𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀: 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 & 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗲𝘀 Wed, 27 May 2026 08:14:11 -0400 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2599041 en © 2026 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀: 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 & 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗲𝘀 yes Support this Podcast 79129b05-680e-56b9-a2a3-6bfb077af93d sharon@sharonspano.com Sharon L. Spano, PhD episodic false When a child dies—at any age—life does not return to what it was. Identity shifts. Meaning fractures. The future no longer looks the same.


𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. Hosted by Dr. Sharon Spano—a developmental coach, systems thinker, and parent whose life was changed by the death of her own son Michael—this podcast explores what unfolds after the unthinkable.


Children die in many ways, often surrounded by silence, stigma, guilt, or misunderstanding. While every loss is unique, this space begins from a simple truth: no parent’s grief is more or less legitimate because of how a child died.


Beyond the Loss makes an intentional distinction between the urgency of early grief and the deeper work of integration that unfolds over time. While both are real and necessary, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴—so that parents further along can offer orientation and possibility to those who are just beginning to imagine life beyond the immediacy of loss.


𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻, 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳, 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲. It is a space for honest conversation about life, identity, and meaning after loss—without comparison, judgment, or explanation.


Drawing on adult human development, systems thinking, and lived experience, each episode offers language, reflection, and orientation for navigating the long after.


𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀 is centered on the experience of parents, while holding the wider family system in view. As this podcast unfolds, it will also explore how the death of a child reverberates through siblings, grandparents, extended family, and close relationships—honoring those voices within a systemic understanding of parental loss.


Whether you are grieving personally or walking alongside others professionally, 


𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. 


]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Sharon L. Spano, PhD sharon@sharonspano.com https://storage.buzzsprout.com/40mjmc537kzgeebienolk4hjl5in?.jpg 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀: 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 & 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗲𝘀 Episode 8: How Child Loss Changes the Entire Family System | Beyond the Loss Episode 8: How Child Loss Changes the Entire Family System | Beyond the Loss When a child dies, grief does not impact only one person — it reshapes the entire family system.

In this deeply compassionate episode, I explores how child loss changes family dynamics, emotional roles, communication patterns, and the way each person searches for stability after heartbreak. From silent misunderstandings to emotional distance, this conversation offers a powerful systems-based perspective on why families often grieve differently while carrying the same devastating loss.

This episode is a gentle reminder that grief is not something to “fix,” but something to understand with greater compassion, awareness, and honesty.

Topics Covered:
• Why grief is never experienced in isolation
• How child loss alters family relationships
• Different grieving timelines within families
• The invisible emotional structure of grief
• Why a child’s place in the family still matters
• Moving beyond blame and misunderstanding

If you are a grieving parent, family member, therapist, or someone supporting a bereaved loved one, this conversation will help you better understand the emotional complexity of loss and healing.

Connect and Subscribe:

Website: https://sharonspano.com

Podcast: https://sharonspano.com/podcast/podcast-beyond-the-loss/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

Substack: https://substack.com/@drsharon

If this episode speaks to you, I hope you’ll consider subscribing, sharing, or leaving a comment. These conversations matter deeply, and together we can continue creating more compassionate space for grief, healing, and life after child loss.

🎙️ Interested in being a guest on the podcast?
You’re welcome to reach out and share your interest:
https://sharonspano.com/podcast-guest-beyond-the-loss/


Transcript: Here
 

Support the show

]]> When a child dies, grief does not impact only one person — it reshapes the entire family system.

In this deeply compassionate episode, I explores how child loss changes family dynamics, emotional roles, communication patterns, and the way each person searches for stability after heartbreak. From silent misunderstandings to emotional distance, this conversation offers a powerful systems-based perspective on why families often grieve differently while carrying the same devastating loss.

This episode is a gentle reminder that grief is not something to “fix,” but something to understand with greater compassion, awareness, and honesty.

Topics Covered:
• Why grief is never experienced in isolation
• How child loss alters family relationships
• Different grieving timelines within families
• The invisible emotional structure of grief
• Why a child’s place in the family still matters
• Moving beyond blame and misunderstanding

If you are a grieving parent, family member, therapist, or someone supporting a bereaved loved one, this conversation will help you better understand the emotional complexity of loss and healing.

