In this powerful episode I chat with Amber Jeffrey, founder of The Grief Gang, to talk about grief, mental health, and why feeling your grief is a radical act in a world that tells you to move on.
Amber shares her experience of losing her mum at 19 and later her dear friend Poppy - plus the frustration that led her to build a grief community that feels human, creative, and alive.
This conversation is about resisting the rush to move on. It’s about courage that looks like breath-by-breath getting through it. It’s about reclaiming grief as human — not broken. Because grief is everyone’s business. And feeling it? That’s revolutionary.
Together, we explore:
- Why grief isn’t linear (and never neat)
- The harm of pathologising “prolonged grief”
- The failure of traditional grief support systems
- The lifelong, messy nature of grief
- The importance of community in healing
- Radical acts of support and self-compassion
- Why grief connects us all as humanity
- The power of community in healing
- How softness becomes survival in a harsh world
Disclaimer:
This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Nor is it a substitute for professional support.
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- Find out about my work as a Grief Coach and connect with me here: https://www.tanyawilkinson.co.uk
You can connect with Amber Jeffrey and find out about The Grief Gang membership (that I am a facilitator for) here:
- Website: https://www.thegriefgang.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegriefgang
The theme music for Death on the Daily is Set Free by Katie Gray, which is used with artist's permission.
You can connect with Katie and her music and work here https://www.katiegray.com.
This podcast is edited by David Strutt, who you can contact here for any editing needs: [email protected]
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: The Softness of Grief
01:08 Amber Jeffery's Personal Grief Journey
02:01 Societal Support for Grief in 2016 vs Now
03:48 Isolation in Grief and Support Systems
07:50 Therapy Experiences and Barriers
10:27 Starting the Grief Gang Community
12:40 The Need for Diverse Grief Support Modalities
15:33 The Power of Choice in Support Resources
20:53 The Messiness of Multiple Losses
22:35 Grief as a Continuous, Non-Linear Process
25:48 Trusting Hope and the Process of Grief
28:37 The Binary Mindset and Grief's Complexity
32:56 Self-Compassion and Harsh Inner Voices
34:42 Resisting Societal Grief Norms
37:40 Connecting Humanity Through Shared Pain
42:22 Grief as a Universal Experience of Love and Loss
45:13 The Importance of Feeling and Empathy
47:12 The Evolution of the Grief Gang Community
53:18 Creating a Supportive, Joyful Community
59:40 Final Words: Hope and Presence in Grief
