Good Grief

Psychology & Relationships

About

On Good Grief we explore the losses that define our lives. Each week, we talk with people who have transformed themselves through the profound act of grieving. Why settle for surviving? Say yes to the many experiences that embody loss! Grief can teach you where your strengths are and ignite your courage. It can heighten your awareness of what is important to you and help you let go of what is not.

Episodes

  • Grave Woman

    Joél Simone Anthony, a funeral director and grief practitioner, explores how the funeral industry can better support grievers by incorporating unique traditions and creating meaningful rituals. She emphasizes listening to clients' experien…

  • May Cause Love

    This episode of Good Grief features Kassi Underwood discussing her memoir on reproductive health and the experiences of women who have had abortions. Underwood shares her personal journey and emphasizes the need for support and open conver…

  • Companion on the Hospice Journey

    Larry Patten joins Good Grief to discuss his book, "A Companion for the Hospice Journey." The book aims to demystify hospice care for families with clear, short chapters and a supportive tone, drawing on Patten's experience in chaplaincy a…

  • Going to Loveland

    Playwright and actor Ann Randolph shares how she used art to turn difficulties and losses into comedy. She teaches others to find humor in their life stories and face grief with laughter.

  • Dying By Choice

    Phyllis Shacter shares her husband's experience with Alzheimer's and cancer, detailing his decision to pursue VSED and plan his own end-of-life experience. Shacter advocates for expanded end-of-life choices, drawing from her personal story…

  • No Good Card for This

    Emily McDowell designed cards to help people express themselves during difficult times, addressing a personal crisis and enabling others to feel acknowledged. Her work led to the book "There Is No Good Card for This."

  • Transfer

    In this episode of Good Grief, poet Naomi Shihab Nye discusses her book Transfer, which explores the loss of her father. She reflects on her father's influence as an immigrant, their shared love of writing, and using poetry to process pers…

  • Sacred Gifts

    Anita Sanchez shares indigenous prophecies on reconnecting with wisdom, presenting four sacred gifts—forgiveness, healing, unity, and hope—as principles to transform society, businesses, and heal personal hearts.

  • Fifty-seven Fridays of Love

    Myra Sack discusses the diagnosis of her daughter Havi with Tay-Sachs disease, the family's decision to celebrate her life daily and weekly with loved ones, and the founding of her non-profit E-motion, Inc. Sack's experience is detailed in…

  • The Grief and the Joy

    This episode replays a conversation with Darnell Lamont Walker, author of "Never Can Say Goodbye." Walker discusses his work as a children's television writer, death doula, and filmmaker, focusing on his mission to inform, encourage, uplif…

  • Ashes

    Cheryl Krauter shares her experience of sudden widowhood after her husband John's unexpected death. Drawing on her background as a psychotherapist and her own past experience with cancer, she discusses how she navigated her grief, found re…

  • Taking Tea With Elisabeth

    Ken Ross, son of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, shares his experience growing up immersed in discussions about death and grief due to his mother's pioneering work. He discusses her legacy, his childhood, and his current role in carrying forward he…

  • Magic in Ordinary Things

    Gina Harris shares how she navigated grief after her parents' death by singing her sorrow and creating a podcast series. The singer, songwriter, and actor discusses her journey of healing through music and her experiences performing and cr…

  • Night Lake

    Episcopal priest Liz Tichenor recounts her journey through immense grief following the death of her infant son and her mother's suicide. The episode explores finding faith and a path forward after seemingly insurmountable loss, as detailed…

  • Holiday Grieving

    This episode explores how to manage grief during the holidays by honoring lost loved ones and integrating remembrance into the season. Guest Tom Zuba, who has experienced profound personal losses, shares insights on creating a meaningful h…

  • Disappearing Mother

    Suzanne Finnamore shares her experience navigating the final stages of her mother's dementia, emphasizing the importance of accepting the new reality and finding ways to maintain connection and appreciate the present moment.

  • A Rad American

    Kate Schatz, author of several books including Rad American Women A-Z, joins Good Grief to discuss the complexities of anti-racism work for white Americans. The conversation addresses confronting systemic benefits, personal identity shifts…

  • Keep Going

    After losing her father and husband, Aimee DuFresne chose to live fully, building a career as an author, speaker, and coach. She now helps other women transform their lives and find joy in living.

  • Anxiety

    Abbe Greenberg and Maggie Sarachek, authors on anxiety, share their personal experiences with anxiety and panic attacks. They discuss methods for self-support and helping others through these struggles, emphasizing that confronting anxiety…

  • My Bright Eyes

    Bridey Thelen-Heidel discusses her traumatic childhood, marked by her mother's neglect and dangerous relationships. She recounts her journey of healing and finding a positive life path, as detailed in her memoir 'Bright Eyes'.