Connect and Subscribe:

Website: https://sharonspano.com

Podcast: https://sharonspano.com/podcast/podcast-beyond-the-loss/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

Substack: https://substack.com/@drsharon

If this episode speaks to you, I hope you’ll consider subscribing, sharing, or leaving a comment. These conversations matter deeply, and together we can continue creating more compassionate space for grief, healing, and life after child loss.

🎙️ Interested in being a guest on the podcast?
You’re welcome to reach out and share your interest:
https://sharonspano.com/podcast-guest-beyond-the-loss/


Transcript: Here
 

Support the show

]]> Sharon L. Spano, PhD Buzzsprout-19247776 Wed, 27 May 2026 08:00:00 -0400 1219 1 9 full false Episode 7: Why Your Grief After Losing a Child Doesn't Need Explaining Episode 7: Why Your Grief After Losing a Child Doesn't Need Explaining  In this episode of Beyond the Loss: Life and Identity After a Child Dies, I explore something that often happens in the aftermath of profound loss—the way grief becomes labeled, interpreted, or explained through language that may not fully reflect the reality of what grieving parents are living.
 
Recently, I was reminded of how quickly we reach for familiar frameworks when trying to understand grief. Words like processing, healing, stages, or closure can offer structure, but they do not always capture the long and evolving relationship that exists after the death of a child.
 
Over time, I have come to understand that grief of this magnitude does not simply resolve.
 
It changes.
It deepens.
It becomes part of how we continue moving through the world.
 
In this conversation, I reflect on the difference between living in the immediacy of grief and speaking from a place where grief has had time to unfold and integrate into one’s life experience.
 
Together, we explore:
 
• Why grief after child loss is often misunderstood
• The subtle harm that can come from labeling grief too quickly
• The difference between immediate grief and integrated grief
• Why some human experiences resist explanation and categorization
• How awareness deepens when we allow grief to exist without rushing to define it
 
This is not a conversation about “moving on.”
 
It is an invitation to consider what becomes possible when we stop trying to immediately explain grief and instead create space for deeper understanding to emerge over time.
 
If you are grieving the loss of a child, supporting someone who is, or working professionally alongside bereaved families, I hope this episode offers space for reflection, compassion, and a gentler way of listening.
 
Take gentle care.
 
📌 Connect and Subscribe:
 
Website: https://sharonspano.com

Podcast:  Beyond the Loss - Sharon Spano 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

Substack:  https://substack.com/@drsharon
 
If this episode speaks to you, I hope you’ll consider subscribing, sharing, or leaving a comment. These conversations matter deeply, and together we can continue creating more compassionate space for grief, healing, and life after child loss. 
 
🎙️ Interested in being a guest on the podcast? 
You’re welcome to reach out and share your interest: 
https://sharonspano.com/podcast-guest-beyond-the-loss/ 


Transcript: Here

Support the show

]]>  In this episode of Beyond the Loss: Life and Identity After a Child Dies, I explore something that often happens in the aftermath of profound loss—the way grief becomes labeled, interpreted, or explained through language that may not fully reflect the reality of what grieving parents are living.
 
Recently, I was reminded of how quickly we reach for familiar frameworks when trying to understand grief. Words like processing, healing, stages, or closure can offer structure, but they do not always capture the long and evolving relationship that exists after the death of a child.
 
Over time, I have come to understand that grief of this magnitude does not simply resolve.
 
It changes.
It deepens.
It becomes part of how we continue moving through the world.
 
In this conversation, I reflect on the difference between living in the immediacy of grief and speaking from a place where grief has had time to unfold and integrate into one’s life experience.
 
Together, we explore:
 
• Why grief after child loss is often misunderstood
• The subtle harm that can come from labeling grief too quickly
• The difference between immediate grief and integrated grief
• Why some human experiences resist explanation and categorization
• How awareness deepens when we allow grief to exist without rushing to define it
 
This is not a conversation about “moving on.”
 
It is an invitation to consider what becomes possible when we stop trying to immediately explain grief and instead create space for deeper understanding to emerge over time.
 
If you are grieving the loss of a child, supporting someone who is, or working professionally alongside bereaved families, I hope this episode offers space for reflection, compassion, and a gentler way of listening.
 
