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Meet Andrianna, a remarkable young woman who experienced the heartbreaking loss of her brother, Christopher, just three years ago. This devastating loss, along with having to navigate a complex relationship with her mother, shaped her path and mission to create a community of support and understanding.
Andrianna is a certified family life educator, holds a B.S in Human Development & Family Studies, and is working on her masters degree in Social Work. She has worked in child advocacy, food banking, nurturing parenting, and in a hospital, where she focused on preventing burnout among staff. Currently, she's interning at a non-profit specializing in helping grieving children.
As part of this mission and her own grieving process, Andrianna founded and hosts the "A Path to Helping Others" podcast, sharing stories about grief, mental health, and moving forward to inspire and remind others that they're not alone.
Click to access the links mentioned in the episode:
Her commitment to making a positive impact is nothing short of inspiring, and we're excited for you to dive into her story, where we discuss adult sibling loss, complex family dynamics, ambiguous grief, holiday grief, and so much more!
Nina Rodriguez Social & Website:
Disclaimer: https://www.griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers
#griefandlight #griefandlightpodcast
Want to sponsor an episode? Contact us via [email protected].
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief.
Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that.
Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully.
Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes.
Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack
Subscribe to the newsletter
🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026
DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support.
Full Disclaimer
...In this heartfelt conversation, my husband, Cesar, and I delve into the complex dynamics of adult sibling loss, and how it has tested, strengthened, and reshaped our relationship.
You will hear a candid exploration of the grief journey from a husband's perspective, providing unique insights into the challenges and triumphs of grieving as a couple. We share our experiences, discussing the initial shock and aftermath of the first three years of grief.
This episode offers a rarely-discussed perspective for those navigating similar journeys of grief and marriage, reminding us all that even in the most challenging times, love and support can be our guiding lights.
Nina Rodriguez Social & Website:
Disclaimer: https://www.griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers
#griefandlight #griefandlightpodcast
Want to sponsor an episode? Contact us via [email protected].
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief.
Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that.
Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully.
Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes.
Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack
Subscribe to the newsletter
🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026
DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support.
Full Disclaimer
...In this episode, we explore how grief can transform and redefine our personal boundaries, either drawing them closer or pushing them further away, as well as how grief triggers, such as anger or sadness, can serve as indicators of these shifting boundaries.
The episode also highlights the challenge of communicating these changing boundaries to others, and emphasizes the importance of honoring them as another part of the grief journey without judgment.
Ultimately, the message is to embrace personal truths, and to honor our natural human reactions to grief with self-compassion.
There's a reference to the difference between pain and suffering, which I delve deeper into in "EP. 6 - The Pain is Real, but the Suffering is Optional".
Nina Rodriguez Social & Website:
Disclaimer: https://www.griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers
#griefandlight #griefandlightpodcast
Want to sponsor an episode? Contact us via [email protected].
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief.
Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that.
Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully.
Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes.
Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack
Subscribe to the newsletter
🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026
DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support.
Full Disclaimer
...Watch the video on YouTube
***
This episode is dedicated to our brothers and sisters in Lāhainā, Maui, who suffered the tremendous loss of their lives, loved ones, homes, and life as they knew it as a result of the catastrophic wildfires on August 2023.
We encourage you to support the ongoing rescue and relief efforts. Here are some organizations making a difference:
***
Melinda Chinen is a grief and life coach based in San Diego, California. Her beautiful energy, her work, and her art reveal much about her story and philosophy about life, death, and life after life.
We delve into her experience with loss after witnessing the decline and death of her best friend, Paige, due to cancer, her work with the terminally ill, her grief and life coaching experience, her art, and what it means to live, love and grieve meaningfully.
Takeaways:
Melinda may be reached via:
"When you stop doing things by the struggle of your individual will, and you fall into your nature, the power of nature itself has intentions and a design for you, and it will pick you up like a river." - Martha Beck
Nina Rodriguez Social & Website:
Disclaimer: https://www.griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief.
Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that.
Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully.
Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes.
Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack
Subscribe to the newsletter
🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026
DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support.
Full Disclaimer
...Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4M137BJ
I have the honor of introducing a remarkable guest whose life story is a testament to resilience, self-discovery, healing generational trauma, and the power of love.
Her name is Amanda McKoy Flanagan, and she is an author, podcast co-host, a mother, wife, and a life-long spiritual seeker.
In this episode, we’re talking spirituality, personal growth, and inspiring journeys of transformation.
Originally from New York, she now resides in beautiful Colorado. She is co-founder of the nonprofit organization, Castle Rock Clubhouse, a recovery sanctuary, and she is co-host of the Sol Rising Podcast, along with her soul friend Ginny.
She holds a bachelor's degree in English and journalism, and a master's degree in social work.
Today, we celebrate the release of her inspirational memoir, "Trust Yourself to Be All In: Safe to Love and Let Go," quite literally an open-book perspective on generational trauma and healing, sibling loss, love, multiple losses, addiction and recovery, spirituality and healing.
