Grief is a Sneaky Bitch
Grief is a Sneaky Bitch is a podcast that explores the many facets of grief, hosted by social worker Lisa Keefauver. Since 2019, Lisa and her guests have been discussing how grief shows up in our lives, from the loss of a loved one to ambiguous losses like illness. The show aims to help listeners become more grief-literate and find aliveness amidst loss. Each episode is an unscripted conversation with thought leaders, authors, and others who share their experiences and insights.
Episodes
Casey Mulligan Walsh | The Full Catastrophe
Casey Mulligan Walsh, author of The Full Catastrophe, joined host Lisa Keefauver for a profound conversation on how much loss shapes us more deeply than we realize—especially when it's modeled by those we'd turn to for guidance. In this raw and insightful conversation, Casey reveals how early trauma and unspoken grief patterns silently influence our lives. From surviving the sudden death of her pa
Mae Yoshikawa | Surprising Capacity of the Heart
Mae Yoshikawa, author, TEDx speaker, and the creator of Kizuki Journaling, joins host Lisa Keefauver to explore her profound journey through grief, culture, and embodiment. Her reflections challenge us to see grief not as a problem to fix, but as an integral part of human experience that deepens our capacity to love and live fully.Key topics:Cultural differences in grieving: Japanese vs. American
Angela Schellenberg | Attachment, Trauma, and Grief
In a world overwhelmed by collective trauma and personal grief, how can we rebuild trust, safety, and connection—starting from within? Angela Schellenberg, trauma therapist and expert in attachment and somatic healing joins host Lisa Keefauver as she unpacks how early wounds shape our current relationships with ourselves and others—and reveals transformative tools to rewire that deep wiring.This e
Sandi Serling | Fear Unzipped
Sandi Serling, creator and host of Fear Unzipped, joins host Lisa Keefauver to explore the profound connection between grief, love, and spiritual healing. Sandi shares her wisdom on how fear shapes the nervous system, perception, and identity. Together, they explore the role of fear and how we can reshape our relationship with it. Through awareness, we can learn to elevate our frequency to connect
Sara Rian | Complexity of Love and Loss
Sara Rian joins host Lisa Keefauver for an honest, courageous, and vulnerable conversation exploring the both/and of living, loving, and the devastating grief and trauma we experience in the wake of death by suicide. She has been drawn to grief poetry ever since her mother Susan’s death in 2018. Sara offers deep compassion for her mothers choice to end her life, speaks about the complexity of bein
Marisa Renee Lee | Waiting For Dawn
Marisa Renee Lee returns for a second conversation with host Lisa Keefauver to discuss her powerful new book, Waiting for Dawn, which delves deeply into the nuanced experience of living with ongoing uncertainty, particularly in the context of grief, chronic illness, and systemic challenges. As always, Marisa is candid, warm, and witty - offering insights that empower listeners to navigate life's u
Shelby Forsythia | Of Course I'm Here Right Now
Shelby Forsythia, Grief Educator and Author joins host Lisa Keefauver for a second time on the show, this time to explore the wisdom she offers about grief support in her brand new book, Of Course I’m Here Right Now. 100% of us will be grievers and grief supporters, yet so often we rely on outdated ideas of grief and harmful platitudes. In Shelby’s book, and in this gorgeous conversation, we explo
Lizzie Pickering | When Grief Equals Love
Lizzie Pickering, grief educator and author of When Grief Equals Love joins host Lisa Keefauver sharing profound insights on how grief evolves over time and how maintaining bonds with loved ones keeps love alive long after loss. Her own story of the death of her son Harry along with interviews she did with grievers help challenge the myths of closure, emphasizing that grief and love coexist in a j
Darnell Lamont Walker | Never Can Say Goodbye
Death doula and storyteller Darnell Lamont Walker joins host Lisa Keefauver for the second time on the show. Since their last conversation, Darnell has reflected on the stories of his work and his life, offering them up in his poignant and powerful new book, Never Can Say Goodbye. They explore how curiosity, storytelling, and deep compassion are at the core of what it takes to accompany someone at
