In this episode, I explore how laughter can be a surprising but powerful part of the grieving process. From personal stories to science-backed benefits, I show how humor offers moments of relief, connection, and even healing. Whether spontaneous or intentional, laughter has a place...even in our deepest sorrow.

Topics Covered:
• Why laughter can be a healthy and healing response to grief
• Real-life stories of connection and release through humor
• The science behind laughter’s impact on stress, sleep, and resilience

The Sacred Journey Through Grief is available for download here: griefheals.com/journey

Connect with Susan:
Visit my website: griefheals.com
Follow me on social media:
YouTube: Grief Heals
BlueSky: Grief Heals
Facebook: Grief Heals

Subscribe to the podcast for more episodes on navigating grief and rebuilding a life worth living.

Mentioned in this Episode:
Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins

Share Your Thoughts:
Have you ever found yourself laughing in the midst of grief? What did it offer you in that moment? Share your thoughts on social media or email me at griefheals.com/contact.

Many approaches to grief focus on your thoughts, but healing goes deeper. In this episode, I share practical ways to access your core beliefs, and why acceptance in grief isn’t passive…it’s a powerful, active choice. When you learn to work with what’s underneath the surface, your transition from active grief to rebuilding your life becomes joyously possible.

Topics Covered:

• How to recognize when thoughts are covering up deeper beliefs
 • What it actually means to work with core beliefs in grief
 • Why acceptance is not giving up…but stepping into your power

The Sacred Journey Through Grief is available for download
 here: griefheals.com/journey

Connect with Susan:

• Visit my website: griefheals.com
• Follow me on social media:
◦ YouTube: Grief Heals
◦ BlueSky: Grief Heals
◦ Facebook: Grief Heals

• Subscribe to the podcast for more episodes on navigating grief and rebuilding a life worth living.

Mentioned In This Episode:

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci by Michael Gelb

Share Your Thoughts:

How would accepting your grief change your experience of it? Share your thoughts on social media or email me at griefheals.com/contact.

While grief stirs up all kinds of emotions, it also brings up a slew of uncomfortable and repetitive thoughts…but what if trying to “fix” those thoughts misses the deeper truth? In this episode, I explore the difference between thoughts and the powerful beliefs that live underneath them. And why therapies like CBT, DBT and ACT often miss the mark. Understanding this distinction between thoughts and beliefs can shift how you approach grief and open the door to true transformation.

Topics Covered:

• Why the common advice to change your thoughts misses the mark.
• The difference between thoughts, thinking and core beliefs
• How exploring beliefs rather than fixing thoughts, can move your grief forward

The Sacred Journey Through Grief is available for download
here: griefheals.com/journey

Connect with Susan:

• Visit my website: griefheals.com

• Follow me on social media:

◦ YouTube: Grief Heals
◦ BlueSky: Grief Heals
◦ Facebook: Grief Heals

• Subscribe to the podcast for more episodes on navigating grief and rebuilding a life worth living.

Share Your Thoughts:
What’s one belief that might be shaping how you’re experiencing your grief right now? 

You can text me through the link above email me at griefheals.com/contact.

You’ve probably heard the term “grief work” tossed around by counselors and coaches. But what does it really mean? 

In this episode, I take a closer look at what grief work actually is, why it’s more than just “feeling your feelings,” and how it can guide you toward healing and transformation.

Topics Covered:

• Why the term grief work feels vague (and why that matters)
• The deeper layers of grief beyond just emotions—how it touches your sense of self and beliefs
• A different way to think about grief work—as making grief conscious

The Sacred Journey Through Grief is available for download here: griefheals.com/journey

Connect with Susan:

• Visit my website: griefheals.com

• Follow me on social media:

• YouTube: Grief Heals
• BlueSky: Grief Heals
• Facebook: Grief Heals

• Subscribe to the podcast for more episodes on navigating grief and rebuilding a life worth living.

