen, over and over, to keep going. 

From making funeral decisions to returning to the hospital, from leaning on community to posting on Instagram as an unexpected lifeline.

In this episode, we dig into:
✨ Camry's stage four colon cancer diagnosis and her choice of a holistic treatment path
✨ The devastating and intertwined loss of both his wife and premature son Chance within nine days
✨ The raw, practical reality of funeral decisions while you're still in shock
✨ Returning to the hospital, and what that experience held
✨ How sharing on Instagram became an unexpected coping outlet, and resonated with thousands
✨ Raising awareness about colon cancer through grief
✨ Living with urgency and choosing love over fear every single day

As I mention at the beginning of the episode, too, be sure to submit any questions you have for Collin or I (or both of us) for our part 2 conversation!

Connect with Collin: https://www.instagram.com/collinfarias/

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you've ever watched a family member or close friend seem to "bounce back" from a loss while you're still deep in the thick of grief—and also wondered, "what is wrong with me?"—this episode is for you.

Spoiler: nothing is wrong with you. And I want you to feel that not just in your head, but in your bones.

In this episode, I'm digging into one of the most painful and misunderstood experiences in grief: feeling like you're falling behind while everyone around you seems to be moving forward. We talk about why it happens, what it actually means, and how to stop measuring your healing against someone else's timeline.

In this episode, we talk about:
✨ Why your grief timeline is completely unique to you, and the real reasons it looks different from everyone else's
✨ How the way you were raised to handle emotions shapes the way you grieve today
✨ The sneaky trap of feeling like you're "doing grief wrong"
✨ Five tangible tools and mindset shifts to help you find your footing again

This episode is for you if:
✨ You feel like everyone around you has moved on while you're still in it
✨ You've wondered if you're grieving "too long" or "too much"
✨ You feel unseen or misunderstood by the people closest to you
✨ You're ready to stop comparing and start honoring your own journey

Research consistently shows that grief is a deeply individual process shaped by the relationship we had with the person we lost, the way we were taught to cope with emotions growing up, and how deeply that person was woven into the fabric of our daily lives. If the people around you seem to be moving forward faster, it doesn't mean you're broken. It means your love was YOURS.

And your grief—at its own pace, in its own time—is yours, too. This episode will remind you that your timeline isn't a measure of your weakness, but a measure of your love.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Grief doesn't always come just once, and for some of us, it comes in waves that feel impossible to survive. In this episode, I sit down with grief advocate and host of The Healing Hearts Podcast Liz Quinn, who has walked through some of the most profound losses a person can experience: the death of her firstborn daughter, and both of her parents.

Liz's story is one of raw honesty, deep love, and the kind of grace that only comes from truly living with grief. Whether you're navigating the loss of a child, a parent, or multiple losses at once, this conversation will make you feel less alone and remind you that carrying your loved ones forward is one of the most beautiful things you can do.

In this episode, we talk about:
✨ Liz's early experiences with grief after losing her grandmother and how that shaped her relationship with loss
✨ The heartbreaking loss of her firstborn daughter, Alivia
✨ The rituals and visits that helped Liz honor her daughter's life
✨ How Liz and her husband grieved differently after losing Alivia
✨ Losing her father in 2018 to stage-four esophageal cancer while navigating her mother's Alzheimer's decline
✨ The loss of her mother
✨ What it means to continue bonds with those we've lost
✨ Parenting without your own parents, and how to find your footing when your biggest support system is gone
✨ Giving yourself grace in grief, and why taking it one day at a time isn't just a cliché... it's survival

Connect with Liz:
💻  https://lizquinnheals.com/
📱 https://www.instagram.com/lizquinnheals/
🎙️ The Healing Hearts Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/08PxtTeYYuaL31Ks1P2IYX

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you’ve been craving a shift in your grief but don’t know where to start, this episode is for you.

In today’s Mourning Sips & Soul Shifts minisode, I’m giving you a free, behind-the-scenes look at Day 1 of my Micro Moments for Transformation program—a 30-day experience designed to help you move through grief in a way that feels supportive, doable, and actually sustainable.

