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Grief and Light™

Nina Rodriguez

This space was created for you by someone who gets it – your grief, your foundation-shattering reality, and the question of what the heck do we do with the shattered pieces of life and loss around us.

It’s also for the listener who wants to better understand their grieving person, and perhaps wants to learn how to help.

Now in its fourth season, the Grief and Light™ podcast features both solo episodes and interviews with first-hand experiencers, authors, and professionals, who shine a light on the spectrum of experiences, feelings, secondary losses, and takeaways.

As a bereaved sister, I share my personal story of the sudden loss of my younger brother, only sibling, one day after we celebrated his 32nd birthday. I also delve into how that loss, trauma, and grief catapulted me into a truth-seeking journey, which ultimately led me to answer "the calling" of creating this space I now call Grief and Light.

Since launching the first episode on March 30, 2023, the Grief and Light podcast and social platforms have evolved into a powerful resource for grief-informed support, including one-on-one grief guidance, monthly grief circles, community, and much more.

With each episode, you can expect open and authentic conversations sharing our truth, and explorations of how to transmute the grief experience into meaning, and even joy.

My hope is to make you feel less alone, and to be a beacon of light and source of information for anyone embarking on this journey.

"We're all just walking each other HOME." - Ram Dass

Thank you for being here.

We're in this together.

Nina, Yosef's Sister

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For more information, visit: griefandlight.com

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  • S5 · E124
    Tuesday · 59 min

    Shifting Our Stories: What Stories Are Keeping You Stuck? | A Summer Shifts Series (Part 2)

    What stories are you still carrying, and what might you write instead? In Part 2 of the Summer Shifts Series, grief educator and Grief and Light™ founder and host Nina Rodriguez joins author, grief educator, and Grief Is a Sneaky Bitch host Lisa Keefauver, MSW to explore how creativity can help us notice and shift the stories that keep us stuck after loss, grief, and major life change. Building on Part 1's invitation to live into the questions, Nina and Lisa turn toward creativity. Not creativity as productivity or performance. Creativity as discovery. They explore what happens when we loosen the pressure to be "good" at something and instead get curious about what might emerge. They talk about the difference between saying "I'm bad at this" and "I don't have a lot of practice at this," why our "I am" statements are worth questioning, and how creating a little distance from a difficult emotion can change our relationship to it. Lisa also shares a poem she wrote during her cancer treatment, "What Cancer Couldn't Kill," and explains how writing about a difficult experience in the third person became a creative practice in self-compassion. Throughout the conversation, Nina and Lisa offer low-stakes creative practices for shifting a story that no longer fits, including timed writing, third-person writing, reframing "I am" statements, noticing sticky words, and collecting evidence of small changes. If you're navigating grief, a career pivot, an identity shift, or a season when the old story about who you are no longer quite fits, this episode offers playful, practical ways to get curious about what else might be true. What you'll learn: What "sticky stories" are, where they come from, and why they can become limiting How to think about creativity as discovery rather than production Why "I don't have a lot of practice" can be a more useful story than "I'm bad at it" How reframing "I am" statements can create space around difficult emotions Two timed writing prompts you can try, including "If only..." and the apology you never got How writing about a difficult experience in the third person can create distance and invite self-compassion The "sticky word jar" and how it can help you notice limiting language How to use the freeze-reframe practice when something feels stuck Why collecting small evidence of change can shift the story we tell about ourselves What it means to witness someone's story without immediately offering advice or feedback Some questions explored in this episode: What is a sticky story? How can creativity help with grief or a stuck season of life? How can I reframe an "I am" statement? What is the sticky word jar? Why write about a difficult experience in the third person? About the Summer Shifts Series: A three-part live conversation series exploring what becomes possible when we embrace curiosity, creativity, and the unexpected after loss and life's unexpected pivots. ✨ Part 1 | Living Into the Questions Theme — Curiosity | Watch Here ✨ Part 2 | Shifting Our Stories Theme — Creativity | Watch Here ✨ Part 3 | Meeting Life Differently Theme — Possibility | Join Live Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S5 · E123
    August 18 · 58 min

    Living Into the Questions: What If You Didn’t Need Answers to Move Forward? | A Summer Shifts Series (Part 1)