Take gentle care.
 
📌 Connect and Subscribe:
 
Website: https://sharonspano.com

Podcast:  Beyond the Loss - Sharon Spano 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

Substack:  https://substack.com/@drsharon
 
If this episode speaks to you, I hope you’ll consider subscribing, sharing, or leaving a comment. These conversations matter deeply, and together we can continue creating more compassionate space for grief, healing, and life after child loss. 
 
🎙️ Interested in being a guest on the podcast? 
You’re welcome to reach out and share your interest: 
https://sharonspano.com/podcast-guest-beyond-the-loss/ 


Transcript: Here

Support the show

]]> Sharon L. Spano, PhD Buzzsprout-19208492 Wed, 20 May 2026 08:00:00 -0400 624 1 8 full false Episode 6: Finding Answers to the Hardest Questions in Grief | Beyond the Loss Episode 6: Finding Answers to the Hardest Questions in Grief | Beyond the Loss What happens when the questions after child loss never fully fade?

In this week’s episode of Beyond the Loss: Life & Identity After a Child Dies, I explore the emotional weight of living without clear answers and the quiet search for meaning that often follows profound loss.

Why did this happen?
Why my child?
How do we move through life when everything feels altered?

Over time, many grieving parents come to realize that healing is not always about closure. More often, it involves learning how to carry sorrow, love, memory, and identity in a new way.

In this conversation, we reflect on grief after child loss, mourning, emotional healing, identity shifts, and the gradual inner changes that can unfold with time—not because the pain disappears, but because we begin to relate to it differently.

🎧 New episode every Wednesday on Beyond the Loss: Life and Identity After a Child Dies with Dr. Sharon Spano.

📌 Connect & Continue the Conversation:

Website: https://sharonspano.com

Podcast: https://sharonspano.com/podcast/podcast-beyond-the-loss/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

Substack: https://substack.com/@drsharon

If this episode resonates with you, I hope you’ll consider subscribing, sharing, or leaving a comment. These conversations help create more compassionate space for grief, reflection, and life after loss.

Take gentle care.


Transcript: Here

#ChildLoss #BereavedParents #GriefSupport #BeyondTheLoss #LifeAfterLoss #ParentGrief #IdentityAfterLoss #TraumaticLoss #Mourning #DrSharonSpano

Support the show

]]> What happens when the questions after child loss never fully fade?

In this week’s episode of Beyond the Loss: Life & Identity After a Child Dies, I explore the emotional weight of living without clear answers and the quiet search for meaning that often follows profound loss.

Why did this happen?
Why my child?
How do we move through life when everything feels altered?

Over time, many grieving parents come to realize that healing is not always about closure. More often, it involves learning how to carry sorrow, love, memory, and identity in a new way.

In this conversation, we reflect on grief after child loss, mourning, emotional healing, identity shifts, and the gradual inner changes that can unfold with time—not because the pain disappears, but because we begin to relate to it differently.

🎧 New episode every Wednesday on Beyond the Loss: Life and Identity After a Child Dies with Dr. Sharon Spano.

📌 Connect & Continue the Conversation:

Website: https://sharonspano.com

Podcast: https://sharonspano.com/podcast/podcast-beyond-the-loss/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

Substack: https://substack.com/@drsharon

If this episode resonates with you, I hope you’ll consider subscribing, sharing, or leaving a comment. These conversations help create more compassionate space for grief, reflection, and life after loss.

Take gentle care.


Transcript: Here

#ChildLoss #BereavedParents #GriefSupport #BeyondTheLoss #LifeAfterLoss #ParentGrief #IdentityAfterLoss #TraumaticLoss #Mourning #DrSharonSpano

Support the show

]]> Buzzsprout-19170136 Wed, 13 May 2026 07:00:00 -0400 674 1 7 full false Episode 5: How Child Loss Changes a Parent Forever | Beyond the Loss Episode 5: How Child Loss Changes a Parent Forever | Beyond the Loss In this episode of Beyond the Loss: Life and Identity After a Child Dies, I explore the often unspoken experience of moving through familiar relationships and environments while quietly feeling changed within them.

Over time, many grieving parents begin to notice subtle shifts.

Conversations may feel harder to enter.
 Certain relationships may no longer feel as natural or comforting.
 Even moments that once brought ease can carry a different emotional weight.

