HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self, funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast here. Thank you! For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.Another exciting conversation awaits you here today because Meghan and I have something central in common: our passion for grief and trauma. Speaking the same kind of language, our conversation flowed easily through her personal story of dealing with many losses and trauma, leading to her professional work with clients dealing with grief and trauma, especially in the workplace.    About this week’s guest Meghan Riordan Jarvis, MA, LCSW, is an author, podcast host, TEDx Speaker, and psychotherapist specializing in trauma, grief, and loss. After experiencing PTSD following the deaths of both of her parents within two years of each other, Meghan began speaking on a larger scale about the importance of understanding grief and supporting grievers. Founder of Tacking Point Partners, Meghan, and her team consult regularly with companies addressing grief in the workplace. Meghan’s “Grief is My Side Hustle” platform includes her popular podcast of the same name, her blog, and her free grief writing workshop “Grief Mates.” Meghan’s memoir. “The End of The Hour,” will be published in December 2023.Meghan’s links: Website | InstagramTopics discussed in this episodeMeghan's personal and professional relationship with grief and traumaChildhood trauma: Death of a close family friend through drowningBreak-up, therapy… ultimately leading to Meghan becoming a therapist herselfThe death of her Dad (2017) and Mum (2019) and the different reactions Meghan experiencedWhen and how do you know you need help? Grief in the workplaceWhy people don’t talk about griefResources mentioned in this episodeAnderson Cooper PodcastTrauma therapies: EMDR, Sensory Motor Psychotherapy, Internal Family System, Touch TherapyHelp TextThank you for listening!HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is produced and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Support the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self, funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast here. Thank you! For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.Todays Episode All trauma involves grief but not all grief needs to necessarily be or feel traumatic.When is a loss also traumatic and when is it not? What are the differences between a traumatic loss and a non-traumatic loss?Why and how does it matter? How can we support ourselves and others after a traumatic loss?    All these questions and more are the topics for today's episode.Nathalie’s links: Website | InstagramTopics discussed in this episodeExamples of losses that can be traumatic The difference between traumatic and non-traumatic lossesSymptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)Trauma response in the body Polyvagal theory and its application to traumaNervous system regulationThe importance of trauma-informed, grief-literate professional careResources mentioned in this episodeDr. Stephens Porges's Polyvagal Theory Thank you for listening!HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is produced and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.  Support the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self, funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast here. Thank you! For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.I’m honestly a big fan of Tori and you’ll be too as soon as you see her amazingly creative way in which she processes her life through her art. There is this one post about grief being a gift that keeps on giving which immediately drew me in and I was hooked. Tori and I had an immediate connection even though this interview was the first time we spoke in person. I’m so grateful to her deciding to share about the topic of grief in relation to a person when the relationship in life was difficult which is another place where our lives run in parallel. This is another exciting conversation that I am sure you’ll enjoy as much as I did.    About this week’s guest Tori Press is an artist, author, and anxious human being. She spent 10 years as a graphic designer before quitting to create some space in her life.In 2016 she bought herself a set of markers and began drawing pictures inspired by her yoga practice, mental health struggles, and everyday life. This decision started her on an extraordinary adventure of self-discovery and human connection. Her drawings help her cultivate mindfulness, gratitude, and self-acceptance--and she hopes they do the same for others!She is the author of two books: How to Feel Better, a companion and workbook for dealing with tough times (including grief and loss), and I Am Definitely, Probably Enough (I Think).Tori’s links: Website | InstagramTopics discussed in this episodeThe death of Tori’s deathThe pivotal role of social workers and other support peopleHaving a grieving friend, someone to go through grief with helps to feel less alone and isolated and normalizes the intense experience of grievingThe use of art as a form of creative healingDealing with the loss when the relationship with that person was difficultResources mentioned in this episodeThe Grief Gift Thank you for listening!HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is produced and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Support the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self, funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast here. Thank you! For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.I’m so excited to talk to Mira, an inspirational woman, dealing with the loss and trauma of her partner. I found her through Instagram, where she shares authentically about her journey through her voice that connects with many other grievers, not just young widows. She shares about Brian’s death which came very quickly, within 7 weeks of his second diagnosis, and how she finds her way back to living life as a young widow.  