"Joy is sinewy, fibrous, raw. She shows up in the dark, not instead of it."

This week on Restorative Grief, we’re sitting with Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald to explore what she calls the “gritty joy” that grows right alongside our grief. In her newest book, The Joy Reset, she names six “joy thieves” that keep us from accessing healing and explains why our resistance to joy is not a failure—it’s part of how our nervous system protects us.

Together, we’ll talk about what it looks like to invite tiny joys back into our days without bypassing pain, how hope is wired into our brains, and why joy is not the opposite of grief but a companion that helps us keep moving forward.

Links + Resources from this episode:

• Connect with MaryCatherine on TT and IG
• Join our Patreon
• Learn more about coaching opportunities
• Follow Mandy on Instagram