Mentioned In This Episode

The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief, Francis Weller, North Atlantic Books, 2015

Share Your Thoughts:
Where in your grief journey have you noticed shifts in your sense of self or beliefs? Share your thoughts on social media or email me at griefheals.com/contact.

Grieving is a process of sorting—sorting through memories, emotions, beliefs, as well as the physical belongings. But this sorting isn’t just about organizing; it’s about discovering who you are now and what truly matters moving forward.

In this episode, I explore tips for emotionally preparing to go through their belongings, tips for actually going through their things, and the deep significance of sorting that calls on us to navigate a complex inner landscape.\

Topics Covered:

• Emotionally preparing for going through their belongings.
• Ideas for helping you actually go through their personal things.
• How sorting through your inner landscape prepares you for building the life you really want. 

The Sacred Journey Through Grief & Back Into Life is available for download here: griefheals.com/primer

Connect with Susan:

• Visit my website: griefheals.com
• Follow me on social media:
  • YouTube: Grief Heals 
  • BlueSky: Grief Heals 
  • Facebook: Grief Heals
• Subscribe to the podcast for more episodes on navigating grief and rebuilding a life worth living.

Mentioned In This Episode

The Sorting Stage of Transformation. Heroes Need Not Apply by Keri Mangus

Share Your Thoughts:

How have you experienced the ‘sorting’ process in your grief? Have you found that certain activities or quiet moments have helped you gain clarity? Share your thoughts on social media or email me at griefheals.com/contact.

In this final episode of our interview, Deb Bedula and I continue the conversation on grief, healing, and the ripple effects of compassion and connection.

We talk about supporting children, stabilizing parents, and embracing continuing bonds with those we've lost. 

And though it’s getting a little better, we lament the lack of adequate grief education for counselors and coaches. Susan shares how she learned about grief and how to support the grieving which went way beyond her own personal experiences of grief. 

Since Deb’s parents died during COVID, we talked about the impact of COVID on everyone who was grieving during that time.

Topics Covered:

• The impact of a parent's grief on children and the importance of stabilization.
• How children's understanding of death evolves with age.
• The role of continuing bonds in healthy grief processes.
• Challenges during COVID-19 and the importance of social support and shared rituals..
• Encouraging small, meaningful acts to honor loved ones without pressure to "go big."
• The ripple effect of giving back and how loss can inspire transformative action

Download The Sacred Journey Through Grief & Back Into Life 

Connect with Susan:

• Visit my website: griefheals.com
• Follow me on social media:
  • YouTube: Grief Heals 
  • BlueSky: Grief Heals 
  • Facebook: Grief Heals
  • Pinterest: Grief Heals  
  • Subscribe to the podcast for more episodes on navigating grief and rebuilding a life worth living.

Mentioned In This Episode

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Share Your Thoughts:

What resonated with you in this episode? How have you experienced the ripple effect of grief in your own life? Share your thoughts on social media or email me by going to https://griefheals.com/contact.

In Part 2 of my conversation with Deb Bedula, we explore some of the less talked about aspects of grief…the words we use, the cultural traditions we come from, and the trust we build with others can all play a big role in how we experience and express grief.

We talk about how language can be both comforting and hurtful, why men sometimes feel like they need to grieve in private, and how different communities have unique approaches to grieving. We also touch on why certain groups may feel reluctant to seek out formal grief support—and how creative expression through art and writing can be a meaningful outlet especially when words don’t feel right.

Listen in as we explore:

• Words that connect vs. words that hurt 
• The role of culture in grief 
• Grieving as a man 
• Finding trust in grief support 
• Creative outlets in grief 

Whether you’re grieving yourself or supporting someone who is, I hope you’ll come away with a fresh perspective and some new ideas for navigating the grieving process.

Resources

The Framework: The Sacred Journey Through Grief & Back Into Life

Contact Susan

In this episode, I am interviewed by one of my former hospice bereavement clients, Deb Bedula. 