In this conversation, we explore:

  •  How child loss can change our experience of connection and community 
  •  Why grief often creates distance in relationships 
  •  The tension between who we once were and who we are becoming 
  •  How discomfort around grief affects meaningful connection 
  •  A gentler way to understand identity after profound loss 

This is not a conversation about “moving on.”

It is an invitation to recognize the ways grief reshapes us over time—and how healing sometimes begins by allowing our full story to exist without explanation or apology.

If you are grieving the loss of a child, walking beside someone who is, or seeking a deeper understanding of grief and identity, I hope this episode offers a space for reflection and compassion.

Take gentle care.

📌 Connect and Subscribe:
Website: https://sharonspano.com

Podcast: https://sharonspano.com/podcast/podcast-beyond-the-loss/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

Substack: https://substack.com/@drsharon


🎙️ Interested in being a guest on the podcast?
You’re welcome to reach out and share your interest:
https://sharonspano.com/podcast-guest-beyond-the-loss/


Transcript: Here


Support the show

]]> In this episode of Beyond the Loss: Life and Identity After a Child Dies, I explore the often unspoken experience of moving through familiar relationships and environments while quietly feeling changed within them.

Over time, many grieving parents begin to notice subtle shifts.

Conversations may feel harder to enter.
 Certain relationships may no longer feel as natural or comforting.
 Even moments that once brought ease can carry a different emotional weight.

In this conversation, we explore:

  •  How child loss can change our experience of connection and community 
  •  Why grief often creates distance in relationships 
  •  The tension between who we once were and who we are becoming 
  •  How discomfort around grief affects meaningful connection 
  •  A gentler way to understand identity after profound loss 

This is not a conversation about “moving on.”

It is an invitation to recognize the ways grief reshapes us over time—and how healing sometimes begins by allowing our full story to exist without explanation or apology.

If you are grieving the loss of a child, walking beside someone who is, or seeking a deeper understanding of grief and identity, I hope this episode offers a space for reflection and compassion.

Take gentle care.

📌 Connect and Subscribe:
Website: https://sharonspano.com

Podcast: https://sharonspano.com/podcast/podcast-beyond-the-loss/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

Substack: https://substack.com/@drsharon


🎙️ Interested in being a guest on the podcast?
You’re welcome to reach out and share your interest:
https://sharonspano.com/podcast-guest-beyond-the-loss/


Transcript: Here


Support the show

]]> Buzzsprout-19134066 Wed, 06 May 2026 08:00:00 -0400 1383 1 6 full false Episode 4: Why People Judge Your Grief (And How to Ignore It) | Beyond the Loss Episode 4: Why People Judge Your Grief (And How to Ignore It) | Beyond the Loss When a child dies, we expect grief.

What we don’t often recognize… is how grief itself becomes judged.

In this episode of Beyond the Loss: Life and Identity After a Child Dies, I explore what I call the moralization of grief—the subtle, often unspoken ways we assign meaning, legitimacy, and even hierarchy to different types of loss.

Over time, grief can become something that feels measured… compared… or even explained away.

And for parents navigating child loss, this creates an added layer of complexity—one that can lead to isolation, disconnection, and the sense that grief must somehow be justified.

We’ll talk about:

The hidden hierarchy of grief
Why certain losses (illness, accident, suicide, overdose) are perceived differently
Cultural expectations around mourning and emotional expression
The emotional impact of comparison among grieving parents
A more compassionate way to hold grief—without judgment

This is not a conversation about fixing grief.

It is a conversation about understanding it… and allowing it to exist without explanation.

If you are living with the loss of a child, supporting someone through grief, or seeking deeper insight into grief, identity, and healing, this episode invites you into a different way of seeing.

📌 Connect & Continue the Conversation:
Website: https://sharonspano.com

Podcast: https://sharonspano.com/podcast/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

Substack: https://substack.com/@drsharon


Take gentle care, and I'll see you in the next episode. 

Dr. Sharon Spano 

Support the show

]]> When a child dies, we expect grief.

What we don’t often recognize… is how grief itself becomes judged.