    What if you didn't need answers to move forward? What if the questions themselves are where life begins to open again? In the first conversation of the Summer Shifts Series, grief educator and Grief and Light™ founder and host Nina Rodriguez joins author, grief educator, author, and Grief Is a Sneaky Bitch host Lisa Keefauver to explore what it means to live with the questions grief leaves behind rather than rushing toward resolution. After loss, we’re often told to find closure, make meaning, move forward, or figure out what comes next. But grief rarely follows a neat narrative. Sometimes the more honest practice is learning to stay curious about what we don't yet know. Together, Nina and Lisa explore living into the questions as a practice for navigating grief, life transitions, and uncertainty. They talk about the stories we inherit and internalize, the language that can quietly keep us stuck, and how curiosity can create room for wonder and possibility again. They explore the five small but powerful words that can signal we're getting caught in a story — should, always, never, but, and shouldn't — and discuss how narrative therapy can help us notice the stories we're telling without assuming those stories are the whole truth. They also introduce the constellation metaphor, imagining the stories we tell about ourselves as constellations in the night sky, and how zooming out can help us notice evidence, experiences, and possibilities that an old story left out. Along the way, Nina and Lisa share poetry from Gregory Orr, Rainer Maria Rilke, Jack Gilbert, and Mary Oliver, and reflect on the questions that have helped them continue building lives after profound loss, including sudden sibling loss and widowhood. If you're navigating grief, a major life transition, or a season of uncertainty, this conversation offers language and perspectives for staying with the questions rather than forcing yourself to find an answer. In this episode, you'll explore What it means to live into the questions after loss Why grief doesn't always need resolution or a tidy answer The "sticky stories" that can keep us feeling stuck in grief Five words that can signal you're caught inside a limiting story How narrative therapy can shift the way we understand our experiences The constellation metaphor and how changing our perspective can reveal overlooked evidence Why poetry can sometimes hold what ordinary language cannot How curiosity can coexist with grief and uncertainty What it means to stay connected to aliveness after loss Two questions to carry with you this week: What stories am I holding onto? and What do I already know? Some questions explored in this episode What does "living into the questions" mean in grief? What are "sticky stories"? What is the constellation metaphor? How can poetry help us live with difficult questions? About the Summer Shifts Series: A three-part live conversation series co-hosted by Nina Rodriguez and Lisa Keefauver exploring what becomes possible when we embrace curiosity, creativity, and the unexpected. ✨ Part 1 | Living Into the Questions Theme — Curiosity ✨ Part 2 | Shifting Our Stories Theme — Creativity ✨ Part 3 | Meeting Life Differently Theme — Possibility Replays of the Summer Shifts conversations are available on the Grief and Light podcast. A question to carry with you: What question are you willing to live into instead of trying to answer? Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E122
    July 29 · 10 min

    Summertime Grief and Shifts

    Why can grief feel unexpectedly heavy during the summer? While the holidays are often recognized as difficult for grieving people, the quieter shifts of summer can bring their own wave of longing, nostalgia, and remembrance. Longer days, changing routines, family traditions, vacations, and returning to familiar places can amplify the absence of someone we love or remind us of the life we once had. In this solo episode of Grief and Light™, host Nina Rodriguez reflects on returning to her childhood home in Puerto Rico nearly seven years after the death of her brother, Yosef. Through personal storytelling, she explores her mother's beautiful phrase, "collapsing timelines," the experience of feeling the past and present at the same time, and why grief isn't only about the people we've lost. Sometimes we grieve entire seasons of life, former identities, places that shaped us, and versions of ourselves we thought would always remain. Drawing on her own lived experience, grief-informed work, and the wisdom of poet Rainer Maria Rilke, Nina shares why healing is often less about finding answers and more about learning to live the questions. This conversation offers compassionate support for anyone navigating bereavement, sibling loss, life transitions, nostalgia, or the ongoing process of rebuilding life after profound loss. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why grief can feel different during the summer months • How returning home can awaken memory, nostalgia, and unexpected emotions • What "collapsing timelines" means and why familiar places can feel emotionally complex after loss • Why we often grieve more than the people we've lost, including former identities, relationships, and seasons of life • How living the questions can foster resilience, self-compassion, and post-traumatic growth If this conversation resonates with you, you're warmly invited to join Nina Rodriguez and grief educator, author, and speaker Lisa Keefauver for a live three-part Substack "Summer Shifts Series" exploring curiosity, creativity, and possibility after grief and life's unexpected pivots. Read the full essay and access the live series information here. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E121
    June 26 · 1 hr 15 min

    Life Beyond Deep Grief: A roundtable on living fully after loss

    What happens when grief isn’t as heavy as it once was? This candid, multi-voice conversation explores what it means to live fully after loss. While much of the grief space centers on surviving, this roundtable makes space for what comes after the initial sorrow that follows loss and life-altering change, when life begins to expand again, often in unexpected ways. Together, grief and resilience leaders, podcasters, and grief-informed creators explore meaning-making, post-traumatic growth, and the nuanced reality of carrying grief while also reclaiming joy, purpose, and possibility. This is the conversation for everyone who needed to know grief shifts, that joy and aliveness are possible, and for everyone who's arrived at lighter and isn't sure what to do with that. Rather than framing this as “moving on,” the conversation centers the complexity of living in the both/and, where grief remains, but no longer defines every moment. Speakers will share personal and professional insights on post-traumatic growth, identity reconstruction, and the ways life can expand after loss without abandoning love for who or what was lost. The discussion challenges the idea that grief must remain all-consuming to be valid, while offering language, permission, and perspective for those who are beginning to feel moments of lightness again, or long to believe that’s possible. (Video is an event replay.) SPEAKERS: NINA RODRIGUEZ | Founder, Host, Grief-informed guide | GRIEF AND LIGHT @itsnrodriguez KERA SANCHEZ | Editor-in-Chief, Get Griefy Magazine @getgriefymagazine BLAIR KAPLAN VENABLES | Grief + Resilience Expert, Speaker & Author | The Global Resilience Project @blairfromblairland TARA ACCARDO | Grief and Soul Purpose Coach and host of the ‪@lifewithgriefpodcast‬ x @lossesbecomegains IMOGEN CARN | author, speaker, breathwork facilitator and co-founder of ‪@goodmourningpodcast‬ x @healwithim A video version is available on Y0uTvbe. ;) Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E120
    June 17 · 51 min