Naila Francis | Hallowed Nature of Grief
Naila Francis joins host Lisa Keefauver for a tender and magical conversation on the sacred nature of grief. Naila begins by acknowledging an experience of grief too often ignored—the anger that arises when the person who died was someone with whom you had a complicated or problematic relationship. For Naila, that was her dad. Together they explore their shared interest in centering aliveness in a
Charlene Lam | Curating Grief
Charlene Lam joins host Lisa Keefauver for an in-depth and intimate conversation about the aspects of grief we long to explore but so rarely do in our daily life. Just as she does in her gorgeous book, Curating Grief: A Creative Guide to Choosing What to Keep After a Loved One Dies, Charlene explores what it means to curate the tangible and intangible left behind in the wake of loss. Sometime
Nina Rodriguez | Sibling Loss Into the Light
Nina Rodriguez joins host Lisa Keefauver to explore aspects of grief too often ignored, particularly focusing on sibling loss and the the societal stigmas surrounding addiction-related deaths. Nina shares the impact of unexpected loss, the importance of savoring life's little pleasures, her journey of reclaiming narratives and the ongoing process of living with wonderment. One of the things you wo
Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer | Poetic Response to Loss
Poet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer joins host Lisa Keefauver for a heartfelt conversation exploring the complexities of grief, the power of poetry, and the importance of self-compassion in the grieving process. They dive deep into the role of metaphor as a way to metabolize grief, and how writing can serve as a vehicle for self-compassion. Rosemerry is in a deep and expansive relationship with grief a
Lisa Pahl | Talking About Death
Lisa Pahl joins host Lisa Keefauver to explore themes they're both passionate about—the sacred thresholds of life: dying, dementia, death, and grief. As a deeply experienced hospice social worker, she shares her wisdom on creating lasting memories with loved ones facing end-of-life, the role of hospice in grief support, and the dynamics that influence decision-making around hospice care. She discu
Sah D'Simone | Dancing with Grief
Having met first in 2024 when they both spoke at End Well, Sah D’Simone joined host Lisa Keefauver for a live in-studio conversation. Together they explore a wide range of topics - the death of his mother, our tendencies to escape the pain even in the name of healing, the power of somatic embodiment, what helping without hope looks like and so much more. With heart and sometimes humor, Sah shares
Michelle Hord | What We Owe The Grieving
Guest Michelle Hord joined host Lisa Keefauver to kick off Season 7 of Grief is a Sneaky Bitch podcast. Michelle knows that behind every tragic headline are real people experiencing real pain from catastrophic loss. As she shared in our Season 5 conversation on Grief is a Sneaky Bitch podcast, soon after she filed for divorce, her husband murdered their 7-year-old daughter, Gabrielle. She faced th
Power of Narratives and Grief in Healthcare
Guests Hui-Wen Sato, Lisa Pahl, and Dr. Sunita Puri join host Lisa Keefauver for a special episode of Grief is a Sneaky Bitch Podcast produced with nonprofits @medicinalmediaorg and @unlikelycollaboratorsOne doctor, one nurse, and two social workers walked into a podcast studio to explore what does it really mean to live honestly with grief, caregiving, and the hard decisions we’re never taugh
Penny Smith | Reframing Dying for Better Living
Hospice Nurse Penny as she’s known to millions on Tik Tok and Instagram joins host Lisa Keefauver for this episode of Grief is a Sneaky Bitch podcast. They explore Penny’s journey into hospice care, the myths surrounding hospice, and the importance of reframing our understanding of grief and death. Penny emphasizes that hospice care is about enhancing the quality of life for patients and dispellin
Jennifer Hassel | Badass Grief