In this episode of Beyond the Loss: Life and Identity After a Child Dies, I explore what I call the moralization of grief—the subtle, often unspoken ways we assign meaning, legitimacy, and even hierarchy to different types of loss.

Over time, grief can become something that feels measured… compared… or even explained away.

And for parents navigating child loss, this creates an added layer of complexity—one that can lead to isolation, disconnection, and the sense that grief must somehow be justified.

We’ll talk about:

The hidden hierarchy of grief
Why certain losses (illness, accident, suicide, overdose) are perceived differently
Cultural expectations around mourning and emotional expression
The emotional impact of comparison among grieving parents
A more compassionate way to hold grief—without judgment

This is not a conversation about fixing grief.

It is a conversation about understanding it… and allowing it to exist without explanation.

If you are living with the loss of a child, supporting someone through grief, or seeking deeper insight into grief, identity, and healing, this episode invites you into a different way of seeing.

📌 Connect & Continue the Conversation:
Website: https://sharonspano.com

Podcast: https://sharonspano.com/podcast/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

Substack: https://substack.com/@drsharon


Take gentle care, and I'll see you in the next episode. 

Dr. Sharon Spano 

Support the show

]]> Buzzsprout-19096294 Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400 384 child loss, grief after losing a child, parental grief, grief hierarchy, moralization of grief, bereavement support, coping with loss of a child, grief psychology, trauma and loss, suicide grief stigma, overdose grief stigma, life after child loss, grief 1 5 full false Episode 3: Why Grief Gets Harder When the Support Stops | Beyond the Loss Episode 3: Why Grief Gets Harder When the Support Stops | Beyond the Loss Most people assume the hardest part of losing a child is the beginning.

But many parents will tell you—it’s what comes after.

In this episode, I want to sit with you in what I call the long after—that quiet space where the support has faded, life has moved on, and you’re left trying to make sense of who you are now.

This is the part of grief that isn’t often named.
The part where you may be functioning again… showing up… even appearing “okay” to others—
and yet, something inside you still doesn’t quite fit.

If you’ve ever found yourself asking,
Why does this still feel so hard?
Why am I not further along by now?

I want you to hear this clearly:

Nothing has gone wrong.

What you’re experiencing is not something to “get over.”
It’s the slow, often disorienting process of identity reorganization—learning how to live in a world that no longer feels the same.

In this conversation, I explore the difference between acceptance and integration, and what it means to hold both sorrow and a sense of peace at the same time—without needing to resolve either.

Listen & Connect:

Podcast: https://sharonspano.com/podcast/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

Substack: https://substack.com/@drsharon

Website: https://sharonspano.com

For inquiries or to connect directly: sharon@sharonspano.com

If you are in the long after, this episode is simply here to meet you—without pressure, without expectation.

You are not late.
You are not doing this wrong.
And you are not alone.

Take gentle care, and I’ll see you in the next episode.

Sharon

#ChildLoss #GriefIntegration #BeyondTheLoss #DrSharonSpano #IdentityAfterLoss #BereavedParents 

Support the show

]]> Most people assume the hardest part of losing a child is the beginning.

But many parents will tell you—it’s what comes after.

In this episode, I want to sit with you in what I call the long after—that quiet space where the support has faded, life has moved on, and you’re left trying to make sense of who you are now.

This is the part of grief that isn’t often named.
The part where you may be functioning again… showing up… even appearing “okay” to others—
and yet, something inside you still doesn’t quite fit.

If you’ve ever found yourself asking,
Why does this still feel so hard?
Why am I not further along by now?

I want you to hear this clearly:

Nothing has gone wrong.

What you’re experiencing is not something to “get over.”
It’s the slow, often disorienting process of identity reorganization—learning how to live in a world that no longer feels the same.

In this conversation, I explore the difference between acceptance and integration, and what it means to hold both sorrow and a sense of peace at the same time—without needing to resolve either.

Listen & Connect:

Podcast: https://sharonspano.com/podcast/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

Substack: https://substack.com/@drsharon

Website: https://sharonspano.com

For inquiries or to connect directly: sharon@sharonspano.com

If you are in the long after, this episode is simply here to meet you—without pressure, without expectation.

You are not late.
You are not doing this wrong.
And you are not alone.

Take gentle care, and I’ll see you in the next episode.