    Friend-Loss Grief Is Real: Disenfranchised grief with Hannah Rumsey of Friends Missing Friends

    In a world where grief is often tied to family ties and romantic relationships, the loss of a friend can feel isolating and unrecognized. Hannah Rumsey is a writer, certified Grief Educator, and the founder of Friends Missing Friends. After losing her best friend Lauren in 2015, Hannah went searching for support and found almost nothing. No grief groups. Not even a Google search result that addressed her experience directly. What she found instead was disenfranchised grief, a term that changed everything. In this episode, Hannah and Nina explore why friend-loss is one of the most overlooked and invalidated forms of grief, and what it costs us when we leave it out of the conversation. Hannah shares the story of how she found out about Lauren's death (through a birthday post on Facebook), what it took to sit five feet away from the man responsible for her friend's death during his trial in Spain, the stunning sign she received from Lauren through her phone, and why she believes Lauren has been pulling strings from the other side ever since. They also talk about the false hierarchy of grief, what it means to question whether your own loss "counts," and why being around people who simply believe you — without explanation or qualification — can be one of the most healing experiences a friend-loss griever can have. In this episode: What disenfranchised grief is and why friend-loss fits squarely inside it The false hierarchy of love (and grief) our society has built Why finding out about a friend's death through social media is more common than we think The Netflix documentary The Predator of Seville and Lauren's story How Hannah sat in the courtroom five feet from the man who killed her friend The moment Lauren's photo appeared on Hannah's phone, updated by Lauren Why friend-loss grievers feel pressure to qualify and explain their own loss How grief rituals can be personal, messy, and entirely your own The Friends Missing Friends Collective, an online community for friend-loss grievers What Hannah would say (and not say) to herself on the day she lost Lauren Connect with Hannah Rumsey: Friends Missing Friends (website, online membership, and podcast): friendsmissingfriends.com IG @friendsmissingfriends Netflix documentary: The Predator of Seville If you've ever lost a friend and felt like you had to explain why it mattered, this episode is for you. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E119
    June 2 · 51 min

    Staying Human in the Era of AI: Storytelling, Grief & Change with Patrice Poltzer

    What does it mean to stay human in a world increasingly run by AI? In this episode, Nina sits down with Patrice Poltzer — Gracie Award–winning former TODAY Show producer and co-founder of My Story Pro — about the everyday griefs and shifts of our era: the loss of certainty, the erosion of critical thinking, and the disappearing line between who we are and the tools we rely on. Patrice shares how a cross-continental move from New York to Lisbon, a vanished family income, and a launch that flopped led her to "accidentally" build an AI storytelling company. But this isn't just a hustle story. It's a conversation about agency. Why our active participation in building the future is required, especially for women and people from historically excluded communities. In this episode, we explore: How loss and uncertainty can become the ground for reinvention Why "being more human" is the most valuable skill in the AI era The trust crisis, and why storytelling is the only marketing that neurologically changes a stranger's mind Whether outsourcing our thinking to AI is dulling the very traits that make us human How grievers, living in liminality, can use their lived experience to define what's next Practical, low-fear entry points for women curious about AI Connect with Patrice Poltzer: Instagram: @PatricePoltzer LinkedIn My Story Pro (free trial, workshops & community) This is a both/and conversation; the and of fear and agency, grief and possibility, technology and humanity. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E118
    May 19 · 56 min

