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What happens when life as you know it is shattered in an instant?

In this powerful episode, Dr. Liza Barros-Lane shares her deeply personal journey through young widowhood after the sudden loss of her husband, Brent Lane. Blending personal experience with professional insight as a social work professor and founder of The Young Widowhood Project, Dr. Liza exposes the hidden struggles young widows face — from grief and parenting through trauma to navigating new love while honoring past bonds.

We dive into intuitive premonitions, the complex emotions of "widow’s fire," and the societal pressures to "move on" too soon. Through raw storytelling and heartfelt reflections, Dr. Liza reveals how love, loss, identity, and resilience intertwine — offering a profound reminder that healing isn't about forgetting, but about carrying forward the love that remains.

This episode invites you to rethink everything you thought you knew about grief, resilience, and the lifelong journey of healing.

Guest Biography:

Dr. Liza Barros-Lane is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Houston-Downtown. Her life took a profound turn when, just six months into her tenure, her husband tragically drowned, leaving her a widow at 36 with a young son. This personal loss reshaped her career, inspiring her to focus her research on the emotional and social challenges faced by young widows.

Liza has published widely on the hidden struggles of premature widowhood in leading journals like Death Studies, OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying, and the Journal of Loss and Trauma. She also founded The Young Widowhood Project, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness and advancing research on this often-overlooked experience. Through her social media platform, @TheWidowedResearcher, Liza shares her work beyond academia, offering insight, connection, and hope to a broader audience.

Episode Chapters:

(0:00:01) - Young Widowhood

(0:11:30) - Intuitive Premonitions Before Tragedy

(0:20:23) - Navigating Grief and Loss

(0:26:57) - Parenting Challenges After Loss

(0:36:59) - Facing Disenfranchised Grief and Past Lives

(0:50:25) - Exploring Widowhood and Sexuality

(0:56:02) - Surviving Traumatic Bereavement and Financial Stress

(1:02:36) - Long-Term Effects of Traumatic Bereavement

(1:07:10) - Therapy for Traumatic Grief and Bereavement

(1:17:54) - Navigating Love and Loss After Widowhood

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