In this episode of How Not to Suck at Divorce, Andrea Rappaport and Morgan Stogsdill get into the often-overlooked connection between divorce and grief. Divorce can intensify feelings of loss, loneliness, and emotional pain, making it crucial to find healthy coping mechanisms, community support, and tools for personal growth.

The hosts explore why grief isn’t just about the death of a loved one—it’s also a natural and valid response to the end of a marriage or relationship. They break down common misconceptions about grief, the importance of mental health support, and how to create grief-informed workplaces that help employees heal. You’ll also hear actionable strategies for emotional healing, including creative outlets and building supportive communities.

If you’re navigating the complex emotions of divorce and grief this conversation offers both compassion and practical guidance.

What you'll learn:

• Divorce is grief: Ending a marriage is a major life loss that requires emotional healing.
• Holidays amplify emotions: Loneliness and sadness often increase during seasonal gatherings.
• Grief is not linear: It may show up as anger, sadness, guilt, or even relief.
• Misconceptions hurt healing: Ignoring or minimizing grief can slow down recovery.
• Community matters: Leaning on support groups, friends, and family can ease the burden.
• No set timeline: Everyone’s grieving process looks different.
• Workplace awareness: Grief-informed policies benefit both employees and employers.
• Creative outlets help: Journaling, art, and other self-expressive activities can be powerful coping tools.
• Validation is healing: Recognizing all forms of grief encourages healthier mental health.
• You’re not alone: Many people share similar struggles and experiences.

Rebecca Feinglos (pronounced fine-gloss) is a certified grief support specialist and founder of Grieve Leave. Rebecca founded Grieve Leave in 2021 as a way to document her experience on a year-long grief sabbatical, as a way to process her own grief and loss— she lost her mother in her teens, her father in 2020, and her marriage in a drawn-out divorce. Grieve Leave has grown into a community of 25,000 that provides tangible takeaways, resources, and a healthy dose of humor, creating an entire movement around taking intentional time to grieve. Rebecca has been featured in LA Times, Fortune, TIME, HuffPost, Slate, and ELLE for her raw and revolutionary voice, inspiring a more grief-informed world.

Resouces:

Grieve Leave: check them out here: www.greiveleave.com

Soberlink: Save $$ off your alcohol monitoring device by visiting Soberlink here: www.soberlink.com/notsuck

Our Divorce Crash Course was designed to hold your hand through the process and help you avoid major and expensive mistakes. Learn more here: https://www.hownottosuckatdivorce.com/divorce-crash-course

Our Family Wizard is another fantasitc resource for those who need help navigating the "fun" world of coparenting. Head to this landing page to see how we work closely with them to support our listeners! http://www.ourfamilywizard.com/notsuck

How Not to Suck at Divorce Private Community: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1EdbV4Yr79/

Friends, slide into our dms, we love love love hearing from you. We are always here to listen and help in any way we can. You've got this and we've got you.

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Follow Morgan: @divorceattorneychicago

Mentioned in this episode:

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