    Women’s Health & Self-Advocacy: How to Be Heard in Healthcare | Spencer Moore

    What does it mean to advocate for yourself as a female patient, especially in healthcare systems that often overlook women’s pain, symptoms, and lived experiences? In this episode we welcome Spencer Moore, founder and host of The Hairy Chin, certified women’s health coach, certified breast health educator, and certified breathwork specialist, for a powerful conversation about women’s health advocacy, chronic illness, breast cancer, medical dismissal, and learning how to navigate healthcare systems with confidence and clarity. After years of chronic health struggles and being passed from doctor to doctor as what Spencer calls a “hot potato patient,” she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer at 40. Her experience transformed the way she approached healthcare, communication, and self-advocacy, and led her to help other women develop the tools to better advocate for themselves in medical settings. Together, Nina and Spencer explore the grief that can live inside illness, chronic symptoms, medical dismissal, and not being believed. They also discuss practical strategies for navigating doctor appointments, communicating symptoms effectively, recognizing misinformation online, and building trust with your own body. This episode is especially meaningful for women navigating chronic illness, breast cancer, autoimmune conditions, invisible illness, medical trauma, grief, burnout, or healthcare advocacy. Key Takeaways Self-advocacy is a skill set that can be learned Preparation can change the outcome of medical appointments The language women use in healthcare settings matters Chronic illness grief deserves recognition and support There is no single “quick fix” for complex health issues Trustworthy health advocates acknowledge nuance and uncertainty AI tools can support research but cannot replace medical care If you’ve ever felt dismissed, unseen, or overwhelmed inside the healthcare system, this conversation is for you. *** Advocacy Tools by The Hairy Chin One-page Health Summary *** Connect with Spencer Moore: Instagram: @the.hairy.chin YouTube: @thehairychin Website: thehairychin.com This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding your health concerns. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E117
    May 13 · 1 hr 21 min

    Losing Both Parents Changed Everything | Tara Accardo on Navigating Life With Grief

    How do you navigate life after multiple losses and still make space for joy, purpose, love, and hope? In this deeply honest conversation, grief and soul purpose coach Tara Accardo joins Nina Rodriguez to explore what it means to live through layered grief, traumatic loss, and major life transitions while rebuilding your sense of self. After losing both of her parents to cancer within six months, navigating the isolation of the 2020 pandemic, experiencing heartbreak, grieving the loss of her beloved 19-year-old dog, and enduring a traumatic birth and NICU stay with her daughter, Tara found herself asking the same questions so many grieving people ask: Who am I now? How do I move forward after loss? And what does it mean to create a meaningful life after grief? Together, Tara and Nina discuss anticipatory grief, cancer caregiving, pet loss grief, parenting after parental loss, continuing bonds, spirituality after loss, soul purpose, grief coaching, and learning to trust your intuition through grief and trauma. This episode is for anyone grieving the death of a parent, navigating compounded grief, adjusting to life after loss, or searching for hope and healing after heartbreak, trauma, or major life change. Whether you're grieving a mother or father, coping with grief during motherhood, healing after traumatic birth, or trying to rediscover yourself after loss, this conversation offers compassionate insight, validation, and reminders that grief and joy can coexist. Connect with Tara Accardo: Website: lossesbecomegains.com Life With Grief podcast Instagram: @lossesbecomegains Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E116
    May 7 · 57 min

    Food Allergy Anxiety & Chronic Illness | Dr. Amanda Whitehouse on Trauma-Informed Care & Not Feeding Fear

    What does grief look like when it lives inside a body that can't always feel safe? Dr. Amanda Whitehouse joins Nina to explore food allergy anxiety, trauma, and the layered losses that chronic illness brings. Summary: Grief doesn't only come from death. Sometimes it comes from a diagnosis. From the life you imagined slipping away, from food becoming a source of fear, from watching your child struggle to breathe and feeling helpless. That is grief, too. In this episode, Nina Rodriguez welcomes Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, a licensed psychologist who specializes in food allergy anxiety, trauma, and chronic illness. Dr. Whitehouse is also a mother navigating food allergies firsthand and the host of the Don't Feed the Fear podcast. Together, they unpack the layered emotional experience of living with food allergies (anaphylaxis), including the grief, the trauma, and the profound work of returning to safety in your own body. They also go deeper. Dr. Whitehouse shares the story of her brother Adam, who died from cancer in 2020, and what his death taught her about closure, connection, and continuing bonds with loved ones beyond physical presence. In this conversation: Why grief in chronic illness is real, and why it often goes unnamed The critical difference between trauma, anxiety, and fear in the context of food allergies, and why language matters What trauma-informed care looks like for food allergy patients and families Common myths about food allergies debunked (including "avoidance is enough" and "epinephrine is the last resort") How to return agency to yourself and set boundaries with loved ones who don't fully understand The physical toll of grief on the body, and why that connection matters Dr. Whitehouse's personal grief: losing her brother Adam, the gift of time, and continued bonds in dreams Gratitude as awareness, not positivity, making space for "this AND that" Connect with Dr. Amanda Whitehouse: Website: thefoodallergypsychologist.com Instagram: @thefoodallergypsychologist Podcast: Don't Feed the Fear Whether you're living with a food allergy, loving someone who is, or simply navigating a body and a life that grief has changed, this conversation is for you. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E115
    April 28 · 59 min