Jennifer Hassel, author of 'Badass Grief joins host Lisa Keefauver' to discuss her journey through profound loss and the adventures that followed. Jennifer shares her early experiences with grief, the legacy of her husband Mark, and how she navigated parenting while grieving. The discussion emphasizes the importance of living fully in memory of loved ones and the challenges of finding happiness am
Suzy Hopkins & Hallie Bateman | What To Do When You Get Dumped
In this episode of the Grief is a Sneaky Bitch podcast, host Lisa Keefauver welcomes mother-daughter duo Suzy Hopkins and Hallie Bateman to discuss their new book, 'What to Do When You Get Dumped.' Suzy’s world fell apart when just a few weeks shy of her retirement, her husband of more than 30 years announced he was leaving her. Relying on her skills as a journalist, she set out to understand what
Lauren Sisler | Shatterproof
Welcome ESPN Sports Broadcaster Lauren Sisler to Grief is a Sneaky Bitch podcast with host Lisa Keefauver. As a sportscaster and former collegiate gymnast, Lauren is passionate about sports, but even more passionate about telling the stories of the coaches, athletes, and fans who make it more than a game. Lauren's life was not always marked by victories. In 2003, as a freshman at Rutgers Universit
Mary-Frances O'Connor | Tending to Our Grieving Body
Mary-Frances O’Connor is one of the foremost experts on the impact of grief on the brain and the body. That’s why host Lisa Keefauver was thrilled to welcome her back to the podcast for a second time to discuss her latest book The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing. Just as Mary-Frances did in her book, she combines fascinating science, intimate storytelling, a
Serene Meshel-Dillman
Welcome Serene Meshel-Dillman to the show. In this episode, host Lisa Keefauver engages in a profound conversation with Serene - a producer and filmmaker, about her documentary series 'Take Me Out Feet First.' now playing on Amazon Prime. – is a poignant documentary series delving into the deeply personal journeys of 25 terminally ill individuals as they navigate their end-of-life decisions and ex
Consolee Nishimwe & Barbara Becker | Pain, Resilience, & Hope
Consolée Nishimwe and Barbara Becker joined host Lisa Keefauver for this powerful episode. In this episode, these friends explore the profound themes of grief, trauma, and resilience. They discuss Consolée's experiences as a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, and the importance of empathy and storytelling in the healing process. The conversation highlights the significance of creating safe spaces f
Sundari Malcolm | Grief Gems
Sundari Malcolm, a Birth, Grief, and Death Doula, joined host Lisa Keefauver for this episode. In 2007, at 27 years old, and after 7 years of being her Caregiver, Sundari Malcolm lost her mother to Breast Cancer. 4 years later, her father died from the complications of Brain Cancer.Those experiences redirected her life, and she's made it her mission to equip people with the tools they need to mana
Cole Imperi | Non-Clinical Approach to Grieving
Cole Imperi, a clinically trained chaplain and thanatologist joins host Lisa Keefauver to explore the multifaceted nature of grief. They explore the importance of grief literacy, the role of community support, and the cultural perspectives that shape our understanding of loss. Cole shares her experiences working with incarcerated individuals and discusses the concept of shadow losses, emphasizing
Olivia Abousaid | Finding Agency in Grief
Olivia Abousaid joins host Lisa Keefauver for a profound conversation about the complexities of grief, particularly in the context of community, chronic illness, and cultural influences. They explore personal experiences of grief, the importance of rituals, the role of anger, and the necessity of finding agency amidst ongoing loss. The discussion emphasizes the significance of community support, t
Anne Gudger | The Fifth Chamber
Anne Gudger is the author of the beautiful memoir, The Fifth Chamber, which Kirkus Review called “An emotionally riveting memoir, raw and inspiring.” In this conversation, Annie Gudger shares her journey of navigating love and grief after the accidental death of her husband when she was just 6 months pregnant with their son. As she shared in her extraordinary memoir, Anne explores the complexities
Litsa Williams | What's Your Grief?
