Grief, Gratitude & The Gray in Between

Elena Lister, MD, is associate professor of clinical psychiatry at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and senior consulting analyst for grief at Columbia University Psychoanalytic Center. She treats adults and children facing all life issues, specializes in grief, and is a frequently sought-out expert on dealing with loss in schools across the country. Dr. Lister is the coauthor of I Will Remember You: A Guidebook Through Grief for Teens.

Michael Schwartzman, PhD, ABPP, a senior psychologist and board-certified psychoanalyst, has worked with children, adolescents, adults, and families for more than forty years. In addition to his private practice, Dr. Schwartzman is the consulting psychologist at two independent schools for children and lectures regularly to parents and professional colleagues on child development, parenting, and school-related issues. He is the author of The Anxious Parent: Freeing Yourself from the Fears and Stresses of Parenting.

They Co-authored Giving Hope; Conversations with Children About Illness, Death, and Loss. This book is for any adult who may be taking care of a child. It offers compassionate and comprehensive guidance on how to understand oneself and the child facing impending loss or a loss that has occurred.

https://www.elenalistermd.com/

https://michaelschwartzmanphd.com/

Contact Kendra Rinaldi:

https://www.griefgratittudeandthegrayinbetween.com

Beth Bigler is a double-certified Pet Loss Grief Counselor, certified Pet Chaplain, and a certified end-of-life animal companion doula. She

works with individuals and families before, during, and after the loss

of their beloved animal companion. She’s also known for her Instagram account @honoringouranimals where she shares daily content and tips about pet loss grief which are a unique blend of humor, compassion, and “telling it like it is.”

She works closely with animal care workers, veterinary professionals,

and other pet industry brands on grief training and awareness. She is

a regular contributor to podcasts, articles, and other media. She is

also a seasoned film/television professional, college instructor, and

mom of a three-year-old son and three divine felines!

Get in touch with Beth Bigler https;//www.instagram.com/honoringouranimals or website: https://www.honoringouranimals.com

Contact Kendra Rinaldi for coaching or to be a guest on the podcast:

https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com

Melissa Bollea Rowe is a published author, professional songwriter of 20-plus years, and founder and CEO of the music publishing and artist development company Rhyme Partners, which she started in 2013. Her latest publication is her book, "God, Gratitude, & Giving," which was released in May. In the book, she shares the role these three words have played in her life story as well as how prioritizing gratitude and faith has gotten her to where she is now as an entrepreneur, a creative, and a person. She lost both of her parents as a child and has had a hard road to success, and she's passionate about sharing her story in hopes of empowering and inspiring others.

Melissa Bollea Rowe made her way to Nashville, Tennessee more than 15 years ago to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a professional Songwriter. Mission accomplished. She’s a self-taught guitar and piano player who doesn’t take one day for granted. She’s had songs cut by the famed Nine Days Band and well-known country music artists like Jimmy Charles, Karen Waldrup, Allie Colleen, American Blonde, Brecken Miles, Mary Sarah and many more. “Every step of the way has been organic and blessed. Hard work, timing and preparation have led me to some pretty spectacular opportunities. I feel like I’m always at the start of something fun and exciting!” says Melissa.

Melissa not only writes and performs for a living, she also mentors, educates and works with corporations and organizations like; Musicians On Call, The Beat Of Life and GAB, Generations Against Bullying. So, it was a natural fit when she was hired to oversee the creation of all the music for Speak Life To End Bullying, The Musical performed in over 1,000 schools and theaters nationwide. “Of all the songs I have written that have been released to the world, creating the music for this musical has truly been one of my greatest honors,” says Melissa.

In 2013 she founded Rhyme Partners Music Publishing on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. Aside from her own success as Songwriter, Rhyme Partners’ catalog includes hundreds of cuts on both independent and record label artists with millions of combined streams across all digital platforms. Their songs have been recognized, nominated for, and won several independent and major music awards. Rhyme Partners’ songs have reached chart topping spins on Music Row’s Country Break Out Chart, Americana, and Blues charts, and have celebrated the number one spot on four Christian radio charts with the release of “Grateful” in 2019 recorded by artist Chris Golden, son of the Legendary William Lee Golden of The Oak Ridge Boys. Rhyme Partners’ catalog has also seen success with national brands and sync placements for television and film.