Sharon

#ChildLoss #GriefIntegration #BeyondTheLoss #DrSharonSpano #IdentityAfterLoss #BereavedParents 

Support the show

]]> Sharon L. Spano, PhD Buzzsprout-19057763 Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400 896 1 4 full false Episode 2: Losing a Child: Who Am I Now? (Identity Crisis) | Beyond the Loss Episode 2: Losing a Child: Who Am I Now? (Identity Crisis) | Beyond the Loss In this episode, I want to begin where many parents find themselves—often without language.

When a child dies, we tend to talk about grief.
 But what is less often named is something more fundamental.

Identity.

For most parents, being a mother or a father is not something you do.
 It is something you are.


 It organizes your time, shapes your relationships, and gives meaning to your life.

And when that structure breaks, it doesn’t simply return.

You may still be a parent, and yet the role no longer functions in the way it once did.

That tension can feel disorienting.
 At times, even invisible.

In this conversation, I explore what I often call the loss beneath the loss—
 the quiet disruption of identity that unfolds over time.

This is not something to fix.
 And it is not something to rush.

It is something that evolves.

If something here resonates with you,
 know that you are not alone in the experience.

Listen & Connect
Podcast: https://sharonspano.com/podcast/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

Substack: https://substack.com/@drsharon

Website: https://sharonspano.com

For inquiries or to connect directly: sharon@sharonspano.com

🤍 CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION

🎙️ Interested in being a guest on the podcast?
You’re welcome to reach out and share your interest:
https://sharonspano.com/podcast-guest-beyond-the-loss/

Support the show

]]> In this episode, I want to begin where many parents find themselves—often without language.

When a child dies, we tend to talk about grief.
 But what is less often named is something more fundamental.

Identity.

For most parents, being a mother or a father is not something you do.
 It is something you are.


 It organizes your time, shapes your relationships, and gives meaning to your life.

And when that structure breaks, it doesn’t simply return.

You may still be a parent, and yet the role no longer functions in the way it once did.

That tension can feel disorienting.
 At times, even invisible.

In this conversation, I explore what I often call the loss beneath the loss—
 the quiet disruption of identity that unfolds over time.

This is not something to fix.
 And it is not something to rush.

It is something that evolves.

If something here resonates with you,
 know that you are not alone in the experience.

Listen & Connect
Podcast: https://sharonspano.com/podcast/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

Substack: https://substack.com/@drsharon

Website: https://sharonspano.com

For inquiries or to connect directly: sharon@sharonspano.com

🤍 CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION

🎙️ Interested in being a guest on the podcast?
You’re welcome to reach out and share your interest:
https://sharonspano.com/podcast-guest-beyond-the-loss/

Support the show

]]> Sharon L. Spano, PhD Buzzsprout-19012600 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400 625 1 3 full false Episode 1: Why We Created This Space for Grieving Parents | Beyond the Loss Episode 1: Why We Created This Space for Grieving Parents | Beyond the Loss This episode marks the beginning of a different kind of conversation about grief—one that does not center on the immediacy of loss, but on what unfolds over time.

In Beyond the Loss: Life and Identity After a Child Dies, we explore the quieter, often unspoken terrain of life after the death of a child—where identity shifts, meaning changes, and familiar ways of understanding no longer hold.

This is not a space for fixing grief, finding closure, or moving on.

Instead, it is a reflective and integrative inquiry into what it means to live in what I call “the long after.”

Rooted in adult human development and systems thinking, this podcast holds conversations that are thoughtful, measured, and grounded in lived experience—offering a deeper lens into grief, identity, and the ongoing reorganization of life.

If this perspective resonates, you’re welcome to continue listening.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 A Different Kind of Welcome
00:48 Naming What This Space Is (and Isn’t)
02:05 Why This Work Is Changing Direction
03:30 What Most Grief Conversations Miss
05:10 The Space Beyond Early Grief
06:45 Who This Conversation Is For
08:20 An Invitation—Or Not

🎧 LISTEN & CONNECT

🎙️ Podcast:
https://sharonspano.com/podcast/

▶️ YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

✍️ Substack:
https://substack.com/@drsharon

🌐 Website:
https://sharonspano.com

🤍 CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION


🎙️ Interested in being a guest on the podcast?
You’re welcome to reach out and share your interest:
https://sharonspano.com/podcast-guest-beyond-the-loss/

Support the show

]]> This episode marks the beginning of a different kind of conversation about grief—one that does not center on the immediacy of loss, but on what unfolds over time.