I’m thrilled to bring you a conversation with the warm and one of the truly wisest people I know on the subject of grief and loss, Litsa Williams. She is the co-founder of the online grief organization, What’s Your Grief - - - which is also the title of the incredible book she co-authored. She is a grief therapist with over 15 years of experience working with sudden, traumatic, and disenfranchised
Susan Lieu | The Manicurist's Daughter
Susan Lieu is a multi-hyphenate storyteller, activist, and author helping people live the stories they’ve always wanted. Her award-winning solo show 140 LBS: How Beauty Killed My Mother evolved into her debut and truly extraordinary memoir, The Manicurist’s Daughter. In this episode we explore the complexities of grief beliefs shaped by family dynamics, the silence surrounding loss, and the impact
Susan Grau | Infinite Life, Infinite Lessons
In this episode we discuss internationally celebrated celebrity intuitive medium Susan Grau’s new remarkable book, Infinite Life, Infinite Lessons. It is a deep dive into the soul's journey, offering insights into healing from grief and the afterlife. Susan shares her early memories of trauma and loss and the profound impact of her near-death experience. Our conversation delves into the definition
Allison Gilbert | The Joy of Connections
Emmy Award-Winning journalist and author, Allison Gilbert, joined host Lisa Keefauver for an important conversation on the intersections of grief, joy, and loneliness. They dive deep into the lessons from Allison's latest book, 'The Joy of Connections: 100 Ways to Beat Loneliness and Live a Happier and More Meaningful Life.' co-authored with the late Dr. Ruth Westheimer. They explore early ex
Kathleen Blackburn | Loose of Earth
Kathleen Blackburn was the oldest of five children, a 12-year-old from Lubbock, Texas, whose evangelical family eschewed public education for homeschooling and wove improbable scientific theories into literal interpretations of the bible. Then her father, a former air force pilot, was diagnosed with stage IV cancer at the age of thirty-eight, and, as Kathleen writes in her searing memoir, Loose o
Jamie Thrower | Creativity in the End
Please welcome my wonderful friend, Jamie Thrower to the show. They are a Creative, Death Doula and founder of the Queer Grief Club. This episode is all about the intersections of grief, art, and community. Jamie and Lisa explore how personal experiences with loss shape grief beliefs, the importance of creative expression in processing grief, and the need for safe spaces for grieving individuals,
Domenica Feraud | Exploring Grief On Stage
Doménica Feraud joined host Lisa Keefauver for a conversation about her play 'Someone Spectacular' and the experience of creating a play about grief. They discuss the early lessons about grief that Doménica learned from her parents, the losses she experienced as a child, and the impact of those losses on her understanding of grief. Doménica shares how her close relationship with her mother, Nathal
Jessica Waite | The Widow's Guide to Dead Bastards
Jessica Waite, author of The Widow’s Guide to Dead Bastards is my guest in this thought-provoking episode. We explore the complexities of grief, betrayal, and healing through Jessica's personal journey as a widow. We discuss early memories of loss, the impact of mental health on relationships, and the importance of processing anger and forgiveness. Jessica shares her experiences with writing as a
Special Episode #1 | Lisa Keefauver & Co-Host Kousha Navidar
Answering your grief questions LIVE in this SPECIAL EPISODE of Grief is a Sneaky Bitch, with co-host Kousha Navidar. Co-host Kousha introduces 4 callers (Sachi, Robin, Bethany, and Sabrina) to Host Lisa Keefauver as she answers their questions in real time. They explore themes of compounding grief, the importance of communication in expressing needs, and the role of movement and rituals in pr
Alica Forneret | Mother Loss & Motherhood
I’m thrilled to share that today’s guest is Alica Forneret. You might recognize her name as her writing and work about grief, work, and race have been featured in The The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Psychology Today, Huffington Post, GQ, and more. She is also an educator, speaker, and consultant dedicated to creating new spaces for people to explore grief and grieving. She is the Founde
Dr. Red Hoffman | Violent and Complicated Loss