Mira and I speak a common language and share the purpose of teaching people to become grief literate and the importance of working with a trauma-informed lens, which for both of us is the basis of dealing with grief and trauma. About this week’s guest Mira Simone is a widow, mother, published writer, grief coach, and grief-literacy advocate. She is also a registered mental health occupational therapist in Ontario, Canada. In early 2019, Mira's life was blown apart, when her partner Brian was diagnosed with an unbelievably aggressive cancer. He died seven weeks later, leaving her alone with their almost three-year-old daughter. Prior to Brian's death, she worked in the mental health space. But it wasn't until his death that Mira began to explore the grieving process. In 2022, she launched New Moon Mira, her grief coaching business, through which she supports widows and grievers in more intimate group containers and provides grief literacy training for grief-support people and healthcare professionals. She is currently in the early stages of writing a memoir, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts.Mira’s links: Website | InstagramTopics discussed in this episodeGrowing up with her Dad’s chronic illness (Parkinson's)Mira’s husband dying from melanoma (skin cancer)Relational (developmental) trauma triggered through the current lossTraveling and going on adventures helped her to figure grief out on her ownDeveloping an understanding of grief and the nervous systemThank you for listening!HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is produced and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Support the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self, funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast here. Thank you! For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.Today on the podcast I am speaking with John Henry Parker who has experienced multiple losses in his family. From avoiding grief and its emotionality altogether after the loss of his older brother Russel when John was just twenty years old, he could no longer do that when his son Danny died in 2009. Therapeutic writing and helping other troubled veterans as he calls them were his ways of dealing with his loss.About this week’s guest John Henry Parker is a behavioral assessment analyst, writer and audiobook narrator. For over 35 years, he has immersed himself in the work of personal transformation with a simple philosophy; Apply everything to self, first.His passion ranges from writing, offering men’s transformational work to the philosophy in life of giving back and paying it forward. His passion for supporting and working with transitioning veterans and their families is in memory of his son Danny, who was killed in an adrenaline-seeking, excessive speed-related motorcycle accident after completing his military service. Danny was a Purple Heart Recipient and Combat Veteran of two deployments to Afghanistan with the Army 10th Mountain Division. John is a former peacetime Marine, and his father was a former Marine, Korean War Combat Veteran, and Air Force Reconnaissance photographer in Vietnam.Check out John’s links:www.harvestingwisdom.comwww.transitioningveteransbook.comTopics discussed in this episodeGrowing up with an alcoholic father and in a ‘bad’ neighborhoodHis mother’s Parkinson’s disease for 35 yearsSignificant losses: John’s older brother Russel through a motorcycle accident when he was twenty, and his son Danny (highspeed motorcycle accident) in 2009Aunt Glady’s influence on John’s view on life: God is love, the gift of empathy, and the law of reciprocityWorking with troubled veterans Epigenetic traumaResources mentioned in this episodeBruce Lipton, Joe DispenzaThank you for listening! If you’d like to be updated on future episodes, please subscribe to the newsletter on Nathalie Himmelrich.comSupport the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

Welcome to Season 4!We are nearing the shows 1-year anniversary! Exciting changes await... Thank you for listening, I greatly appreciate you ♥️Nathalie HimmelrichYour Podcast HostSupport the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self, funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast here. Thank you! Today on the podcast I am speaking with Shannon Traphagen about the loss of the love of her life and best friend from brain cancer. She so beautifully describes feeling rudderless and lost after having spent all her adult life with her husband. Before her husband’s diagnosis, they were on the road to adoption but due to his illness, they also lost that option. Shannon slept downstairs on the couch for a year to avoid the loneliness of the bedroom she had shared with her husband and the baby’s room across the