    Life After Sibling Loss: Identity, Faith & Following Your Destiny | Destiny Rael

    What happens when grief doesn’t just take your person, but reshapes your identity, your faith, your career, and your sense of what’s possible? In this episode of Grief and Light, Nina Rodriguez sits down with Destiny Rael, a trauma-informed life and grief coach, group facilitator, and sibling loss survivor, for a deeply personal and expansive conversation about what it means to live with grief and still create a meaningful life. Destiny lost her brother Joseph who she describes as her best friend, creative partner, and fellow musician, two days after his 34th birthday in January 2011 to a sudden aortic dissection. She has spent the years since learning how to carry that loss forward without leaving him behind. Together, they explore the duality of grief and joy, the evolution of identity after loss, and how purpose can emerge in the aftermath of devastation. We explore: Sibling loss and identity: why this type of grief is often overlooked The coexistence of grief and joy in a purposeful life Destiny’s story of losing her brother Joseph, and their deep sibling bond The significance of sibling bonds, shared music, and inside jokes How grief reshapes identity, especially for creatives and performers Navigating faith, spirituality, and questioning God after loss The connection between childhood trauma, abuse, and grief The shift from music career to trauma-informed grief coaching Supporting the mind, body, and spirit through grief recovery The role of grief in life transitions, relationships, and personal growth Tools for support: grief groups, coaching, and creative expression Connect with Destiny Rael: Website: destinyrael.com IG: @destinyrael "Joseph's Destiny" & Music YouTube Channel If you're navigating grief, sibling loss, or a life that no longer looks like the one you planned, you are not alone. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E114
    April 21 · 55 min

    Grief Doesn’t Have to Rule the Show: Living Alongside Compounded Grief with Sylvia Wolfer

    Sylvia Wolfer has lived through a lifetime of loss. Her father died suddenly when she was seven. Her younger brother, Johan, at sixteen. Her older brother, Stefan, in 2019. Her mother in 2023. She has navigated decades of layered grief. Through neuroscience, mindfulness, and work in the body, she has come to understand that grief can be in your life without running your life. In fact, you get to be "the boss." In this conversation, we explore what it means to live alongside loss without being consumed by it. We talk about the weight of sudden grief, the complexity of family dynamics, and the quiet, ongoing relationship we maintain with those who have died. We Explore: Why grief is so often misunderstood, and why we are not powerless to it The distinct impact of sudden versus anticipated loss How grief moves differently through sibling bonds, parent-child relationships, and across time Her practice of “grief appointments," a structure that allows emotion without overwhelm Anger in grief, how to leverage its energy, and what it protects The "body budget" and why supporting the nervous system is foundational Post-traumatic growth, the window of tolerance, and what integration actually looks like Continued bonds: how each person we've lost lives on differently within us Buddhist grief practices, the dana tradition, and a different relationship to death If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by loss(es), unsure how to move forward, or disconnected from yourself in grief, this conversation offers a deeply human, grounded perspective. Connect with Sylvia Wolfer: Website Instagram LinkedIn Guided Meditations by Sylvia Sibling Grief: The Overlooked Loss Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E113
    April 14 · 53 min

    Grief as the Highest Form of Intelligence: Paula Gasparini-Santos on Trauma, Transformation & Sitting with the Unknown

    Paula went into "the void," and returned with a question that changed her life: What if grief is actually the highest form of intelligence? In this episode of Grief and Light, I sit down with trauma and grief therapist and artist, Paula Gasparini-Santos, to explore a different way of understanding grief, one where loss becomes a portal, and "the void" transforms us. Paula's work sits at the intersection of trauma therapy and grief, and she brings a framework that honors how intelligent grief actually is. She shares how grief operates as a form of intelligence, and how to access what it's trying to teach us. We go deep on the surprising relationship between grief and trauma, Paula's own journey of developing intimacy with her pain, and the growing use of AI in grief support, what it can genuinely offer, and where it keeps us at arm's length from the real work. We also get into the difference between real curiosity and curiosity that's just fear with better PR. Paula explains how our information-gathering instinct, especially in grief, often becomes a way to stay safe rather than a way to grow. And she offers practices for building a relationship with emptiness, with silence, with the parts of ourselves we usually try to outrun. If you're looking for a different perspective on grief, and ways to move through, tune in. In this episode: Grief as one of life's highest forms of intelligence Why grief and trauma are more connected than we think What "intimacy with grief" actually looks like in practice What "the void" is, and isn't How to trust the unknown AI in grief processing: where it helps and where it doesn't The distinction between true curiosity and fear-based seeking Low-dopamine practices for reconnecting with yourself Why sitting with emptiness might be exactly what healing requires 💬 "If we deny grief as a universal experience, we deny the pivot point for regeneration and expansion to happen." — Paula Gasparini-Santos Connect with Paula Gasparini-Santos: Art: https://paulagasparini-santos.com/ Work with Paula: https://www.theconsciousconnection.org/ Substack Instagram TikTok Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E112
    April 7 · 1 hr 10 min

    When Loss Becomes Initiation: Somatic Grief, Ancestral Practices, and Sacred Healing with Sundari Malcolm