We discuss how to harness the power of various modalities like Rapid Resolution Therapy (RRT), EMDR, meditation, spirituality, Imago Therapy, and more, to heal oneself, marriage, family, and how that healing ripples out to the community and beyond.
Amanda shares what it means to be "all in" and "let go".
She is available for speaking engagements, podcast and blog interviews, workshops, book clubs, and collaborations:
“Allow yourself to be loved when you hurt. Then allow yourself to become love. Then go love others.” — From Trust Yourself to Be All In
Nina Rodriguez Social & Website:
Disclaimer: https://www.griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers
#griefandlight #griefandlightpodcast
Want to sponsor an episode? Contact us via [email protected].
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief.
Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that.
Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully.
Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes.
Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack
Subscribe to the newsletter
🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026
DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support.
Full Disclaimer
...The Ripple Effect: Conversations For Change Series
EP.8 Breaking the Silence on Preventable Stillbirth with Domenique Rice, TJ's Mom
In this moving episode, we have the honor of sitting down with Domenique Rice, a remarkable woman, friend, and Director of Operations for Push for Empowered Pregnancy, who unapologetically shares her story of enduring the devastating birth and stillbirth of her beloved son, TJ, and life thereafter as a mother to her children Heaven- and earth-side.
During this powerful interview, Domenique sheds light on the challenges that birthing parents often face within the U.S. healthcare system. She shares her own experiences and the ways in which she has sought to bring attention to the need for better support, empathy, and resources for parents who have experienced stillbirth.
We delve into Domenique's advocacy work with Push for Empowered Pregnancy, and the initiatives she has undertaken to raise awareness and promote empowered care for birthing parents and their support partners.
From collaborating with healthcare professionals to working with support groups and nonprofit organizations, she has become a driving force for change and a beacon of light for others facing similar journeys.
Links to Resources mentioned in this episode:
--
Disclaimer: This episode contains sensitive content related to stillbirth and infant loss. Listener discretion is advised.
The information discussed in this episode does not constitute medical or legal advice. Always consult your qualified medical care team or attorney for advice.
--
Nina Rodriguez Social & Website:
Disclaimer: https://www.griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers
#griefandlight #griefandlightpodcast
Want to sponsor an episode? Contact us via [email protected].
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief.
Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that.
Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully.
Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes.
Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack
Subscribe to the newsletter
🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026
DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support.
Full Disclaimer
...Welcome to the first of a series of episodes called, "The Ripple Effect: Conversations for Change," where we explore pressing issues, and highlight inspiring individuals making a difference.
In this powerful episode, we delve into the critical topics of fentanyl, overdose prevention, harm reduction, recovery and hope.
Shining a light on these topics and addressing them openly and honestly is a step towards making a positive difference, unshaming, destigmatizing, and ultimately saving lives.
“Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered. Fentanyl is everywhere. From large metropolitan areas to rural America, no community is safe from this poison. We must take every opportunity to spread the word to prevent fentanyl-related overdose death and poisonings for claiming scores of American lives everyday." - DEA.gov
Join us as we delve into the depths of this crisis with our special guest, Thomas Guerra, MS, CEO and Founder of f-fent.org, a Miami-based organization dedicated to lessening the risk of substance use through harm reduction and providing recovery support to individuals who ask for assistance.
He is also available for public speaking engagements.
Thomas may be reached via email at [email protected], or by phone at 786-387-5000.
Visit the following links for:
Enjoy an eye-opening conversation that explores the F-factor behind fentanyl and unveils strategies for raising awareness and fostering hope in the face of adversity.
---
Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is not medical or legal advice. Please contact your local licensed professional for professional advice.
---
Nina Rodriguez Social & Website:
Disclaimer: https://www.griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers
#griefandlight #griefandlightpodcast
Want to sponsor an episode? Contact us via [email protected].
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief.
Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that.
Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully.
Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes.
Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack
Subscribe to the newsletter
🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026
DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support.
Full Disclaimer
...What is the difference between pain and suffering in grief?
Grief is an unwelcome companion that we never invite into our lives.
It barges in unannounced, shattering our world and leaving us to pick up the pieces. It feels as if a part of us has been torn away, leaving behind an emptiness that seems impossible to fill.
But here's the thing, while the pain is undeniably real, the suffering can be optional. It's a choice we have the power to make. So today, I want to explore what it means to embrace our grief, find hope in the darkness, and integrate this experience into our lives -- how to separate pain from suffering in grief.
I'll address how showing yourself GRACE can be a powerful antidote against unnecessary suffering in your grief journey, and other tools that can help as we move forward in life.
I'd love to know how grace has showed up in your life and what "tools" have worked for you. Feel free to share via IG @griefandlight
Nina Rodriguez Social & Website:
Disclaimer: https://www.griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers
#griefandlight #griefandlightpodcast
Want to sponsor an episode? Contact us via [email protected].