Because here’s the truth: transformation doesn’t come from doing everything perfectly. It comes from small, intentional moments that meet you exactly where you are.

This program was created for anyone navigating loss—whether that’s the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, a life transition, or any kind of identity shift—and who wants to reconnect with themselves, their sense of purpose, and even moments of joy again.

Today, I’m guiding you through Day 1: Setting Your Intention. I’ll walk you through a simple yet powerful practice you can do in five minutes or less:

✨ A grounding breath to help you arrive in the present moment
✨ Three reflective prompts to help you define what transformation looks and feels like for you
✨ A gentle way to anchor into your “why”
✨ How to create a meaningful intention to guide your next 30 days

You can listen on the go, but if you’re able to carve out a few quiet minutes for yourself and journal through this, it can deepen the experience in a really beautiful way.

This is just the beginning, too! If this resonates, the full Micro Moments for Transformation program will guide you through 30 days of supportive, 5-15 minute practices to help you feel more grounded, connected, and like you again—even in the midst of grief. All for just $47.

🎧 Ready to begin? Press play and take your first micro step.

If you're ready to dig into all 30 days, I'd love for you to join me: https://lossesbecomegains.com/transformation

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Ben Forman to talk about a kind of grief that often goes unseen—losing a sibling, and what it means to navigate life as the “forgotten griever.”

Ben shares the story of losing his younger brother, Sam, in a sudden skiing accident at just 25 years old, and how that loss reshaped his identity, his family, and the way he moves through the world.

We talk about the quiet complexities of sibling grief, the guilt and dark thought patterns that can surface, and the tension between surviving loss and growing through it. 

We explore:
✨ What it feels like to lose your only sibling and become part of a “family of three”
✨ The identity shift that comes with sibling loss
✨ The “forgotten griever” experience and why sibling grief is often overlooked
✨ Navigating guilt, intrusive thoughts, and emotional spirals after loss
✨ The difference between post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth
✨ Finding connection through community
✨ Coping tools and using physical/tactile reminders
✨ How grief can shape the choices you make in your life moving forward
✨ Ben’s documentary Higher Calling and the healing journey behind it
✨ Riding motorcycles through the Himalayas as a way to honor loss and seek meaning

This episode is for anyone navigating sibling loss, complicated grief, or the quiet, often unspoken layers of life after losing someone deeply woven into your identity.

Connect with Ben:

• https://www.instagram.com/thebenforman/
• https://www.instagram.com/highercallingmovie
• https://www.highercallingmovie.com/

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If your grief has been feeling especially heavy lately, I wanted to give you something real to hold onto this week.

In today’s episode of Mourning Sips & Soul Shifts on Life With Grief, I’m sharing Day 1 of my 14-Day Relief in Your Grief Experience—completely free—so you can gently step into what it feels like to be supported, grounded, and guided through your grief in a more intentional way.

This isn’t about fixing your grief or rushing your healing. It’s about creating small, consistent moments where you can come back to yourself… even when everything feels overwhelming.

Inside this episode, I walk you through one of the most important starting points in grief work: your “why.” Your why becomes your anchor: the thing you return to when emotions like anxiety, sadness, anger, or longing start to take over.

Together, we explore:
✨ How to identify your personal “why” for moving through grief
✨ Simple ways to stay accountable and supported in your healing
✨ How to build a sustainable 5–10 minute daily grief practice
✨ Creating intentional space for your emotions (without feeling consumed by them)
✨ A powerful stress + grief check-in to understand where you are today

I also guide you through a gentle meditation for grief relief, where you’ll:
💛 Focus on your breath and body awareness
💛 Allow emotions to move through you like waves
💛 Soften resistance and create space for release
💛 Connect with spiritual support—whether that’s your loved one, guides, or something bigger than you

If you’ve been feeling stuck, disconnected, or unsure of how to move forward… this is your invitation to start small.