hallway. She slowly worked her way back into embracing her life and now helps others through her podcast. Shannon speaks about vulnerability and loneliness, a topic she feels is not discussed enough in grief. About this week’s guest Shannon Traphagen, MSW, is a published author, motivational grief & loss speaker, patient advocate, and host of The Game On Glio Podcast. A show centered around the stories of brain cancer patients, caregivers, doctors, researchers, therapists, and grief and loss journeys. With a background in magazine publishing, social work, and modern media, Shannon is also walking through her own grief journey after losing her 45-year-old husband to Glioblastoma two years ago. She now helps others through her podcast and her own experiences, bridging the gap in communication between patients/families, widows, and the medical community. She is also the founder of Traphagen's Trail Ride 4 Brain Cancer, a cycling fundraiser which has raised over $30,000 to date for brain cancer clinical trials. Shannon’s links:WebsiteIG @gameongliopodcastLinkTreeTopics discussed in this episodeMiscarriagesThe diagnosis of brain cancer of her husband led to the loss of adoption in the processThe death of her husband from glioblastomaHow to come to ‘I’m ok with this (loss)’ Vulnerability and lonelinessSecondary lossesFinding resilience through creating meaningResources mentioned in this episodePodcast episode with Amber who also lost her husband from brain cancerLinks--> For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website. --> Subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes Support the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast here. Thank you! Part 2Today on the podcast I am speaking with Sarah Stillman, who suffered preeclampsia and concealed placental abruption, leading to the stillbirth of her first son. Having been sexually assaulted earlier on in her life in a medical environment, she was very clear about needing to take charge of her medical care to avoid further traumatization. Unfortunately, the developments her pregnancy experienced leading to emergency care, resulted in her experiencing more trauma.We had such a rich conversation that this became a double episode. Make sure you listen to the second part which is going to be published a week after this in which we dive much deeper into the topic of pregnancy after loss and how to deal with the trauma of sexual assault.     About this week’s guest Sarah is one of Nathaniel’s two mamas (yes, he has two moms)! Nathaniel is Sarah and Amy’s firstborn son conceived through IVF with a traumatic ending in severe early-onset preeclampsia, placental abruption, emergency C-section, a brief NICU stay and death within his mother’s arms. Sarah took to grieving, finding out what happened, and planning for future pregnancy like a full-time job, and in the midst of the uncertainty and haze of grief, identified resources that helped answer critical questions. In honour of her son, she created whenmybabydied.com which aims to offer families a centralized resource hub of information and answers for the question no parent ever thought they’d have to find. Sarah is currently pregnant with Nathaniel’s sibling who is expected to be born in April 2023. She lives with her wife, two dogs, and Nathaniel’s warrior spirit in Central Massachusetts.Check out Sarah’s links:When My Baby Died Topics discussed in this episode Part TwoEmpty arm syndromePregnancy after lossSexual assault The effect of prior trauma on pregnancyGrieving the loss of having planned for a healing event when it turns into a new traumaResources mentioned in this episodeEMDR Eye Movement Desensitization and ReprocessingGrieving Parents Support NetworkLinks--> For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website. --> Subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.--> Join the podcast’s Support the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self, funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast here. Thank you! Today on the podcast I am speaking with Sarah Stillman, who suffered preeclampsia and concealed placental abruption which led to the stillbirth of her first son. Having been sexually assaulted earlier on in her life in a medical environment, she was very clear about needing to take charge of her medical care to avoid further traumatization. Unfortunately, the developments her pregnancy experienced leading to emergency care, resulted in her experiencing more trauma.We had such a rich conversation that this became a double episode. Make sure you listen to the second part which is going to be published a week after this in which we dive much deeper into the topic of pregnancy after loss and how to deal with the trauma of sexual assault.     