Melissa is passionate about sharing her stories of life, success, heartache, and restoration with audiences all over the world. She recently celebrated becoming a best-selling author as part of the anthologies Everyday Woman’s Guide To Doing What You Love (Chapter 33 The Day I Cried In The Meadow) and Everyday Woman’s Guide to Success In Your Business (Chapter 3 RelationSHIPS). Both are available on Amazon Kindle. Autographed copies are available through her website. As well, her much anticipated book “God Gratitude & Giving” was just released! She is also excited to be collaborating with neuropsychologist, Dr. Sarah Allen on The Musical Imprint due out summer 2022.

Social links:

Melissa website: https://melissabollearowe.com

Rhyme Partners website: https://rhymepartners.net

Melissa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissa_bollea_rowe/?hl=en

RP Instagram: https://instagram.com/rhymepartners

RP Twitter: https://twitter.com/rhymepartners

RP Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rhymepartners

Get in touch with Kendra Rinaldi: https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com

Marianna Torgovnick writes on the novel and novel theory, film, postcolonialism, modernism, and the twentieth century more generally, and especially on contemporary American culture. Her work is broadly interdisciplinary and has been taught in Art History, Anthropology, and Religion courses as well as English, Literature, and Theory. She has published Closure in the Novel (Princeton, 1981), and The Visual Arts, Pictorialism, and the Novel: James, Lawrence, and Woolf (Princeton, 1985), Gone Primitive: Savage Intellects, Modern Lives (Chicago, 1990), and Crossing Ocean Parkway (Chicago, 1994), for which she won an American Book Award, and Primitive Passions: Men, Women, and the Quest for Ecstasy (Knopf, 1997; paperback Chicago, 1998) and The War Complex: World War II in Our Time , about memories and perceptions of the Second War World in the Twenty First Century. She has also written series of articles for general interest publications. Professor Torgovnick currently directs The Duke in New York Arts and Media Program, taught in New York. She returns to teach America Dreams American Movies to a large enrollment each year.

https://www.mariannatorgovnick.com/

https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com

Best Selling Author, Certified Hypnotherapist, and Master Life Coach, Kat Wells graduated summa cum laude from Texas A & M University and trained under Dr. Sue Morter, founder of Morter Institute for BioEnergetics. Kat is a certified Energy Codes Master Trainer and founder of Kat Wells International. She provides coaching, seminars, and workshops worldwide, using her knowledge and skills to empower individuals and organizations to realize their full potential.

Kat Wells life changed forever with her husband’s diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis, a disease with no cure. In the blink of an eye, she lost her love of 28 years, friendships and the life she had known. Trapped on the “widow’s bridge”, Kat was caught between the life she knew and the life that awaited. Through a series of “mourning miracles”, she crossed over into a new life where she found wholeness, peace and even a new love.

Get in touch with Kat Wells: https://www.katwellsinternational.com/

Get in touch with Kendra Rinaldi: https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com

Caitlin Billings knows the struggles of balancing work, mental health, and motherhood better than most – while accepting her own bipolar diagnosis, she had to learn how best to support her gender-fluid child, who inherited depressive behaviors, as well as pursue an allegation of child sexual assault in their home.

In her work as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and role as a mother, she felt tremendous pressure to be perfect and present stability. Though she overcame abandonment issues and an eating disorder in college, a hold-up at gunpoint broke her carefully balanced world apart, forcing her to seek help. Now Caitlin is speaking out about the deep-set need for perfection throughout society, especially on teens and mental health professionals, until people understand that your best is good enough and you are never alone.

Please let me know if I can connect you with Caitlin! I'd love to set up an interview or send you an advance copy of her memoir, In Our Blood (July 2022).

Part coming-of-age, part reckoning of motherhood, In Our Blood is a therapist’s honest account of professional and personal struggles and an intergenerational story of acceptance, self-love and fluidity.

Get in touch with Caitlin Billings: https://www.caitlinbillings.com/

Get in touch with Kendra Rinaldi: https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com

In this solo episode I talk about an incident that occured in my grief journey recently... that made me re live the emotions I had felt when I had a miscarriage 16 years ago.

Grief does not knock on our door and tell us, "Hey, I'm about to walk in! Beware!" Nope... it just kicks the door opened unannounced and slams you to the floor. Grief is sneaky!! It creeps up on you unexpectedly.