And if this resonates with you, the full 14-Day Relief in Your Grief Experience is there to support you more deeply: https://lossesbecomegains.com/relief-in-grief

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Life With Grief, I’m joined by Psychologist, bestselling author, and globally recognized speaker Dr. Jody Carrington for an honest, raw (and funny!) conversation about grief, loneliness, and the healing power of community. 

Dr. Jody sheds light on a powerful distinction between grief and mourning—two experiences that often get lumped together but play very different roles in our healing. 

She shares several deeply personal losses that have shaped her own understanding of grief, including the death of her best friend, the recent passing of her father after living with vascular dementia, and the emotional complexities of caregiving and legacy at the end of life. She also shares the remarkable story of discovering at age 36 that she had a sister who had been placed for adoption. 

We dig into: 
✨ The difference between grief and mourning 
✨ Why grief can feel more isolating in today’s world 
✨ How loneliness and overwhelm intensify the grief experience 
✨ Why community is essential to healing after loss 
✨ Moving beyond “I’m sorry for your loss” 
✨ How to support someone who is grieving 
✨ The impact of caregiving and end-of-life experiences 
✨ Nervous system regulation and resilience in grief 
✨ Why storytelling keeps our loved ones present 

If you’ve ever felt isolated in your grief, struggled to support someone you love, or wondered why loss can feel so disorienting in today’s world, this conversation will remind you that you’re not alone in your grief.

Connect with Jody:
🔗 https://www.drjodycarrington.com/
🔗 IG: https://www.instagram.com/drjodycarrington/?hl=en
🔗 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/drjodycarrington
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jody-carrington/?originalSubdomain=ca
🔗 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjodycarrington?lang=en

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Watching someone you love go through cancer is one of the most painful and powerless experiences a person can face. You want to take their pain away, you want to fix it, but cancer is one of those moments in life where love doesn’t give you control... and that helplessness can feel overwhelming.

In this special episode of Life With Grief, I’m participating in Podcasthon, a global initiative where thousands of podcasts dedicate one episode to highlighting a charity that matters to them.

For this episode, I’m supporting Stand Up To Cancer, an organization funding groundbreaking research to accelerate cancer treatments and improve outcomes for patients and families around the world.

Cancer has touched my own family deeply, and I know many of you listening are navigating this reality right now. So today, we’re talking about the emotional side of supporting someone with cancer.

Because while the person diagnosed rightfully receives the most attention, the people who love them are often carrying a tremendous emotional weight behind the scenes.

In this episode, we explore:
✨ What it’s like to watch someone you love go through cancer
✨ The helplessness and emotional whiplash that often comes with treatments and test results
✨ Why anticipatory grief often begins long before a loss occurs
✨ The invisible emotional labor of caregivers and supporters
✨ Gentle ways to cope while supporting someone with cancer
✨ Why caring for your own nervous system matters during this time

If you’re currently supporting someone through cancer—or you’ve walked this road before—this episode is for you.

Stand Up To Cancer: https://standuptocancer.org/

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this milestone episode of Life With Grief, I’m reflecting on what 200 conversations about grief and loss have truly taught me about healing, identity, resilience, purpose, and what it really means to live a full life after loss.

When I recorded episode one, I thought I understood grief because I had lived it. What I didn’t know was how much listening to hundreds of stories—from widows, grieving parents, adult children, partners, and survivors of complicated loss—would deepen, stretch, and transform that understanding.

In this episode, I share:
✨ Why grief is far more nuanced than the five stages
✨ How loss reshapes identity, relationships, careers, and purpose
✨ The “whispered” parts of grief we rarely talk about (anger, relief, jealousy, numbness, resentment)
✨ Why grief and joy are not opposites
✨ What holding space for 200 grieving humans has taught me about resilience and guilt
✨ How my own grief has evolved alongside this podcast
✨ The truths I now know about healing after loss

We talk about grief integration, life after loss, emotional resilience, identity shifts after death, and what it really means to grow through grief without minimizing it.