About this week’s guest Sarah is one of Nathaniel’s two mamas (yes, he has two moms)! Nathaniel is Sarah and Amy’s firstborn son conceived through IVF with a traumatic ending in severe early-onset preeclampsia, placental abruption, emergency C-section, a brief NICU stay, and death within his mother’s arms. Sarah took to grieving, finding out what happened, and planning for future pregnancy like a full-time job, and in the midst of the uncertainty and haze of grief, identified resources that helped answer critical questions. In honor of her son, she created whenmybabydied.com which aims to offer families a centralized resource hub of information and answers for the question no parent ever thought they’d have to find. Sarah is currently pregnant with Nathaniel’s sibling who is expected to be born in April 2023. She lives with her wife, two dogs, and Nathaniel’s warrior spirit in Central Massachusetts.Check out Sarah’s links:When My Baby Died Topics discussed in this episode Part OneEarly miscarriage, appendicitis operation during subsequent pregnancy, preeclampsia leading to the stillbirth of her son Nathaniel Prior sexual assault trauma leading to challenges in medical care during pregnancyLoss and trauma Secondary lossesResources mentioned in this episodeEMDR Eye Movement Desensitization and ReprocessingGrieving Parents Support NetworkLinks--> For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website. --> Subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.--> Join the podcast’s Support the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self, funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast here. Thank you! Today on the podcast I am speaking with Ana Vick about the trauma of stillbirth and pregnancy loss. Ana believes in the importance of stillbirth prevention during pregnancy. Having experienced the trauma of pregnancy loss multiple times, and finding out more about Owen’s reason for death helped her move from self-blame and shame and gave her some sort of closure. This allowed Ana to turn her story into a meaningful advocacy to support others not having to experience what she had.  About this week’s guest Ana Lepe Vick is a maternal health advocate and stillbirth rights activist who grew up in the Bay Area and is a recent North Carolina transplant. She is a wife and mother of 3, known as Still My Son on social media where she finds support and inspiration to continue pushing for change in memory of her middle son, Owen Nathaniel, and all babies gone too soon. Owen was unexpectedly born still at almost 32 weeks of a perfect "textbook" pregnancy via crash c-section. She also suffered miscarriages before and after Owen's death so she’s no stranger to the trauma of pregnancy loss. Although she would much rather have her son in her arms, she proudly parents Owen through her activism and role as Co-Director of Communications of PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy (a stillbirth prevention non-profit she helped found with other bereaved families in 2021). As part of the Count the Kicks Influencer Advisory Board she leads targeted efforts to outreach to Spanish-speaking communities because every parent deserves to know how to protect their baby through fetal movement education. She is the Social Media Lead for the SHINE for Autumn Act, which is a bill she hopes will be passed soon for the U.S. to start making a systemic change to prevent stillbirths. In addition, Ana is helping to spread “Womb Wisdom” through her new educational platform, Sacred Birth Circle, where she interviews maternal health experts & birthing parents to help families be better informed about their pregnancy and birth journeys. She will always wish her family could be complete, but she’s thankful she can keep her son’s memory alive while saving babies in his honor. Check out Ana’s links:Instagram Still My Son and Sacred Birth Circle Topics discussed in this episodeThe stillbirth of her son Owen The trauma of pregnancy lossThe importance of stillbirth prevention during pregnancyKnowing the reason for Owen’s death helped Ana move from guilt and gave her some sort of closureResources mentioned in this episodeSupport the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast here. Thank you! Today on the podcast I am speaking with Estelle Thompson, who has been an inspiration for me for years. We’ve met on Instagram as part of a yearly event called May We All Heal which I started in 2015 and gave grieving mothers a creative outlet and an avenue to share with others. Estelle has a way of using art and yoga in her healing journey that drew me in and it was an honor for me to be speaking with her. Here is someone who can laugh while crying, who exemplifies living with the paradox of living a creative life while holding the gift of what death has brought her.  About this week’s guest Estelle Thomson, M.A. in Counselling Psychology is a leading yoga teacher and educator in the intersecting fields of expressive arts, embodied movement, and psychology. With over ten years of experience, her work explores the relationship between breath, body, emotions, imagination, and play. Estelle is a faculty member of Quantum University, internationally recognized for offering online courses and graduate degree programs in holistic, alternative, natural, and integrative medicine. Estelle leads numerous lectures, workshops, and retreats locally and internationally.Estelle’s links: Website | InstagramTopics discussed in this episodeGiving birth prematurely and the unexpected death of her son Tommy Tinker when he was just 2 years old Art and yoga saved her lifeWriting for griefChange of identityHow to use creativityResources mentioned in this episode Grieving Parents Support Network (FB page) and May We All Heal event and peer support group.Tommy Tinker Forever DocumentaryEstelle’s RetreatsLinks--> For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website. --> Subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.