In this conversation, Dr. Red Hoffman shares her experiences with grief and loss, including the deaths of her grandparents, the murder of her father in a terrorist attack, and the death by suicide of her boyfriend. She discusses the challenges of navigating grief as a teenager and the lack of support and language to express her emotions. Red also talks about her journey into the medical field, com
Dr. Joanne Cacciatore | Bearing the Unbearable
Dr. Joanne Cacciatore is an expert in traumatic grief and she is also a bereaved mother. The conversation today is wide and deep exploring themes including: traumatic grief, the loss of a child, the healing practices and rituals required to metabolize loss, the ways in which our culture makes navigating the messy non-linear path of grief unnecessarily difficult, and so much more. Her best selling
Tembi Locke | From Scratch
Kicking off Season 6 of the show, actress and author Tembi Locke shares her experience of grief and the lessons she learned after the death of her husband. She discusses the importance of bringing awareness to grief and the opportunity it provides for connection and aliveness. She emphasizes the need to hold both the pain of loss and the joy of the person's life. Tembi also talks about the impact
Jessica Fein | Breath Taking
Jessica Fein has faced a lot of loss. Siblings, parents, and in 2022 her daughter Dalia. At the age of five Jessica’s daughter Dalia was diagnosed with a rare degenerative disease that would claim her life at 17. Before that moment came, and inspired by Dalia’s own insuppressible zest for life, Jessica and her family would discover how to live in the present when the future can’t be fixed. In our
Human, Not Superhero (Episode Revisit) | Hui-Wen Sato
I’m inviting you to revisit a very special conversation I had from Season 4 of this podcast with my guest pediatric ICU nurse, Hui-Wen Sato.Why? Well something absolutely crazy and horrible happened to the both of us shortly after we recorded that episode in November 2022. Just over 2 months later, on January 20th 2023, we BOTH received a Breast Cancer Diagnosis. On the EXACT SAME DAY. You'll hear
J.S. Park | As Long As You Need
My guest today J.S. (Joon) Park is a hospital chaplain. Some of the other descriptions he uses for himself include: former atheist/agnostic, sixth degree black belt, suicide survivor, Korean-American, and follower of Christ. He is the author of a profoundly insightful, and at times poetic new book, As Long As You Need: Permission to Grieve. It’s part hospital chaplain experience and part memo
Julie McFadden | Nothing to Fear
Known as Hospice Nurse Julie on TikTok and Instagram, today’s guest, Julie McFadden, with 16 years of experience as an ICU and Hospice/Palliative nurse, is passionate about normalizing discussions around death through education. She has garnered a significant TikTok following, covering end-of-life topics that have earned her recognition in Newsweek, USA Today, The Atlantic, and several other globa
Ronit Plank | When She Comes Back
Today, Ronit plank is a successful writer of fiction and non-fiction, an editor, a podcast host of not 1 but 2 shows, and a teacher. But long before she became all those things, she was a young girl born on a Kibbutz in Israel, shuffled across the globe to Seattle by 2 unhappily married parents. Soon after, her father left to start a new family on the east coast. And then the following year, her m
Alua Arthur | Briefly Perfectly Human
We’re all just briefly perfectly human. That’s the profound reminder from our guest today, Alua Arthur. If we are brave enough to allow this truth be at the center of awareness in our day-to-day lives, Alua argues we could live a fuller, more compassionate, and even magic-filled existence. In our conversation today, and in her adventure-filled and beautifully honest memoir, Briefly Perfectly
Nikki Mark | Tommy's Field
5 years ago, while today’s guest, Nikki Mark, was driving her 12-year-old son, Tommy, to a soccer game, he turned to her and asked, “Mom, is it possible to go to sleep and not wake up?” Nikki told him that’s how one of his grandmothers passed away: “it’s the best way to go-no pain, no drama.” He surprised Nikki further by stating, “It must be hard for a parent to lose a child.” Something told her
Peter Levine | Somatic Experiencing
I’m thrilled to share my conversation with Peter A. Levine, the renowned developer of Somatic Experiencing - a naturalistic and neurobiological approach to healing trauma, which he has developed over the past 50 years. He holds a Medical and Biological Physics doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley and a doctorate in Psychology from International University. He is the recipient of