    What if grief wasn't something to survive, but something to move through with presence, ritual, and the full weight of your body? In this episode, Nina Rodriguez sits down with Sundari Malcolm, a birth, grief, and death doula, yoga and breathwork teacher, author of Grief Gems, and founder of A Healing Doula Academy. Raised by Yogi parents, Sundari brings a deeply embodied and ancestrally grounded lens to loss. After seven years caregiving for her mother before losing her to breast cancer at 27, and later losing her father to brain cancer, Sundari wasn't just grief-stricken. She was initiated. This conversation explores what that initiation looks like, and how honoring grief as a sacred passage can transform your relationship with loss, your body, and your lineage. In this episode: Caregiving, anticipatory grief, and identity shifts in young adulthood Grief as an initiatory and spiritual awakening process The somatic side of loss and how the body holds grief Reclaiming ancestral rituals, altars, and indigenous death practices What a grief or death doula actually does Breathwork, candle meditation, and practical tools for tending grief Navigating collective grief without losing yourself Challenging Western death narratives and systemic barriers Connect with Sundari Malcolm: Website: ahealingdoula.com Book: Grief Gems Instagram: @sundaribliss Academy: A Healing Doula Academy Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E111
    March 31 · 59 min

    The final "goodbye": Estrella Quiroz on losing her father & co-founding Last Farewells

    Before he passed, Estrella's father left her a message worth more than billions: ✨ "I hope a million angels look after you." ✨ Those seven words changed everything. They carried her through grief. They inspired her to travel to over 50 countries. And they ultimately led her to co-found Last Farewells — a platform helping people leave their own meaningful messages for the ones they love, even after they're gone. In this inspiring episode, Estrella Quiroz, self-proclaimed "life enthusiast" and death tech entrepreneur, opens up about the moment her father's passing cracked her world open, and how she transformed that pain into a mission: to help others "leave no words left unspoken." Her story is about more than grief. It's about agency, faith, acts of kindness, and what it really means to leave a legacy. What you'll take away: + Why the words we leave behind matter more than anything else + How faith and personal values can anchor you through unimaginable loss + What "end-of-life planning" looks like when it's driven by love, not fear + How one woman turned heartbreak into a movement 💬 What message would you want to leave behind? 🔔 Subscribe for conversations about purpose, resilience, and living fully, even in the face of loss. Key Topics: The powerful story of Estrella’s father’s voicemail and its influence on her life Her experience traveling solo across 50+ countries and how loss shifted her priorities The origins of Last Farewells and its mission to fill the emotional gap in end-of-life planning How creating last messages can bring peace and agency during grief The role of faith and spirituality in healing and purpose Insights into death tech: what it is, how it works, and its impact The importance of authenticity and acts of kindness in content creation Personal stories of helping others, from an elderly grandmother to terminally ill patients The significance of signs, synchronicities, and trusting life's journey Connect with Estrella Quiroz & Last Farewells: lastfarewells.com Instagram: @lastfarewellsapp x @estrellaq95 Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E110
    March 20 · 9 min

    The Family Tree That Ends With Me: Reclaiming Legacy as a Childless, Childfree Woman

    In this deeply personal reflection, Nina Rodriguez shares her experience with the profound grief and loss of her only sibling, and the realization that the family tree may end with her. This emotional healing journey is further explored through her contributions to Get Griefy Magazine, offering a space for shared understanding. Nina Rodriguez shares a powerful reflection on redefining legacy beyond lineage, revealing how our influence, choices, and relationships create a ripple effect that endures long after we're gone. She dives into the societal stories that tie worth to continuity and permanence, and explores how legacy is actually about the imprint we leave: the lives we touch, the courage we inspire, and the rooms we fill with our presence. Key Points: Why the traditional family tree is only one metaphor for continuity How our influence extends through relationships, not just DNA Surprising insights into the fragility of digital memories and the illusions of permanence In a world where milestones like marriage and children are no longer guaranteed, Nina offers a liberating perspective: Legacy is less about who continues your bloodline and more about the ways your life radiates outward. She challenges you to consider how your unique story, actions, and relationships form a lasting imprint, even if you never become a mother or an ancestor in the traditional sense. How does your life echo in the lives of other simply by the way in which you exist? Key topics: The burden of being the "last" in a family line after the loss of loved ones The societal narrative of legacy tied to reproduction and lineage The distinction between lineage (biological) and legacy (relational, influence) How non-biological relationships shape our sense of legacy The impermanence of digital memories and the illusion of permanency Legacy as diffusion, participation, and ripple effect rather than extension The importance of intentional impact over recognition or recognition Practical ways to reframe personal legacy in a shifting world Read on Get Griefy Magazine: The Family Tree That Ends With Me Visit getgriefymagazine.com Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E109
    March 18 · 44 min

    Brotherhood Is Medicine: How Broreavement Is Changing the Way Boys and Men Grieve | Podcasthon 2026