--> Join the podcast’s Instagram page.Thanks for listening to HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA. If you’d like to be updated on future episodes, please subscribe to my newsletter on Support the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self, funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast here. Thank you!  Today on the podcast I am speaking with Lisa Bolton who experienced multiple losses in her life. She talks about dealing with loss after loss, the intense grieving bringing her to the brink of suicide, and the pivotal importance of her support system. She says: Without support, you can’t go through it. In her case, she had her church and a group of mothers who all had lost children through a drug overdose. In making her loss meaningful, Lisa beautifully describes how she allows her daughter to live through her. Another really important part of our conversation dealt with the topic of comparing losses, especially in the case of blended families dealing with losses on both sides and the importance of relational support within the family. About this week’s guest Originally from New Jersey, Lisa now lives in Florida. After having been married for 25 years, she divorced and later remarried. She is a mother to 3 biological children, 2 stepchildren, and one foster child, but she considers them all hers. She has been an Early Childhood Administrator for almost 40 years. A few years ago, she also became a Stillbirth Doula, Support Group Facilitator and Grief Counselor for adults, children, and adolescents. Her grief journey began 34 years ago when she lost her first-born son to a miscarriage. 30 years later she lost her rainbow baby, her beautiful 26-year-old daughter to an overdose of heroin laced with fentanyl. In between those losses, she also lost her wonderful 18-year-old stepdaughter to a rare autoimmune disease. Read more about Lisa here...Topics discussed in this episodeMultiple losses: Pregnancy loss of her son DJ, loss of her daughter in 2019 and stepdaughter in 2015Dealing with the most intense days of grief, suicidal tendencies, and the vital importance of supportComparing losses in a blended family situationExpressive versus cognitive ways of grieving, and cultural differences in grievingHow to incorporate the memory of her children into her own lifeResources mentioned in this episodePodcast episode – Parents reflecting on grief and loss 11 years afterLinks--> For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website. --> Subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes Support the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self, funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast here. Thank you! Today on the podcast I am speaking with Katherine Lazar who lost her son Brody in a late-term stillbirth just a year ago during her first pregnancy. She knew early on that she needed to speak with other moms who had experienced what she had. Katherine felt the importance of finding people that had the same grief vibe. The conversations with these women turned into her podcast At a Total Loss. From helping herself cope, the podcast was a way to reach others and helped them to cope with their losses. About this week’s guest Katherine Lazar currently lives in Atlanta, GA in the US and is married to the love of her life, Brody’s dad, Michael. When she was 37 weeks pregnant, her precious son died and was stillborn. The sorrow following his death almost killed her. Conversations with other loss moms saved her. She decided to record them and put them out for others to hear. If they helped her feel less alone, maybe they could help others. She’s so proud to have created this in Brody’s honor and to give other mothers a platform to talk about their babies. Finding my purpose has helped her in so many ways, and she is a big believer in helping others do the same with real talk and honesty about life after loss. Read more about Katherine here.Check out Katherine’s links here: Website | Instagram | YouTubeTopics discussed in this episodeLate-term stillbirth of her son BrodyBirth traumaFinding relief in speaking with others who had experienced stillbirthHelping herself cope lead to starting a podcast to help othersDifferences in grieving: instrumental and emotional way of grievingResources mentioned in this episodeKatherine’s Podcast At a Total LossMay We All Heal – peer support group for grieving parentsPodcast episode – Parents reflecting on grief and loss 11 years afterLinks--> For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website. --> Subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes Support the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self, funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast here. Thank you! Today on the podcast I am speaking with Shelby Forsythia who lost her mother due to breast cancer following years of treatment. Shelby was just twenty-one and this traumatic experience influenced her life as a young adult. Dealing with her loss, she delved into understanding and learning about grief.  Later, she experienced loss again after separating from her fiancée on the same day as she lost her job. Even though Shelby was practiced at dealing with grief, it did not make the pain of grief become any easier when, on top of everything else, she then also lost her best friend, but there was more awareness of how to support herself through it.  