Claire Bidwell Smith | Invitation to Conscious Grieving
In this episode, I bring you my conversation with the wise and warm grief therapist and author, Claire Bidwell Smith.There are some common themes most grievers experience, regardless of the source of their loss. These include things like a loss of self-identity, heightened feelings of guilt, time spent ruminating on the what ifs, and increased anxiety and fear. What makes these typical experiences
Devin Moss | You Are Loved. You Are Not Alone
My conversation with guest Devin Moss was so rich and expansive, from our shared passion for the big existential questions to his rich and complex podcast series, Momento Mori (that dives deep into mortality), to his unexpected journey to becoming a Humanist Chaplain. He shares one of the most unique experiences of a bedside death I’ve ever heard. Soon after becoming certified Devin said yes to a
Darnell Lamont Walker | Toward Healing & Happiness
Darnell Lamont Walker joined me for an expansive conversation in this episode - from the questions you might want to ask yourself and others in life instead of waiting until death’s door, to the complex and layered experiences of grief and loss in the Black community, to the power of creativity and play as a tool of healing. Darnell is an Emmy-Nominated children's television writer who unders
Asa Merritt | Six Sermons
As my guest, Asa Merritt knows, it's important that we see, hear, experience a wider expanse of grief stories that show the messy, beautiful, dynamic experience of a wide variety of losses. That’s why I’m thrilled to share my recent conversation with him. In his most recent project, Six Sermons, a new Audible Original series starring Stephanie Hsu from Everything Everywhere All At Once, Asa spent
Honoring Your Not All Better Yet Days | Bonus Interactive Episode
In this interactive bonus episode, host Lisa Keefauver invites listeners to reflect on the importance of honoring or creating ritual for the anniversaries of the day their lives changed - even when they're “not all better yet.” This episode emerged after the overwhelming feedback she received from an essay she recently shared called “Honoring the ‘Not All Better Yet’ Anniversaries” about the
J.J. Duncan | Stories Create Openings
My guest, J.J. Duncan, knows firsthand both professionally and personally how powerful storytelling is and the openings they create. She is an award-winning television producer, writer, advocate, and co-founder of the nonprofit, “Not Today Cancer,” which raises funds for childhood cancer research. J.J. is widely known in the entertainment industry as an Executive Producer and Showrunner of such hi
Gina Moffa | Moving On Doesn't Mean Letting Go
My guest, Gina Moffa, author of Moving On Doesn't Mean Letting Go: A Modern Guide to Navigating Loss, is a licensed grief and trauma psychotherapist and mental health educator in New York City. In practice for two decades, Gina helps people seeking treatment for trauma, grief, as well as challenging life experiences and transitions.Whether we’re grieving a death loss, the end of a friendship, a br
Steph Sarazin | Soulbroken
My guest, Stephanie Sarazin, is a writer, researcher, and ambiguous grief guide. In this episode, as in her award-winning book Soulbroken: A Guidebook for Your Journey Through Ambiguous Grief, she shares how her work began. After experiencing her own mid-life trauma, she embarked on an ambitious journey - spiritually and around the world—to understand, name, and heal the grief she found within her
Meghan Riordan Jarvis | End of the Hour
In her extraordinarily honest and beautiful memoir, End of the Hour, and in our conversation in this episode, Meghan Riordan Jarvis lays bare her experience of PTSD following the deaths of both of her parents within two years of each other. Meghan’s story and perspective is unique as she has spent the past 20+ years as a psychotherapist specializing in trauma, grief, and loss. She opens about her
Sally Douglas & Imogen Carn | Good Mourning
Sally Douglas and Imogen Carn met during the saddest time in both their lives, after the sudden deaths of both of their mothers. That’s when they had the lightbulb moment to start the Good Mourning podcast, and the rest is history. From their first recording on Sal’s sofa to 100 episodes, a top podcast and a global community that reaches over 100 thousand people each month, it’s been an incredible
Wendy MacNaughton | How to Say Goodbye