    Grief and Light is proud to participate in Podcasthon 2026, the world's largest podcast charity initiative, joining podcasters across the globe to amplify the organizations doing work that the world needs to hear about. Learn more: podcasthon.org *** What happens when men are never given permission to grieve? In this episode, we hear from Daniel Ratchford, founder and president of Broreavement, and Quaheem Brooks, two men who are building something life-affirming: a brotherhood for men and boys of color navigating the turbulent, often silent, experience of grief and loss. Broreavement was born from personal pain and transformed into a mission. A mission to break the stigma around men's grief, create safe spaces for emotional expression, and prove that healing doesn't have to happen alone. This episode celebrates the power of shared stories, safe spaces, and community efforts to heal grief and build resilience among men and youth. If this message resonates with you, consider supporting or joining Broreavement’s mission to expand the healing brotherhood. This conversation explores: The origin story behind Broreavement and the loss that sparked it Why men and boys of color are often the most underserved when it comes to grief support How vulnerability, trust, and brotherhood become tools for healing The role of everyday activities (like cooking, sports, art, finances, fishing) in creating connection Community programs like prom suit drives and after-school initiatives that offer hope to young people in grief Their vision for taking Broreavement national, and eventually global How you can support this work and create ripple effects of healing in your own community This one is for every boy and man who was told to hold it together. Resources & Links: broreavement.org 🌟Donate Here🌟 @broreavement From workshops to recreational outings to educational resources, Broreavement meets men and boys where they are, offering practical tools, emotional guidance, and real community to those navigating the loss of a loved one. Because healing looks different for everyone, and support should too. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E108
    March 17 · 54 min

    Saving Lives Through Harm Reduction with Thomas Guerra | Podcasthon 2026

    PODCASTHON SPECIAL EPISODE Part of the world's largest charity podcast event — raising awareness for causes that matter What does harm reduction actually look like, and how is it saving lives right now? In this impactful episode, we explore the realities of addiction, harm reduction, and the ongoing fight to save lives. Thomas Guerra of F-Fent.org shares personal insights, dispels common myths, and highlights the vital work being done in communities everywhere, from music festivals to college campuses and beyond. This conversation explores: The current state of overdose deaths and recent trends: around 80,000 in 2024, a significant drop from 110,000 The importance and impact of harm reduction strategies like naloxone / Narcan distribution and fentanyl test strips 5 common misconceptions about recovery and substance use The role of stigma and language in shaping perceptions and community support Community awareness and systemic support in combating the overdose crisis Family dynamics in recovery and supporting loved ones through systemic understanding The evolving landscape of drug toxicity Advocacy for funding and policy reforms supporting harm reduction Personal stories of life-saving interventions and full-circle moments in the field How everyone can contribute, from sharing information to volunteering and donating Connect with Thomas Guerra: 🌟 Donate Here 🌟 f-fent.org Harm Reduction Resources Upcoming Trainings Instagram Previous podcast episode with Thomas Guerra About F-Fent.org: F-fent.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fighting the fent@nyl crisis through education, harm reduction, and community outreach. The goal is life-saving awareness without judgment. Donate Here About Podcasthon: Podcasthon is the biggest charity event in the podcasting world: a fast-growing non-profit initiative uniting thousands of podcasters globally. Hosts dedicate one episode to a charity of their choice, releasing them simultaneously each mid-March to create a massive, international wave of inspiring audio content. Learn more at: podcasthon.org Supporting harm reduction saves lives Everyone has a role: through donation, education, compassionate language, volunteering, or sharing this episode. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E107
    March 10 · 54 min

    Jewelry As a Voice: Empowering Survivors and Economic Resilience with Amanda Nicol

    In this heartfelt episode, Nina Rodriguez interviews Amanda Nicol, a museum-quality jewelry designer and survivor of intimate partner violence (IPV), about transforming trauma into empowerment through her one-of-a-kind jewelry. Amanda shares her journey of resilience, community support, and the importance of storytelling and purpose in her work. Jewelry One of a KIND is a Miami-based jewelry house creating one-of-a-kind pieces designed to be collected. Small batch. Handcrafted. Built to last. Amanda’s jewelry and story highlight how art, purpose, and community can foster healing and resilience after trauma. Explore her work and consider engaging with her workshops for a meaningful experience that supports survivors and promotes social impact. Key Topics: The concept of resilience as a model, not just a metaphor, and how Amanda applies it through her jewelry business Personal stories behind her jewelry pieces, including reflections on grief, trauma, and healing The role of community involvement and advocacy in addressing violence, substance abuse, and mental health How creative expression can reclaim agency and aid in trauma recovery Ethical and sustainable practices in jewelry making, including fair wages and environmental considerations The power of shared experiences, community workshops, and experiential gifting in strengthening bonds Practical insights on balancing business growth, activism, and authentic storytelling IPV Data & Resources: A 2018 by the CDC found ~$104,000 is the average cost of IPV per female survivor in the U.S. (Source) The lifetime economic cost of IPV in the U.S. is estimated at $3.6 trillion. (Source) freefrom.org Reports by FreeFrom Nat'l Survivor Financial Security Map & Score Card (search your state) Connect with Amanda Nicol: jewelryoneofakind.com Shop Collections Book a Meeting Experiences / Workshops Page @jewelry_oneofakind Substack: Jewelry One of A KIND Journal LinkedIn Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E106
    March 3 · 57 min