About this week’s guest Shelby Forsythia (she/her) is a grief guide, author, and podcast host. In 2020, she founded Life After Loss Academy, an online course and community that has helped dozens of grievers grow and find their way after death, divorce, diagnosis, and other major life transitions. Following her mother’s death in 2013, Shelby began calling herself a “student of grief” and now devotes her days to reading, writing, and speaking about loss. Through a combination of mindfulness tools and intuitive, open-ended questions, she guides her clients to welcome grief as a teacher and create meaningful lives that honor and include the heartbreaks they’ve faced. Her work has been featured in Huffington Post, Bustle, and The Oprah Magazine.Check out Shelby’s links here: Website | Instagram Topics discussed in this episodeThe death of her mother from breast cancer, following four years of treatmentFamily health challenges and Dad’s personality changes due to two brain aneurysmsLoss of faith  Various ways of coping with grief: an eating disorder, delving into working, setting healthy boundaries around her grief, accepting help when offered, using her voiceBeing guided by: Where does my grief want me to go? The loss of her fiancée, her job, and her best friendLinks--> For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website. --> Subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.--> Join the podcast’s Support the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast here. Thank you! Today on the podcast I am speaking with Clover Stroud, a British journalist, and author, telling us about her beautifully rich and colorful life, which also included deep trauma within her family of origin. She shares about the ambiguous loss of her mother who suffered a horse-riding accident and because of it became brain-damaged when Clover was only sixteen years old. Her mother was alive but no longer capable to fulfil her role as a mother. She required full-time care following her accident and died 20 years later. During their teenage years, Clover and her two years older sister Nell formed a close bond, as they first cared for their mother in their home. This role reversal had a huge impact on Clover’s outlook on life. Not even 50, Nell was diagnosed with cancer and died within a couple of years of their mother’s death.Clover believes that what saved her life was to be creating and really going after life. One of her quotes from the podcast that I will keep as a reminder of our conversation is that grief can be a creative act. About this week’s guest Clover Stroud is a writer and a journalist and has five children. She writes about the way life feels, mining her own experiences to draw universal truths about what it means to be human. She never shies away from the big topics and writes with startling honesty about life, death, sex, addiction, motherhood, nature, grief, ecstasy, and suffering.She started her career as a journalist at 24, and since then has written regularly for all the major newspapers and publications, including The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, The Telegraph, Vogue, Red, Harpers, Elle, and she frequently appears on radio or podcasts as a distinctive and singular voice. She has published three memoirs, all Sunday Times bestsellers, and is working on her next book. Clover hosts a weekly author interview on her popular Instagram page @clover.stroud. Check out her website here for details on her memoirs. Topics discussed in this episodeGrieving the relationship with her mother after her accident and brain damage, the first loss, and caring for her at home with her sister as two teenagersTwenty years later her mother died, and a new kind of griefTwo years later her sister’s cancer diagnosis led to her deathResources mentioned in this episode Clover’s book: The Red of My Blood Links--> For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website. --> Subscribe to the Support the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast here. Thank you! Today on the podcast I am speaking with Amber, a young widow, and divorcee who now raises four children on her own. She lost her husband Tim just seven months ago after a 16-months battle with cancer. She now is the captain steering the ship of her family, running a household with four children under twelve, at the same time as tending to her grief and her own needs.Amber is a guiding light as to the resilience she draws from, inspiring with her version of grieving seeing it as a sacred time while also growing and evolving as her own person and in her life after the loss of her soulmate. She believes that ‘laughing means singing Tim’s song’ and it is a way to show her love for him. Amber shares this beautiful advice she picked up early on after her husband died:About this week’s guest Amber Jackson is a mom of four (one with special needs) and a cancer widow but that hasn’t stopped her from living life to the fullest. She is a self-proclaimed life enthusiast and is determined to see everything that life has to offer, including the bad, as something she can learn from. She loves tulips, pizza Friday, and kitchen dance parties.Visit Amber's Instagram page here. Topics discussed in this episodeDivorced twice with two young childrenWidowed by the age of 32 raising four children on her ownSupport of family, friends, and churchBeing faced with mortality and living with anticipatory grief The benefit of regular, ongoing therapySeeing grief as a sacred timeLinks--> For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website. --> Subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.