As artist-in-residence at the Zen Hospice Project Guest House in San Francisco, Wendy MacNaughton witnessed firsthand how difficult it is to know what to do when we’re sharing final moments with a loved one. In this tenderly illustrated guide to saying goodbye, MacNaughton shows how to make sure those moments are meaningful. Using a framework of “the five things” taught to her by a professional ca
Brennan Wood | Children and Grief
About Episode & Guest I think we can all agree that children and grief are two words we wish would never have to go together. Yet we do live in that world and the challenge we face is that we live in a culture that is grief avoidant which makes it difficult for us to know how to offer meaningful and age-appropriate support. The good news is that today’s guest, Brennan Wood, Executive
Emily Nagoski | Grief, Stress and Burnout
About this episode Why are we talking about stress and burnout on a podcast about grief? Well, as you’ve likely experienced, grief is essentially a chronic stressor. This is particularly true in a culture that is grief avoidant, and where toxic positivity is rampant. Where we no longer live in tribes or communities that can help us discharge it. In essence, we’re left to our own devices to fi
Lisa Keefauver | My Season With Cancer
In this final episode of the season, host Lisa Keefauver takes listeners behind-the-scenes. But instead of recapping the incredible conversations she had with 17 guests this season - from Sunita Puri to Colin Campbell to Cyndie Spiegel and so many more, she's offering you a behind-the-scenes peek into her life off the air. Lisa opens up about this season of her life - living with Breast Cancer. Li
Katie Joy Duke | Still Breathing
Some words become excruciating in the wake of loss. For my guest today, Katie Joy Duke, that word is expecting. After a whirlwind romance and engagement, Katie and her fiancé were over the moon with the discovery that they were expecting their first child together. A beautiful wedding ceremony and a fairy tale pregnancy, as Katie describes it, left them both shocked when after going into labor, th
Bethany Harvey | Dipped In It
Bethany Harvey, author of the beautiful memoir Dipped In It, shares the experiences and lessons she’s learned from several losses. Some we’ve explored in past episodes, such as the loss of a parent and other losses we haven’t touched on much over the seasons, the grief that results from divorce. At the end of Bethany’s marriage, her now ex-spouse came out as gay and trans-gender. And while Bethany
Aly Bird | How to Be a Grief Ally
In this episode, my guest Aly Bird shares the journey she’s been on since the untimely death of her young husband, the secondary and ambiguous losses she continues to uncover, and the inspiration to help create a culture of positive grief support which resulted in her beautiful book, Grief Ally. I can’t wait for you to meet her! EPISODE RESOURCESSince her husband’s untimely death,
Steph Jagger | Everything Left to Remember
Steph Jagger explores one of the most common ways we experience ambiguous loss - when someone we love is in the grips of Alzheimer’s Disease. In our conversation, just like in her exquisitely written memoir, Everything Left to Remember, Steph reveals what she learned when she took her mom, who was diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer’s, on an adventure into big nature under the big Montana sky. W
Laurel Braitman | What Looks Like Bravery
My guest Laurel Braitman is an absolute damn delight! In today’s episode we’re exploring her beautiful brand-new memoir What Looks Like Bravery: An epic journey through loss to love. I appreciate so much the humor, wisdom, and insight she brought to our conversation about the expansiveness of grief in her life, from the death of her father as a teenager, to lost loves, pets, a home in the wil
Daniel Wallace | This Isn't Going to End Well
In this episode, my guest Daniel Wallace and I will explore his memoir, This Isn’t Going To End Well: The True Story Of A Man I Thought I Knew, a heart-wrenching and deeply vulnerable portrait of the life and loss of his seemingly perfect and impossibly cool hero. Our conversation explores his brother in laws rise in stature in Daniel’s imagination, the decades long friendship they forged, th
Barbara Becker | Living with the End in Mind
From her pregnancy losses to accompanying her parents and aunt through Alzheimer’s to her work in human rights advocacy and the hundreds of people she’s sat with at the end of their lives as a hospice volunteer, my guest Barbara Becker, shares what she’s learned about the art of living with the end in mind. She is the author of the extraordinary book Heartwood: The Art of Living with the End