    Now That She's Gone: Mother Loss, Health Anxiety, and Legacy with Chelsea Ohlemiller

    What does it mean to carry a mother’s love forward after she’s gone? How do you parent a child with life-threatening food allergies? In this heartfelt conversation, Nina Rodriguez sits down with Chelsea Ohlemiller, author of Now That She’s Gone: A Daughter’s Reflections on Loss, Love & a Mother’s Legacy, to explore the enduring impact of mother loss. Chelsea shares how the sudden death of her mother in 2017 reshaped her identity, her marriage, and her parenting, and how writing became both a lifeline and a way to honor her mom’s encouragement. Together, they reflect on how grief evolves over time, what it means to feel “motherless" or "homeless," and how legacy is something we live, not just something we inherit. The conversation also moves into the realities many don’t name: health anxiety after loss, the emotional complexity of hospice, modeling grief for children, and the grief of final goodbyes. Chelsea opens up about how honoring her mother’s encouragement to write became a way to stay connected to her, and how storytelling can transform pain into meaning through writing as both a therapeutic outlet and a living legacy. They also speak candidly about: Parenting children while actively grieving Modeling healthy emotional expression The strain grief can place on marriage Health anxiety after sudden loss The emotional and practical realities of hospice care The sacred, complicated nature of final goodbyes The episode closes with an important and often overlooked conversation about severe food allergies and anaphylaxis; an area Chelsea advocates awareness around as a mother navigating the daily vigilance that comes with protecting a child’s life. This is a conversation about resilience, vulnerability, and the courage to feel deeply, while still choosing to live, love, and create. Takeaways: Loss reshapes identity, relationships, and how we see ourselves. Legacy is something we live, not something frozen in the past. Modeling honest grief gives children permission to feel. Children often show intuitive wisdom in loss. Grief can strain marriage and calls for compassion. Health anxiety after loss is common and valid. Hospice can be a compassionate, supportive transition. Final goodbyes are rarely tidy. Severe food allergies and anaphylaxis need greater awareness. We can carry grief and still live fully in their honor. Connect with Chelsea: Website Get the Book @hopeandharshrealities Resources: The Shock of Anaphylaxis foodallergyawareness.org Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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  • S4 · E105
    February 24 · 51 min

    How Art Helps You Heal Grief (And Become Who You Truly Are) with Susie Stonefield

    What if the mess you've been avoiding is actually the doorway? In this episode, host Nina Rodriguez sits down with transformational creativity and grief coach Susie Stonefield to explore the powerful connection between grief and creative expression. Susie believes creativity isn't a luxury or a talent reserved for the few. It's a birthright. And in times of loss and healing, it can become one of our most powerful companions. Together, they explore how art-making without rules, outcomes, or expectations creates space for emotional healing and truth to surface. They move through grief in its many forms: the death of loved ones, identity shifts, coming out later in life, complicated emotions like anger and guilt, and the collective grief so many of us carry in uncertain times. Susie shares her personal journey through loss and self-discovery, and how those experiences shaped the judgment-free spaces she now holds for others through one-on-one grief coaching and intimate small group "Deep Dives." Her work lives at the intersection of mess and meaning. The messiness of life, she says, isn't something to clean up. It's something to honor. This episode is an invitation to anyone navigating loss, identity, or the quiet ache of feeling stuck. Pick up the art supplies. Feel what's there. Make something from it. Not to fix grief, but to sit beside it. This episode explores: Why creativity is a powerful companion to grief The myth that only “artists” are creative Grief beyond death: identity shifts, coming out later in life, and life transitions Art journaling as a cathartic emotional practice Creating safe, judgment-free spaces for vulnerability Honoring anger, guilt, and the full emotional spectrum The impact of collective grief in today’s world Finding joy alongside sorrow through creative expression Why sharing our stories fosters connection and healing Reflection Invitation: What emotion have I been trying to tidy up instead of express? What would it look like to create without needing it to be “good”? What might emerge if I gave myself permission to make something from my grief? Connect with Susie Stonefield: susiestonefield.com Book a Discovery Call FREEBIE: Grief & Creativity Workbook The Geography of Grief Milton Marks Family Camp Send us Fan Mail Support the show Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. 🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick New episodes wherever you watch or listen. Connect with Nina Rodriguez: griefandlight.com @griefandlight Resting Grief Face on Substack Thank you for listening! If this conversation resonated with you: ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs it ✅ Follow Grief and Light so you never miss a conversation ✅ Leave a review! It helps this podcast reach more hearts Disclaimer: griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers

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