--> Join the podcast’s Instagram page.Thanks for listening to HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA. If you’d like to be updated on future episodes, please subscribe to my newsletter on Nathalie Himmelrich.comIf you need grief support, please contact me for a FREE 30 min discovery session.HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is produced and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Support this PodcastTo support this podcast, please rate, review, subscribe to, or follow the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you.Remember to keep breathing, I promise, it will get easier.Support the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

Today on the podcast I have the honor to be speaking with Turiya Hanover for the second time, revisiting her first year of grief over the loss of her partner Maia and the associated trauma. Turiya and I share a passion: befriending death. Not everyone’s cup of tea in terms of passions but you will enjoy listening to this episode if you are interested in looking behind the veils of life, birth, death, and everything in between. *Just a note on the sound quality of this episode: Given I recorded this during my sabbatical in South Africa with a different microphone than usual, the sound quality is slightly different.  About this week’s guest Turiya is the co-founder of Path Retreats and the transformational process - Path of Love with Rafia Morgan. Together they also lead a one-year Holistic Counsellor training for therapists called Working with People – School of Counselling. She has been trained in many different modalities such as Gestalt, Bioenergetics, Psychodrama, Family Therapy (V. Satir), NLP, Hypnosis, Somatic Experiencing™ (Peter Levine), Ego Psychology, Family Constellation, Enneagram and Astrology, and Essence Work.Turiya's personal journey into human development started when she did her first 2-year Jungian Psychotherapy course aged 22, followed by an encounter workshop in 1970 in Germany. The revelation and exploration of this Humanistic Psychology approach took Turiya by surprise. The internal shift that she experienced was so profound, that she and her husband, set on a new course of human discovery, which led them to India. Through learning meditation, living, and working in a community under the guidance of a master, she developed a unique approach in working with people that is a synthesis of eastern insights, living awareness and western approach to humanistic psychology.Read more...Topics discussed in this episodeReviewing the first year of grief and traumaThe ongoing connection felt with MaiaThe fear of abandonmentLoneliness, aloneness, being alone and feeling alonePreparing for death in the later stages of lifeDeath-defying culture versus befriending deathResources mentioned in this episodeStephen JenkinsonLinks--> For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website. --> Subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.--> Join the podcast’s Instagram page.Thanks for listening to HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA. If you’d like to be updated on future episodes, please subscribe to my newsletter on Support the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

Today on the podcast I’m speaking with Keem Fares, the mother of Karina, a spirited intelligent young gymnast, who died in a freak accident when she was 12 years old. In our conversation, we draw the connection from early grief to when we worked on the book Surviving My First Year of Child Loss in 2017 to now, 8 years after Karina’s death. I can highly recommend listening to this episode with Keem because she so beautifully describes how grief has affected her life, her relationship, and her faith and how it has evolved from pure survival to how she experiences it now, after 8 years. This was without a doubt the most interesting conversation I had on the topic of how faith and grief interact, especially given the fact that I would call myself a strongly spiritual but non-religious person. About this week’s guest Keem Fares is a Non-Profit professional and holds a leadership position in Financial Operations. Originally from Mexico herself, she met her husband in Cairo, Egypt, where they lived for 15 years before moving to San Diego, California in 2011.Keem struggles to rediscover herself after the accidental death of her 12-year-old daughter, Karina, in 2015. She finds joy in her son Mark, and together with her husband, they rely on their faith in hope. They established Karina’s Joy Foundation to perpetuate Karina’s joyful spirit and giving nature through youth scholarships and acts of kindness. She says, “I don’t have answers. I simply intentionally survive one moment, one day, one week, one month, one year…and then I do it again. Maybe, someday I’ll have survived enough to live and perhaps even thrive. In the midst of my own darkness, I can trust and hope that a rainbow might appear. One stormy day at a time, I am expecting rainbows.”Topics discussed in this episodeThe impact of her teenage daughter’s death on her lifeHow grief evolved from surviving to becoming ‘comfortable’ with griefPre-grief in the times before death-anniversariesFinding comfort in community onlineSocial media offering both comfort and triggersWhat grief looks like 8 years later, effects on relationship and faithResources mentioned in this episodeSurviving My First Year of Child LossLinks--> For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website. --> Subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.--> Join the podcast’s Instagram page.Thanks for listening to HOW TO DEAL WISupport the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