We share our stories of death, grief and rebuilding meaningful and happy lives. Together, we explore the unique journey that grief entails, including insights into how we process loss, grow through self-reflection, and ultimately rebuild our lives in ways that honor our past and embrace the future.

In this conversation we share…

• The crucial importance of time and space for healing. 
• The differences between moving through grief and becoming stuck in it, 
• How our past experiences, our capacity for self-reflection, and our support systems play a role in how we cope.
• How love lives on after a death.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that growth, connection, and even joy can emerge through the Sacred Journey Through Grief.

Many thanks to Deb for tracking me down and making this interview happen.

This episode is part 1 of a 3 part interview.

Resources
The Framework: The Sacred Journey Through Grief & Back Into Life
Inspiration of the Week Quote from https://www.sympathymessageideas.com/
Contact Susan

In this episode, I explore a surprising yet powerful tool for healing through grief: curiosity. While grief often feels like something we want to escape, getting curious about it can open new pathways for understanding and growth. I discuss how heart-centered curiosity allows us to navigate the toughest questions: Why did this happen? Who am I becoming? What does life look like now?

Join me as I delve into six key reasons why curiosity is essential during grief, the challenges of living with uncertainty and vulnerability, and practical ways to nurture this mindset through meditation, writing, nature walks, and more. Whether you’re just beginning your grief journey or have been on it for some time, this episode invites you to look at your grief with fresh eyes—and maybe even discover a little hope along the way.

Resources
The Framework: The Sacred Journey Through Grief & Back Into Life
Templeton Ideas Podcast: How Deep Curiosity Can Change the World
How to Think Like Leonardo DaVinci
Contact Susan

In this episode, I talk about the stages of grief…what they are, where they came from and why you can ignore them. 

The 5 stages of grief have become nothing more than a cultural cliché used to describe political and sports losses, and bear little resemblance to the real experiences of people who are grieving.

Though they were revolutionary when first published by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in 1969, they only describe 5 possible experiences out of hundreds and thousands of others grieving people may experience…and there is certainly nothing linear about them.

Resources
The Framework: The Sacred Journey Through Grief & Back Into Life
On Grief and Grieving
Contact Susan

In this episode, I talk about falling apart…what it is, why we fear it and why falling apart might not be such a bad thing.

Falling apart is actually not the worst thing that can happen. What you really need to worry about is NOT falling apart.

As scary as it is, it is a necessary part of grief, and the more you resist it, the harder your grief can become. 

Stick with me here. I explain it all in this episode along with some client examples, and some suggestions for how to cope.

Resources
The Framework: The Sacred Journey Through Grief & Back Into Life
Contact Susan

In this episode, I share one of the better portrayals of grief, particularly the grief following the death of a spouse, I’ve seen on television or in the movies.

It’s NOT the 5 Stages and it’s NOT mental health diagnostics.

So I take you through the storyline of Emily’s grief in the Gilmore Girls, “A Year in the Life”, sharing what I think they got right and what they didn’t, along with tips on how to apply this learning to your own grief.

Resources
The Framework: The Sacred Journey Through Grief & Back Into Life
Contact Susan

In this episode,  I talk about the single most important thing everyone needs to know in the first few weeks and months following the death of their person...and most do not. 

So many people go through their grief wondering if they're doing this grief thing right.  Given the advice our culture so blithely hands out, it's little wonder so many worry that they are doing it all wrong.

I've heard it all in my 30+ years working with grieving spouses and others.  Most of that "well-meaning" advice is more about making them feel better than you. 

In this episode, I cut through all that nonsense, and share what to do instead.  It's not always popular, but it will get you headed in the right direction.  Knowing what I'm about to share can make the difference between moving through your grief successfully...or not.

Resources
The Framework: The Sacred Journey Through Grief & Back Into Life
Normal Grief Reactions
Recommended Books
Contact Susan