Contact Kendra Rinaldi to be a guest or for coaching:

https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com

Un poco sobre nuestra invitada, Ale Montoya Arango, en sus propias palabras:

.

Hola, mi nombre es Ale Montoya Arango. En los últimos años de mi vida he transitado por el camino de la maternidad y la eternidad, y el amor que tímidamente se esconde detrás de estas

vivencias.

Me trajo hasta aquí la maravillosa oportunidad de maternar a mi hijo Matías y la gratitud que siento por la eterna conexión que logramos a través de la lactancia.

Matías, nos regalo 3 años de su vida, en los cuales pudimos conocer otras esferas hermosas del amor. Debido a una leucemia, Matías debe abandonar su cuerpo físico, convirtiéndose en Luz, en

plenitud y en el más grande amor intangible, incondicional y eterno.

Una experiencia, que pocos meses tendríamos que repetir con mi madre, quien, a causa de cáncer, tuvo que hacer su viaje de retorno al Hogar.

Ellos, y el deseo creciente de recoger esos sentimientos de amor que quedan en el éter, tanto con la experiencia de amamantar, como la de despedir a un ser amado, traen a mi vida el deseo de crear piezas que nos lleven a evocar esos sentimientos de amor eterno, y es así como nace Etereal: un taller creativo de joyería y piezas conmemorativas únicas, que encapsulan la leche materna propia de cada madre y las cenizas de quienes han partido a la Luz.

Conenctate con Ale Montoya Arango: https://www.instagram.com/p/CcbK_2BsobQ/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Conectate con Kendra Rinaldi:

http://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com

Katherine Barner is a Grief & Trauma Expert, Award-Winning Author, and Licensed Psychotherapist. with

nearly 30 years of professional experience in the mental health field working with local and state law

enforcement agencies, domestic and sexual violence crisis centers, persons with substance abuse disorders,

those with severe and persistent mental illness, and the homeless population.

Katherine is owner of KRB Unlimited LLC, a full service counseling, coaching, and consulting firm with two

signature programs including Sisters Speak Up Society, and the Living Beyond Loss Academy. Through her

company she specializes in equipping Black women survivors of childhood sexual abuse as well as individuals

recovering from significant loss with the skills to pursue and achieve, mental, emotional, and spiritual health

leading to more productive and peaceful lives.

With her engaging, powerful, and down to earth communication style, Katherine has entertained and

challenged audiences across the country as a national motivational speaker, Bible teacher, Emcee, and Host.

As past producer and editor of both her own weekly radio broadcast and podcast Katherine brought fresh

insights and relevant conversations to the airwaves. Through her radio broadcast, The Pearls of Wisdom Show

with Katherine Barner she interviewed a long list of women of faith including international gospel artist CeCe

Winans: award winning actresses Karen Abercrombie and Erica Tazel; award winning authors, Wendy Blight

and Susie Larson, along with many others. Her podcast, Sister Survivors highlighted conversations to equip

and empower survivors of sexual abuse.

Katherine received her BA in Psychology from Spelman College, and M.Ed. in Counseling from the University

of North Texas. She is a certified as an ICISF crisis responder, Clinical Trauma Specialist, and trained EMDR

practitioner.

Katherine's Links:

Book link: https://www.livingbeyondloss.org/GHMIG?r_done=1

Website: https://www.katherinebarner.org

Social Media: https://www.instagram. com/mrskatspeaks

Contact Kendra Rinaldi to be a guest or for coaching:

https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/

Christina Flach is a single mother with four kids, along with the creator and CEO of Pretty Girl Makeup. Christina and her company have worked with some of the most recognizable faces, brands, and publications, and her company continues to grow. Additionally,

Christina is a fashion commentator for the publication Soap Opera Digest. In her free time,Christina enjoys spending time with her two sons and two daughters, whose ages range from 15

to 28.

As a kid, Christina was with her mother until the very end as she battled Christina was married to professional tennis player Ken Flach up to his death after a brief bout of sepsis in 2018. Since then, Christina has been dedicated to raising public awareness of the danger of sepsis, and has partnered with Sepsis Alliance to produce awareness campaigns highlighting Ken’s story.

Learn more about Sepsis: https://www.sepsis.org/

https://www.christinaflach.com/

https://www.prettygirlmakeup.com/

Use discount code; PRETTYGIRL for 25% off

Get in touch with Kendra Rinaldi for coaching or to be a guest on the podcast: https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/