Grief Circle with Sammy

Big news viewers... I'm heading to college! I am here today to speak about what that means for the future of Grief Circle with Sammy. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere! I plan on continuing Grief Circle no matter where I end up because it is such an important resource for all the kids and teens out there who are going through loss. During this episode I also speak a little about all the emotions and thoughts that come up to mind as I get ready to embark on this next journey of my life, especially as someone who has lost his father.

On this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking to Liam, a 15 year old boy from Connecticut. Liam lost his father at the age of 13 to a car crash, and ever since Liam has dedicated all his passions such as baseball and finance to his father. Liam shares how just because there is a death in your life, it doesn't mean you have to sulk -- you should turn the death into something good. Liam published an article in the "Sober Not Subtle" blog that you all should read, its attached to this episode!https://sobernotsubtle.com/2025/03/05/overcoming-grief-a-teens-perspective-on-loss-and-growth

On this episode, I had the privilege of talking to Dr. Robert Accordino, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Weill Medical College of Cornell University about childhood grief in the hospital with patients. Dr. Accordino taught me so much about how pediatric patients with terminal illness often find themselves grieving their parents loss of themselves, before they have even died. We also spoke about different ways that grief can be expressed outside of a therapists office, such as with art, physical activity, playing, etc. Listen to hear more about Dr. Accordino's fascinating insight into childhood grief!

Hey fellow teens, usually these episodes are for you, however, today I decided to mix it up a bit. Todays episode is for the parents, guardians, and caretakers of grieving kids out there. On this episode I discuss what you as a caretaker can do to help your child through their grieving process. The answer might surprise you...

On this episode I got to talking about something I like to call my frame of reference. This idea was first introduced to me from my late therapist Dr. Bubrick when we talk about the college admissions process. Frame of reference in grief is a mindset, it is a mindset that challenges us to talk about how sad something really is, in terms of other sad things that can happen in our lifetime. Many times kids who have lost a parent or sibling at a young age have a frame of reference that allows them to see events such as a bad grade or college rejection as not sad; this comes from their loss at a young age that has manipulated their frame of reference to see the world from a "happier" POV. I hope you all enjoy!

On this episode I share with you all my reflections and thoughts on the tragic sudden loss of my therapist, Dr. Jerry Bubrick. Dr. Bubrick is survived by his two kids, who he always spoke about with such light in his eyes. Dr. Bubrick had a very profound impact on my life for the brief time that I knew him and I wanted to share some of my thoughts with you all to honor him. I frequently talk about how I was prepared for the death of my father due to his terminal illness, however, Dr. Bubricks death came as a total surprise to me, which is why I feel his story should be shared and cherished even more so. Thank you Dr. Bubrick for all the kids you have helped.

On this episode I spoke about where we start the grief process immediately after the loss of a loved one. I discuss my own model of grief that guides us through a process of teaching that there really is no one special place to start in the grief process, especially as a kid. If there is one thing you take away from this episode, it is that we start our grief journey at our own personal point, and nobody can tell us where to start.

Happy 35th episode of Grief Circle with Sammy! On this episode I got to speak with Jessica Correnti, a child life specialist, who founded Kids Grief Support. Jessica is also the author of manny illustrated children's books on grief, including the ABC's of Grief! Jessica and I spoke about what led her to become a grief specialist and what her role is like in helping her clients overcome and deal with grief as kids. We speak about how Jessica noticed that we weren't doing enough to help kids with grief and noticed a change had to be made. Listen along to find out more!

On this episode I had the honor of speaking to Haleh Shoa, an archivist based in LA. Haleh archives families memories of digital and analog photos, along with any artifacts into observable "exhibitions" for the families to look back on. Haleh has an interesting perspective as her work can be a tool to grieving kids to be able to look back on memories with their loved ones who are no longer with them. Listen to our interview to hear about making your own family archives can help with grief.

On this episode I had the pleasure of speaking to Dr. Marissa Slaven who is a palliative care doctor who helped in the founding of the Children's Grief Foundation of Canada. This organization is an amazing non-profit that works to give grants to families in need who need hep in supporting their kids who are coping with loss. They also help to provide education initiatives around Canada. Listen to this episode to hear about some of the most common things that the organization gets grant requests for (hint: it involves horses)!