  • Wild Edge of Sorrow

    This episode features an interview with psychotherapist and author Francis Weller discussing his book, "The Wild Edge of Sorrow." The conversation delves into navigating grief and loss, finding meaning in difficult times, and integrating d…

  • Irresistible Justice

    This episode of Good Grief features Shakti Butler discussing how to foster open conversations about the damages of racism by uniting head and heart. It explores the collective losses resulting from institutionalized racism and actions indi…

  • Saro

    This episode revisits an interview with Tembi Locke, author of "From Scratch." It explores her life, marriage to Saro, navigating his decade-long battle with cancer, his death, and her journey through grief, eventually finding solace with…

  • Song, The Ground Beneath You

    Vocal artist Melanie DeMore shares her principle that music can drive social and political change. The episode explores her experiences with music's healing potential, her dedication to sharing her gifts globally with adults and children,…

  • Love and Hard Times

    Singer Amikaeyla Gaston shares her experiences using music for healing, especially during the pandemic. She discusses how her work, which involves creativity and addressing fears, has evolved and what practices and perspectives have suppor…

  • Love Illegal

    Robin Hammond, an award-winning photojournalist, shares his work documenting the stories of LGBTQI people facing illegality and discrimination in their home countries through his project Where Love Is Illegal. His organization, Witness Cha…

  • Might Cause Love

    Kassi Underwood shares her personal experiences with abortion, highlighting the complex emotions that follow and the societal lack of support for those who have had abortions. She advocates for open discussion and understanding of these ex…

  • Harvest

    Marie Mutsuki Mockett shares her experiences participating in harvest in rural America, as detailed in her book "American Harvest." The episode explores the gap between urban dwellers and farmers, the impact of listening to others, and fin…

  • Missing Person

    Susan Hayden shares how the losses of her best friend, father, and husband influenced her creative work, including her memoir "Now You Are a Missing Person." The episode explores integrating love and loss into new creations.

  • Anxiety Sisters

    Abbe Greenberg and Maggie Sarachek, authors on supporting yourself through anxiety and panic attacks, share their personal experiences and strategies for addressing anxiety. They also discuss the impact of anxiety on life and the possibili…

  • The Death Conversation

    Angela Fama shares how a personal encounter with mortality led her to create the Death Conversation Game, aiming to ease discussions around death.

  • At the Threshold

    Linguist Lisa Smartt researches the final words of dying individuals, as documented in her book 'Words at the Threshold' and through the Final Words Project. She explores the coherent and moving messages communicated at the end of life.

  • Unrigging the Game

    This episode re-airs a discussion with Vanessa Priya Daniel, founder of the Groundswell Fund. Daniel, an organizer and funder for 25 years, shares insights from her work with women of color leaders in progressive movements and her upcoming…

  • To Keep Breathing

    Dr. Kate Truitt recounts her experience of profound grief and trauma following the unexpected death of her fiancé shortly before their wedding. She details her long path toward healing, growth, and eventually supporting others facing simil…

  • Widower

    Jonathan Santlofer shares his experience of sudden widowhood and the intense grief that followed. He reflects on societal expectations for men regarding grief and how writing became a way to process his emotions, leading to his memoir, "A…

  • Encore: Let Us Be Greater

    This episode of Good Grief features Michelle Madrid, an adoptee and adoptive mother, discussing adoption as a significant loss. The conversation explores how adoptees can process this loss to claim a life of beauty and meaning, and how to…

  • Bring More Cake

    This is an episode from the podcast Good Grief, titled Bring More Cake.

  • Emma

    Diana Kupershmit recounts how the birth of her child Emma, who has severe disabilities, altered her life plans and beliefs. Initially unprepared, she navigated unforeseen challenges, ultimately discovering a profound capacity for love and…

  • Lost Angels

    This 2015 episode of Good Grief replays Kevin Fisher-Paulson's account of fostering and losing triplets due to homophobia, and later adopting two more children. His experience serves as a cautionary tale on societal bias impacting family t…

  • Always There, Always Gone

    Marty Ross-Dolen discusses growing up with a mother affected by the early death of her own parents. Ross-Dolen investigated her grandparents' lives as adults, finding connection through their public work and personal letters, ultimately re…

  • Breath Becoming AIr

    Dr. Lucy Kalanithi shares her journey through grief and love following her husband Dr. Paul Kalanithi's death from lung cancer. She discusses her involvement in publishing his memoir, "When Breath Becomes Air," and her ongoing work in pati…

  • The Black Widow

    After her husband Scott died suddenly, Leslie Streeter faced the challenges of adopting their young son alone and managing her grief. She found her way forward by relying on community, family, and humor, guided by Scott's vision for their…

  • That Good Night

    Sunita Puri shares how her Hindu upbringing and awareness of impermanence shaped her approach to medicine, leading her to palliative care which focuses on supporting patients to live fully.

  • The Last Ecstatic Days

    Dr. Aditi Sethi, a physician and death doula featured in the film 'The Last Ecstatic Days,' shares her experience assisting Ethan Sisser's desire to approach death with joy. The episode explores the community that formed around Sisser and…

  • Saving Ellen: A Memoir

    Maura Casey

  • The Widow's Crayon Box

    Molly Peacock discusses how poetry aided her grieving process after her husband's death. The episode explores creative expression as a tool for navigating loss and how individuals adapt to profound change.

  • The Full Catastrophe

    Casey Mulligan Walsh discusses her experiences with deep loss throughout her life, including the death of her sons, and her journey toward resilience. Her memoir, "The Full Catastrophe," details her process of capturing her story and movin…

  • Unrig the Game

    Vanessa Priya Daniel, founder of Groundswell Fund, discusses the challenges faced by women of color in leadership roles within progressive movements and what can be learned from their experiences, as detailed in her upcoming book.

  • No One Gets to Fall Apart

    Sarah LaBrie shares her experiences growing up with a mentally ill mother, detailing how she navigated a life defined by fear and confusion through writing and love. Her memoir, 'No One Gets to Fall Apart,' chronicles her journey toward he…

  • Where Yellow Flowers Bloom

    Kim Cantin discusses her memoir, 'Where Yellow Flowers Bloom,' detailing her resilience after surviving the 2018 Montecito mudslides that resulted in the loss of her husband and son. The episode covers her journey of healing and finding ho…