Today on the podcast I’m speaking with Jessica Zucker who is widely known on social media due to the movement she started in response to her miscarriage. She openly talks about her 16-week miscarriage and the more recent trauma of her journey with breast cancer.Similarly to Jessica’s intent with her #IHadaMiscarriage movement, this podcast is encouraging people to speak about the trauma they have endured and the grief they are dealing with. Having chosen that path herself, Jessica says:‘Without truth and candidness around these life experiences, then what? It's almost like then the onus is on us to sort of feel ashamed or silenced or embarrassed or like a failure. Culture wouldn't mind us feeling like that because then it would be easier if we just kind of curl up in a ball and keep it to ourselves, but I have clearly chosen not to do that.’ About this week’s guest Dr Jessica Zucker is a psychologist specializing in reproductive health and the author of I had a Miscarriage: A Memoir, a Movement. She’s the creator of the #IHadaMiscarriage campaign. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, New York Magazine, and Vogue, among others. Jessica’s second book is in the works.Jessica’s links:Jessica Zucker’s WebsiteInstagram: @ihadamiscarriageTopics discussed in this episode16-week miscarriage Unmedicated dilation and curettage (D&C)The long journey with breast cancerDealing with the physical trauma of multiple operations and people’s reactionsResources mentioned in this episodeSaying it Loudly: I Had a Miscarriage (New York Times article)Links--> For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website. --> Subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.--> Join the podcast’s Instagram page.Thanks for listening to HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA. If you’d like to be updated on future episodes, please subscribe to my newsletter on Nathalie Himmelrich.comIf you need grief support, please contact me for a FREE 30 min discovery session.HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is produced and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Support this PodcastTo support this podcast, please rate, review, subscribe to, or follow the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wheSupport the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite

Today on the podcast I have the honour to dive deep into loss and trauma with Rachelle Spencer, who I’ve known since 2016. She has experienced multiple miscarriages and an abusive, toxic relationship. Rachelle is proud of who she has become not because but despite of her grief and trauma. Rachelle found the support of a therapist instrumental in her healing and in making healthy decisions:‘I know you mentioned therapist, but that was hugely instrumental for me to have a safe place, a sounding board. I don’t want to underestimate how big that was because I was figuring things out and learning to make decisions on my own. There was one person that completely supported whatever decision I made and trusted me to figure it out.’ About this week’s guest Rachelle Spencer is an entrepreneur and mom in Baltimore, Maryland (USA). She started her handmade jewellery business after she lost 4 children to early miscarriage. She now has a son, daughter, and another little one on the way. She spends most of her time doing photography, reading children's books, or trying her hand out at a new creative outlet.Rachelle’s links:Website: www.rachelle-isms.comInstagram: @rachelle.isms Topics discussed in this episodeMultiple miscarriages Toxic relationship leading to divorceEducating children, helping them understand how to deal with emotions, consent, trauma etcCo-parenting and parenting as a blended family The value of therapeutic supportSecondary lossesResources mentioned in this episodeMay We All Heal peer support groupLinks--> For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website. --> Subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.--> Join the podcast’s Instagram page.Thanks for listening to HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA. If you’d like to be updated on future episodes, please subscribe to my newsletter on Nathalie Himmelrich.comIf you need grief support, please contact me for a FREE 30 min discovery session.HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is produced and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Support this PodcastTo support this podcast, please rate, review, subscribe to, or follow the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you.Remember to keep breathing, I promise, it will get easier. Support the showSupport the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/monthJoin Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBookBook a complimentary Discovery CallLeave a review Follow on socials: InstagramFacebookWebsite