And whether you’ve listened to one episode or all 200, you are part of this community. These conversations are only deepening 🩷

🎧 Listen now and reflect on who you are becoming in the wake of your grief.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Grief is often met with the same advice: practice self-care. Take a bath. Go for a walk. Journal. Rest. And while those things can support your nervous system, they don’t always touch the deeper layers of loss.

In this episode of Life With Grief, let's explore the powerful difference between self-care and soul-care—especially in the context of grief, identity shifts, and life after loss. Because grief isn’t just stress, it’s a transformation. And that requires something deeper than surface-level coping tools.

Let's dig into:
✨ What traditional self-care actually supports in grief
✨ Why self-care can sometimes feel hollow or minimizing
✨ The difference between emotional regulation and soul alignment
✨ What soul-care really looks like after loss
✨ How grief reshapes your identity (whether you’re ready or not)
✨ Simple, practical ways to practice soul-care in your everyday life

If you’ve been doing all the “right” self-care things but still feel unsettled, disconnected, or changed in ways you can’t quite explain, this conversation will meet you where you are.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you been struggling to focus since your loss? Perhaps you find yourself reading the same paragraph over and over, forgetting simple words, or feeling mentally slower than you used to. Maybe you're wondering, “What is wrong with me?”

In this episode, we’re talking about the fog of grief. The very real cognitive and neurological effects of loss that can make concentration feel nearly impossible.

Grief affects your nervous system, your memory, your decision-making, and your ability to think clearly. When someone you love dies, your brain shifts into survival mode, stress hormones increase, and your system reallocates energy toward stabilization and away from higher-level thinking.

That foggy, scattered, overwhelmed feeling? It’s not laziness, it’s a protective response.

Inside this episode, we explore:
✨ Why loss is registered as threat in the brain
✨ How stress impacts the prefrontal cortex (your thinking brain)
✨ Why your brain is working overtime to “rewrite” your internal map of the world
✨Why pushing yourself harder often makes the fog worse
✨ Gentle ways to support your nervous system while you heal

If you’ve been quietly scared by how foggy your mind feels, this conversation will help you understand what’s happening.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Life With Grief, Barri Leiner Grant shares her experience of losing her mother suddenly to a brain aneurysm at age 27, and what it meant to grieve at a time when grief was rarely spoken about. 

She opens up about becoming a motherless mother, seeking therapy during pregnancy, and learning how to carry loss without silencing it.

We explore spiritual and intuitive healing, including working with a shaman and medium, and how those experiences led her to create The Memory Circle, a space centered on continuing bonds and conscious grieving.

The conversation also turns to the long goodbye of dementia. Barri reflects on caring for her father, Neil, through years of memory loss alongside her siblings, the differences between sudden loss and cognitive decline, and how anticipatory grief shapes the caregiving journey.

This episode touches on:
✨ Sudden loss and brain aneurysm grief
✨ Becoming a mother after losing your own mother
✨ Continuing bonds and conscious grieving
✨ Spiritual healing and grief support
✨ Dementia, caregiving, and anticipatory grief
✨ Navigating mortality without living in fear

If you’re grieving a parent, navigating caregiving, or learning how to live fully while carrying loss, this conversation offers insight, validation, and practical ways to stay connected to those you love.

Connect with Barri:

• https://www.instagram.com/thememorycircle
• https://thememorycircle.com
• Permission Granted https://open.substack.com/pub/barri

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Life With Grief, let's dig into the quiet desire many grievers feel after loss: the pull to completely reinvent themselves.

When someone we love dies, it doesn’t just change our circumstances... it changes our identity. Our priorities shift, our tolerance lowers, and what once felt meaningful may no longer fit. And wanting something new can bring guilt, confusion, and even pushback from others.

Let's explore why reinvention after grief is a deeply human response to loss, not a betrayal. I talk about the identity shifts that happen after loss, why friends and family may struggle with the “new you,” and how to navigate the guilt that can come with craving more alignment, depth, and intention in your life.

