"There are still mornings I wake up and think 'Is this really my life?' You have moments where you're not sure if it was a bad dream." 

Kari, who suddenly lost her son, Carter, still finds herself asking this question despite stepping into and beginning to honor her grief journey 12 years ago. Grief and bereavement may change over time but it never goes away. Join me as I chat with Kari about her experience with grief as she normalizes the experiences of:

• Bereavement changing over time
• "Hanging on" to keep a legacy vs. "disappearing in the mist"
• Parenting another teenager/sibling as she also attempts to care for herself

Kari is a devoted wife to Steve and mother of two sons - Jake, almost 27, who is a newlywed living in Oregon and Carter, who would be 24 this year, but died at the sweet age of 12 back in 2010. When she's not working as a nurse, you'll find her in the garden or in the middle of one of her home improvement projects tripping over her dogs.

If you resonated with this episode, please share it with someone you believe would benefit from the information; so they too can begin to build hope in their grief journey. I'd also love for you to connect with me on Instagram (@exposing_grief) so I can personally thank you for listening and sharing.

If you'd like to connect with me, email me at [email protected]. 

Mentioned Resource

• Grief Club of Minnesota 

August 30th is National Grief Awareness Day! One of the most effective ways to raise awareness is though having conversations about the topic or matter we're wanting to increase awareness around. So that's what this episode is going to do!

Join me as I highlight 10 facts about grief (or grief therapy) that grief therapists/counselors want you to know. I'll discuss factors such as:

• Debunking a few grief myths 
• Highlighting what grief therapy actually looks like 
• Grief therapists' hopes for you (whether a client or not) as you walk through and honor your grief journey

The mission of this episode is to shed light on what the grieving process actually looks like, as well as debunk any myths that get in the way of one's ability to honor their grief journey. 

The two resources I mentioned in the episode are listed below:

• Grief Break Blog Article 
• Alan Wolfelt's "Understanding Your Grief" Book

If you resonated with this episode, please share it with someone you believe would benefit from the information; so they too can begin to build hope in their grief journey. Raising awareness is most effective when it reaches as many people as possible. I appreciate you being part of creating the platform to discuss the important topic of grief!
I'd also love for you to connect with me on Instagram (@exposing_grief) so I can personally thank you for listening and sharing.

If you'd like to connect with me further, you may email me at [email protected].

"I'm realizing, the more and more people I talk to, how much there is a collective experience around grief."

Kristin unexpectedly stepped into her grief journey about 90 days ago when her father passed. As she embarks on her grief journey and is doing her best to honor that journey, she is reminded and enlightened by the collective nature of grief. I invite you to join my guest, Kristin, and me as she talks about how:

1. Grief being a collective experience and 
2. The importance behind talking about grief with others who have experienced loss

has benefited her process up to this point. She also provides ideas around how to bring the collective grief experience "into the light" and start building a sense of community; leaving you feeling as though you are not alone in this journey. 

Kristin Strunk is a highly versatile, progressive, human resources and talent professional with over 20 years of progressive experience in communication, organizational change, employee and labor relations, international HR, learning and development, culture and organizational transformations, and leadership coaching. 

She grew up in the Milwaukee area and is a Marquette University alumnus. She and her husband, Charlie, enjoy traveling and gardening.

If you resonated with this episode, please share it with someone you believe would benefit from the information; so they too can begin to build hope in their grief journey. I'd also love for you to connect with me on Instagram (@exposing_grief) so I can personally thank you for listening and sharing.

If you have questions for me or would like to share your own story with my listeners, please don't hesitate to reach out.

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.bestselftherapy.net 

There are so many layers to grief!  Those who are grieving, experience them all, while those outside of the grief (or those supporting the individual who is grieving) only see the surface. If you, as someone who is grieving, were given the opportunity to share the truths about grief that you wish others knew would you? How might this change, influence, or impact your grief journey if those others (whomever they may be) knew what you really wanted them to know about your experience and grief process? 

This episode breaks the barrier between what those who are grieving experience that others have no clue are part of the process. In doing this, a space is not only created for you to feel seen, heard, and validated in your grief journey but a space is also created for those who are supporting you to begin stepping into your reality and understanding just how much of an impact grief has made in your life; allowing them to support you in a healthier and more effective fashion. 

If you were are moved by this episode and would like to add to the 5 things discussed today, I'd love to connect with you at [email protected]. I also invite you to share today's episode with anyone you believe may benefit from or need to hear the information to better help them along in their grief journey. 

YouTube Videos discussed in today's episode:
Looking Behind the Grief Work Curtain - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0-NVrY-L3g&t=101s

Interacting With the Top 4 Common Grief Dynamics - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnNoRGliKLM

Reclaim Your Independence: There's Grief & Then There's You! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRP4s7Uv1I8

If you resonated with this episode, please share it with someone you believe would benefit from the information; so they too can begin to build hope in their grief journey. I'd also love for you to connect with me on Instagram (@exposing_grief) so I can personally thank you for listening and sharing.

If you'd like to connect with me further, you may email me at [email protected].