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief.
Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that.
Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully.
Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes.
Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack
Subscribe to the newsletter
🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026
DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support.
Full Disclaimer
...Father’s Day is around the corner, and if you know a father who has lost their son or daughter, or if you’ve lost your father, then you know it’s simply not the same.
Like many holidays, Father’s Day highlights the absence of our loved one no longer with us, and while many try to make it a joyful experience, fathers are often left to mask their feelings and suffer in silence.
Many men have been taught not to cry or feel their feelings. So they often end up repressing their human emotions, which leads to unnecessary pain and suffering for them, and those around them.
Grief needs an outlet, or it will consume us, whether we realize it or not.
That said, I’ve recently noticed a change where grieving men are starting to open about their grief experience around loss, particularly the loss of their child.
This perspective is so needed, because everyone grieves differently, and often men grieve in silence, which can result in pain and confusion for their spouse, children, and family.
It can seem like they don’t care, when in fact, they’re suffering in silence.
Part of my mission with this podcast is to bring these much-needed conversations to the surface – out in the open – so they can be explored without judgment.
So this Father’s Day, I decided to gift my dad the space to share his truth.
And my sincere hope is that in listening, you can feel a little less alone in your grief journey.
Wishing you a gentle Father's Day.
Nina Rodriguez Social & Website:
Disclaimer: https://www.griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers
#griefandlight #griefandlightpodcast
Want to sponsor an episode? Contact us via [email protected].
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief.
Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that.
Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully.
Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes.
Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack
Subscribe to the newsletter
🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026
DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support.
Full Disclaimer
...Grief is such a common experience, and yet we seem to understand so little about it.
For decades, many believe the "stages of grief" are the only way to "recover" from a loss -- a sort of process to complete so you can "go on with life".
The bereaved and grieving know all too well this is not how it actually works.
In this episode, we'll look at the history and evolution of grief over time, and how perhaps the famous "stages of grief" are not what most believe them to be.
You'll learn about the recent evolution in grief support, and about the concept of Continuing Bonds, which emphasizes maintaining a relationship with your loved one who has passed, and finding ways to stay connected, even after death.
Sit back, relax and enjoy this episode full of information and discoveries that may help you navigate this reality with a bit more ease.
Nina Rodriguez Social & Website:
Disclaimer: https://www.griefandlight.com/safetyanddisclaimers
#griefandlight #griefandlightpodcast
Want to sponsor an episode? Contact us via [email protected].
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Grief and Light™ is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, deeply human experience of loss and grief.
Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that.
Hosted by grief-informed guide and sibling loss survivor Nina Rodriguez, the show fosters a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time. At its heart is one belief: to grieve fully is to live fully.
Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the show features changemakers, researchers, creatives, and leaders exploring loss, identity, uncertainty, and what it means to keep living when life changes.
Connect with Nina: Website · Instagram · Substack
Subscribe to the newsletter
🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · Signal Awards Silver Winner 2026 · TalkDeath Readers’ Choice Best Podcast 2025 · 2× Women Who Podcast Awards Winner · Podground Editor’s Pick 2026
DISCLAIMER: Grief and Light™ is hosted by a grief-informed guide, not a licensed therapist, doctor, or attorney. Nothing shared here is intended as therapy, medical advice, or legal counsel. Seek qualified support.
Full Disclaimer
...From the publisher's feed
Grief-fluency is a life-affirming skill we were never taught. We're here to change that.
Welcome to Grief and Light™, an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the…
Created and hosted by Nina Rodriguez, a grief-informed guide and bereaved sister, this space is for those navigating life-altering loss and for anyone who wants to better understand grief and show up for someone who's grieving.
•••
After the sudden death of my younger brother, Yosef, one day after we celebrated his 32nd birthday, I found myself searching for answers. I was surprised by how little we talk about grief publicly, how much we misunderstand it, and how few tools we're given to navigate it.
That search became Grief and Light™, launched on March 30, 2023, and grew into a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world.
Now in Season 5, with 130+ episodes, the podcast features honest conversations with first-hand experiencers, authors, researchers, creatives, and changemakers.
Together, we explore the many faces of grief, the secondary losses that often go unnamed, and what it means to keep living when life changes. Because grief isn't something to fix, rush through, or leave behind. It's something we can learn to understand, navigate, and make room for.
Here, grief and hope can coexist. So can heartbreak and joy. This isn't about finding a silver lining or turning pain into a lesson. It's about making space for the full human experience, on our own terms.
My hope is that these conversations offer a little more language for what you're experiencing, a little more understanding for the people around you, and a reminder that to grieve fully is to live fully.
“We're all just walking each other home.” — Ram Dass
Thank you for being here.
We're in this together.
💜 Nina Rodriguez, forever Yosef's sister
Founder x Host | Grief and Light™
For more, visit griefandlight.com

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