I also share gentle ways to begin this process without pressure: starting with curiosity, honoring your desires, and allowing change to unfold at your own pace.

If you’ve felt called toward a different version of yourself after loss, this conversation will remind you that you’re not wrong for evolving.

Episode referenced: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/191-5-life-changing-lessons-at-35-grief-growth-and/id1688812587?i=1000747688577

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Life With Grief, I sit down with Nina Rodriguez to talk about sibling grief after the sudden death of her only brother, Yosef, who died from fentanyl poisoning on September 11, 2019—just one day after his 32nd birthday.

Nina shares what it means to grieve as a sibling, why bereaved siblings are often the “forgotten mourners,” and how the loss of a brother or sister can deeply impact identity, birth order, and family dynamics.

Together, we explore the complex layers of grief after addiction-related death, including stigma, shame, anger, and the painful reality of intrusive questions about cause of death. 

We talk about:
✨ Sibling grief and the experience of being a “forgotten mourner”
✨ Losing an only sibling and the identity shift that follows
✨ Addiction, recovery, and fentanyl poisoning
✨ Navigating stigma and intrusive questions after a drug-related death
✨ Supporting grieving parents while grieving yourself
✨ Parentification and complicated family roles
✨ Grieving legacy and the end of a family line
✨ Continuing bonds and staying connected after loss
✨ Spiritual curiosity, near-death experiences, and meaning-making after grief
✨ Finding purpose after loss and redefining what it means to “walk each other home”

If you’re grieving the death of a sibling, navigating loss due to addiction, or trying to make sense of who you are after loss, this conversation will remind you that your grief matters—and you are not alone.

Connect with Nina:

• https://www.griefandlight.com/
• https://griefandlight.substack.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/griefandlight

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Grief and life transitions often bring emotions that feel confusing, complicated, and sometimes even contradictory. One of the most common experiences people face after loss is feeling genuinely happy for someone they love, while simultaneously feeling sadness, longing, or grief for themselves. Can you relate to this?

If you’ve ever celebrated someone else’s milestone while quietly mourning what feels missing in your own life, you are not alone.

Let's talk about:
✨ Why it’s normal to feel happy for others while feeling sad for yourself
✨ How grief increases emotional complexity and depth
✨ The role of comparison, timeline grief, and unmet expectations
✨ Why mixed emotions don't make you selfish, ungrateful, or unsupportive
✨ Gentle tools for processing emotional duality in a healthy way
✨ How to practice self-compassion while supporting others
✨ Ways to stay connected to your own healing and life path

You’ll learn how grief can expand emotional depth, why comparison and timeline grief can show up around other people’s milestones, and gentle ways to support yourself when happiness and heartbreak coexist.

This episode is for anyone who has struggled to celebrate others while navigating their own grief, loss, or life circumstances that feel tender or uncertain.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Life With Grief I sit down with Dr. Heather Taylor, a Licensed Psychologist and Grief Educator, for an honest and deeply human conversation about grief, sibling loss, and living with chronic illness.

Dr. Heather shares her personal story of losing her younger brother and navigating the often-overlooked experience of sibling grief. She opens up about her own struggles to find effective grief therapy, and how those gaps ultimately led her to pursue a career in psychology so she could offer the kind of grief-informed care she once needed herself.

We also talk about: 
✨ Her diagnosis of postpartum cardiomyopathy.
✨ What it’s like to live with heart failure.
✨ An unexpected genetic discovery that deeply impacted her health and her family. 
✨ The emotional, physical, and psychological layers of grief when it’s intertwined with chronic illness.

Throughout the episode she shares practical coping strategies for grief, including her STAY acronym, a grounding framework designed to help you stay present with grief rather than pushing it away or trying to “fix” it.

If you’re grieving a sibling, living with chronic illness, or searching for more compassionate and nuanced approaches to grief support, this conversation offers validation, insight, and gentle guidance for integrating grief into everyday life.