Colin Campbell | Finding the Words
My guest, Colin Campbell is a writer and director for theater and film. He’s also written a truly powerful and personal exploration of grief, in his book, Finding The Words. In our conversation today, Colin shares his experience of losing both his children, Ruby and Hart when a drunk driver hit their car and changed a pleasant family outing into the worst day imaginable. He addresses the fear, pai
Rabbi Steve Leder | For You When I'm Gone
I’m thrilled to bring you my conversation with Rabbi Steve Leder. Steve is the senior rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles. He is the author of five books and in our conversation today, we explore his latest: For You When I Am Gone: Twelve Essential Questions to Tell a Life Story. We explored so much from the wisdom we gain in the wake of loss, to the most important gifts we
Michelle Hord | The Other Side of Yet
Media Executive Michelle Hord, was no stranger to trauma. Having started her professional career as an award-winning producer on America’s Most Wanted, she expertly guided families through every facet of unthinkable crisis. Later, she covered heartbreaking stories while working at The Oprah Winfrey Show and Good Morning America. She sat with survivors of the unimaginable. When
Cyndie Spiegel | Microjoys
What I quickly discovered in my conversation with my guest, Cyndie Spiegel today is that we are kindred spirits. We went deep and wide. We cussed. We laughed. We reflected on the both/and of life and loss and how microjoys are the gift we need in these times. Don’t worry, this isn’t toxic positivity, It’s the opposite. Microjoys invites us to make space for all the feels, including the accessible
Fatema Jivanjee-Shakir, LMSW | Body Grief
My guest in this episode is Fatema Jivanjee-Shakir. We met in 2022 when we were serving together on a Mental Health Panel for a large corporate event. The minute I heard her talk about the experiences of body grief, I knew instantly that I had a lot to learn from her and that my listeners did too. That’s why I’m thrilled to be sharing our conversation with you in this episode. She helps us underst
Sunita Puri, MD | That Good Night
Sunita Puri is a Palliative Medicine physician and author of the incredible book That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour, a critically-acclaimed literary memoir examining her journey to the practice of palliative medicine, and her quest to help patients and families redefine what it means to live and die well in the face of serious illness. In this episode, she explores her ex
Mary-Frances O'Connor | This is Your Brain on Grief
Mary-Frances O’Connor is my special guest in this episode. I devoured her book, The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss last year and knew I needed to have a conversation with the author on this show. I’m grateful to share that late last year, I had the honor of sitting down with Mary-Frances to explore the fascinating work she has been doing studying the Grie
Krissy Teegerstrom | I Was Already Everything
In today’s episode, I explore the creative response to loss and trauma with my dear friend, artist, and former GSB podcast guest Krissy Teegerstrom. In A Grief Journey Delayed in Season 1, Krissy explored the delayed and disenfranchised grief over the death of her father. Not long after that conversation, Krissy came to recognize the unnamed neglect and emotional abuse by her mother in
Bonus Holiday Episode | 10 Tips for Navigating The Holidays in Grief
Bonus Holiday EpisodeSomehow the holiday season snuck up on us, didn’t it? Host Lisa Keefauver knows that whether this is your first or 21st holiday in the wake of loss, it can be tough. So in this bonus holiday episode, she is speaking directly to you. She put together 10 tips for you to consider as you navigate the holidays in grief. While she can’t promise you that grief won’t show up over the
Hui-Wen Sato | Human, Not Superhero
What must it be like to be a pediatric ICU Nurse day in and day out, witnessing children and families in the most vulnerable and often grief-filled moments of their lives? Today’s guest, Hui-Wen Sato weaves a beautiful narrative about the realities of professional grief and the important cultural shifts needed to better serve both families and the medical professionals that serve them. She also sh