In Beyond the Loss: Life and Identity After a Child Dies, we explore the quieter, often unspoken terrain of life after the death of a child—where identity shifts, meaning changes, and familiar ways of understanding no longer hold.

This is not a space for fixing grief, finding closure, or moving on.

Instead, it is a reflective and integrative inquiry into what it means to live in what I call “the long after.”

Rooted in adult human development and systems thinking, this podcast holds conversations that are thoughtful, measured, and grounded in lived experience—offering a deeper lens into grief, identity, and the ongoing reorganization of life.

If this perspective resonates, you’re welcome to continue listening.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 A Different Kind of Welcome
00:48 Naming What This Space Is (and Isn’t)
02:05 Why This Work Is Changing Direction
03:30 What Most Grief Conversations Miss
05:10 The Space Beyond Early Grief
06:45 Who This Conversation Is For
08:20 An Invitation—Or Not

🎧 LISTEN & CONNECT

🎙️ Podcast:
https://sharonspano.com/podcast/

▶️ YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@SharonSpano-BeyondtheLoss-Host

✍️ Substack:
https://substack.com/@drsharon

🌐 Website:
https://sharonspano.com

🤍 CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION


🎙️ Interested in being a guest on the podcast?
You’re welcome to reach out and share your interest:
https://sharonspano.com/podcast-guest-beyond-the-loss/

Support the show

]]> Sharon L. Spano, PhD Buzzsprout-18982113 Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0400 352 1 2 full false Episode 0: Start Here: A Gentle Guide to Your Grief Journey | Beyond the Loss Episode 0: Start Here: A Gentle Guide to Your Grief Journey | Beyond the Loss Early grief is visible.
The long after is quieter.

There’s a kind of listening that isn’t about gathering information…
 but about allowing something to meet you, at your own pace.

This opening episode of Beyond the Loss creates space for that kind of listening—
for what unfolds over time, often outside language, outside expectation.

This is a space for parents living in the long after,
 for those who walk alongside them,
 and for anyone beginning to sense that grief reshapes more than emotion—it reshapes the architecture of a life.

A gentle note: this is not a space for acute grief or crisis support.
 If your loss is very recent, you deserve care that is closer, more immediate.
 This will still be here when you’re ready.

As you listen, notice what happens when there’s no pressure to keep up,
 no need to agree,
 no expectation to take anything in that doesn’t belong to you.

You’re not here to do this “well.”
 You’re here to be with what meets you.

And if you find yourself wanting a slightly different experience of this conversation—
 you’re invited to watch the full video version on YouTube:
 👉 https://youtu.be/HyUUoGeHEYQ

Sometimes, seeing and hearing together reveals something that words alone don’t.

You don’t need the right words to be here.
 Just begin where you are.

Support the show

]]> Early grief is visible.
The long after is quieter.

There’s a kind of listening that isn’t about gathering information…
 but about allowing something to meet you, at your own pace.

This opening episode of Beyond the Loss creates space for that kind of listening—
for what unfolds over time, often outside language, outside expectation.

This is a space for parents living in the long after,
 for those who walk alongside them,
 and for anyone beginning to sense that grief reshapes more than emotion—it reshapes the architecture of a life.

A gentle note: this is not a space for acute grief or crisis support.
 If your loss is very recent, you deserve care that is closer, more immediate.
 This will still be here when you’re ready.

As you listen, notice what happens when there’s no pressure to keep up,
 no need to agree,
 no expectation to take anything in that doesn’t belong to you.

You’re not here to do this “well.”
 You’re here to be with what meets you.

And if you find yourself wanting a slightly different experience of this conversation—
 you’re invited to watch the full video version on YouTube:
 👉 https://youtu.be/HyUUoGeHEYQ

Sometimes, seeing and hearing together reveals something that words alone don’t.

You don’t need the right words to be here.
 Just begin where you are.

Support the show

]]> Sharon L. Spano, PhD Buzzsprout-18945511 Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:00:00 -0400 373 1 1 full false