Connect with Dr. Taylor:

• www.griefisthenewnormal.com
• Follow on IG: @grief_is_the_new_normal
• Email: hello@griefisthenewnormal.com
• https://linktr.ee/griefisthenewnormal

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Grief doesn’t just change how you feel, it often changes your relationships, too. After losing someone you love (or after any loss, really), friendships, family dynamics, and romantic relationships can start to shift. You may feel misunderstood, unsupported, or emotionally unsafe sharing your grief. And for many grievers, this can feel like a secondary loss layered on top of the first.

Join me in talking about the very real experience of outgrowing relationships after loss, why it happens, and how to navigate the complicated emotions that can come with relationship changes during grief.

We chat about:
✨ Why grief naturally changes identity, emotional needs, and connection
✨ How loss can shift friendships, family relationships, and partnerships
✨ Signs you may be outgrowing a relationship after losing a loved one
✨ Why some people struggle to show up for grief in meaningful ways
✨ How to set compassionate, healthy boundaries while grieving
✨ Navigating the grief of losing or redefining relationships
✨ Finding safe, supportive connections while learning to live with loss

This episode is for you if:
💛 You feel misunderstood or unsupported in your grief
💛 Your relationships have changed after a loss
💛 You feel guilt or confusion about needing different support
💛 You’re navigating loneliness or identity shifts after loss
💛 You’re craving deeper, more emotionally safe connections

If you’ve ever felt alone in your grief, struggled with friends who don’t understand, or wondered why certain relationships feel different after loss, this conversation will help you feel seen and supported.

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Grief doesn’t just break your heart, it literally changes who you are.

In this heartfelt 5-Minute Grief Talk (in honor of my 35th birthday!), I’m sharing a truth that so many grievers quietly wrestle with: the way loss reshapes your identity. The moment you realize you don’t feel like the same person anymore. The disorientation of trying to understand who you are now after everything you’ve lost.

We talk about:
❤️‍🩹 How grief changes your sense of self
❤️‍🩹Why wanting to “go back” is so common (and so painful)
❤️‍🩹 Grieving the person you were before loss
❤️‍🩹 The identity shift that happens after loving and losing deeply
❤️‍🩹 How to gently rebuild who you are—without rushing clarity

If you’ve been feeling disconnected from your old self, pressured to return to who you used to be, or stuck in that in-between space of becoming… this episode is for you.

Remember: grief didn’t erase you, it expanded you ✨ 

🎧 Listen, breathe, and let yourself meet the version of you that’s still unfolding. Be sure you're subscribed on YouTube so you don't miss more conversations like this!

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this birthday episode of Life With Grief, I’m sharing five life lessons I’m still actively practicing as I turn 35! Lessons grief, age, motherhood, and lived experience have etched into me over time. These are things rooted in identity shifts, discernment, presence, and learning how to live a full life while carrying loss.

I’ve realized that I’ve gone through many deaths and rebirths in my life—once when my parents died, again when I became a mother, and in quieter ways as I continue to evolve into the truest version of myself.

We'll dig into:
✨ Reflections on grief, identity shifts, and personal growth
✨ What it means to build a legacy beyond achievements
✨ How loss reshapes our relationship with time, presence, and purpose
✨ Why slowing down can be one of the most powerful choices we make

This episode is also an invitation to reflect on the footprint you’re leaving behind—not based on what you do, but how you do it.

I also share a special birthday announcement: the launch of my new Substack, Life Beyond Grief! It's a space for the life that continues after everything changes. Not life without grief, but a life that keeps unfolding anyway.

📖 Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/

If you’re navigating grief, parenthood, identity shifts, or a season of becoming, this episode is for you!

Support the show

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains
Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/
Letters of Light: https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters
Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/
Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal
Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including—without limitation—reproduction, retransmission or editing of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Tara Accardo, which may be requested by contacting hello@lossesbecomegains.com.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any necessary therapy or counseling to address deeper, past-focused traumas. We don’t attempt to give answers, fix, diagnose, or treat grief. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.