"I really needed to change my mindset" is what Tanya discovered as she walked through her grief journey before, during, and after her mother's passing. My guest, Tanya, talks about her experience caregiving for her ill mother and how it influenced her grief journey. Join us in our conversation as Tanya highlights:

• The importance of and how to engage in self-care
• The purpose of forgiveness within the grieving process 

Tanya is a Life Coach and Mentor. She currently lives in London, United Kingdom. She has worked for the local government for the past 21 years, 13 years in social services finance and the last 9 years as procurement finance department. She is also trained at her local bereavement centre to support bereaved clients where she now volunteers to support women going through bereavement/ loss. She has 5 siblings and her father currently lives with her in London. Tanya is also currently training to become a grief educator to provide more support for those who are bereaved; particularly women.

If you resonated with this episode, please share it with someone you believe would benefit from the information; so they too can begin to build hope in their grief journey. I'd also love for you to connect with me on Instagram (@exposing_grief) so I can personally thank you for listening and sharing.

If you have questions for me or would like to share your own story with my listeners, please don't hesitate to reach out.

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.bestselftherapy.net 

"There are moments I am grateful for the grief and heartache." Depending on where you are in your grief journey, this statement may seem impossible to grasp. For Topaz, my guest for this episode, would agree if she heard this 10 years ago when she experienced her first major loss. As she embarked on her grief journey, she encountered healing experiences and opportunities of growth covered that guided her towards this other perspective of grief. Some of the experiences she encountered that are covered in this episode are:

1. The influences of public grief vs. private grief 
2. The role of emotional fitness within the grief journey
3. There is no linear timeline in grief

Join me as I chat with Topaz about how the above experiences created a grief journey that allowed her to "become a better person." 

Topaz is an Equity stage manager with her BFA from UMD and her MFA from UC, San Diego. Some theaters she has worked at over the years include: the Old Globe, the La Jolla Playhouse the Children's Theater Company in Minneapolis, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, the Clarence Brown Theater, Moonlight Stage Productions, and the Duluth Playhouse. Her experience in stage management range from new plays and musicals, to opera, dance, Shakespeare in the park, and devised work. 

If you resonated with this episode, please share it with someone you believe would benefit from the information; so they too can begin to build hope in their grief journey. I'd also love for you to connect with me on Instagram (@exposing_grief) so I can personally thank you for listening and sharing.

If you would like to connect with me, you may email me at [email protected].
Website: www.bestselftherapy.net 

We are finally getting to the heart of this podcast as I sit down with my very first guest, Shaunequa James. In this episode, Shaunequa walks us through her own grief journey around the passing of her mother in 2018. In particular we hit on three important grief experiences:

1. Anticipatory Grief 
2. "Waves of Grief"
3. Loneliness in Grief (i.e. Seeking Support) 

Shaunequa highlights what contributed to her recognizing and honoring her anticipatory grief, how this influenced her experience with the "waves of grief", and how she overcame the loneliness in grief that is so often present. She also provides tips on how to "find your tribe" (i.e. a safe support system) as you walk through your grief journey.

If you'd like to connect with Shaunequa or are curious about Gilda's Club Twin Cities you may contact her via email ([email protected]) or visit Gilda's website (https://www.gildasclubtwincities.org).

If you resonated with this episode, please share it with someone you believe would benefit from the information; so they too can begin to build hope in their grief journey. I'd also love for you to connect with me on Instagram (@exposing_grief) so I can personally thank you for listening and sharing.

If you have questions for me or would like to share your own story with my listeners, please don't hesitate to reach out.

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.bestselftherapy.net 

Welcome to the very first episode of the Exposing Grief podcast! In this episode, I break down what you all can expect from listening to this podcast. I address areas such as: my hopes for you all as you listen to each episode, the types of grief and loss that will be discussed, and the format in which grief will be talked about (i.e. the content and structure of the episodes). Whether you are fresh into your grief journey or have been walking and honoring your grief journey for years, all are welcome! 

The blog I reference in this episode is posted below:

• There's More Than One Type of Loss/Grief? Blog: https://www.bestselftherapy.net/post/there-s-more-than-one-type-of-loss-grief

If you resonated with this episode, please share it with someone you believe would benefit from the information; so they too can begin to build hope in their grief journey. I'd also love for you to connect with me on Instagram (@exposing_grief) so I can personally thank you for listening and sharing.

If you'd like to connect with me, curious about engaging in your own grief work journey or are interested in sharing your own story with my listeners, you may contact me via email at [email protected]. 

In this episode, I open the door for you all to get to know me a little better. There's nothing more powerful in feeling safe with your vulnerabilities than feeling like you know the person you're listening to/working with. Join me as I walk you through the experiences that led me to where I am today; a licensed Marriage and Family therapist and grief counselor guiding others through their grief journey. I share with you the particular experiences that I believe are building blocks of my passion for grief. In addition to this, I also talk about my educational background and who I am outside of my work (if you can even call this work!). 

If you resonated with this episode, please share it with someone you believe would benefit from the information; so they too can begin to build hope in their grief journey. I'd also love for you to connect with me on Instagram (@exposing_grief) so I can personally thank you for listening and sharing.

If you'd like to connect with me, curious about engaging in your own grief work process, or want to share your own story with my listeners you may contact me via email at [email protected].