What do you do when no one wants to talk about your loss—or hear your grief at all? In this episode, Susan Lieu, author of The Manicurist's Daughter, shares what it was like to grow up in a family where her mother's death was never acknowledged.

Together, we explore:

• Why some families avoid talking about grief

• The long-term effects of unspoken loss

• How to process grief solo when support isn't available

• The healing power of creativity and storytelling

Read The Manicurist's Daughter, subscribe to Susan's Substack "Live Like You're Mortal", and check out her foray into stand-up comedy: https://www.susanlieu.me/

Pre-order my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

Join me LIVE in LA (November) and Ohio (December): https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/events

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Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia 

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

There are days when grief makes everything feel pointless—as if nothing will ever be good or meaningful again. If you've been there (or you're there now), this episode is for you.

I'm sharing eight small but meaningful ways to keep going when everything feels impossibly heavy. These are the low-pressure, real-life practices I've used myself and taught inside Life After Loss Academy—not to fix grief, but to help you move through it.

You'll hear:

• One mindset shift that can take the pressure off healing

• How to create a "Nope List" instead of a to-do list

• A defiant (and kind of hilarious) way to muster up hope

• Why noticing beauty can help you keep going

• The one word I use to soften catastrophic thoughts

Watch my FREE workshop: Grow Through Grief:https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/free-workshop

Pre-order my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

Join me LIVE in Chicago (October) and LA (November): https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/events

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Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia 

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

Society tells us that achievements are supposed to feel good—so why do they sometimes leave you feeling unsettled, sad, or even disconnected? This episode explores gain grief—the hidden grief that lives beneath "positive" milestones like graduation, marriage, promotions, parenthood, and more.

You'll learn:

• Why even "positive" transitions can be accompanied by real grief

• How to recognize gain grief in your own life

• Why naming hidden grief brings clarity, not heaviness

• How to honor what you're leaving behind, even if you're excited about what's next

• Ways to notice gains that may quietly exist within your losses

Watch my FREE workshop: Grow Through Grief:https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/free-workshop

Pre-order my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

Join me LIVE in Chicago (October) and LA (November): https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/events

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia 

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

Not sure what to say to someone grieving during the holidays? These 12 simple text messages are a powerful way to show care, even when you're not sure what to say.

You'll learn:

• How to avoid common clichés like "Let me know if you need anything" or "You have so much to be thankful for!"

• How to validate your friend's pain without trying to fix it

• How you can offer presence via text without pressure for your griever to respond

• How to gently remind them grief won't always feel this hard

Pre-order my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

Join me LIVE in Chicago (October) and LA (November): https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/events

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia 

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

Making a major choice after loss can feel impossible. Grief scrambles your brain and makes every option feel like the wrong one. I'll share some grounded tools to help you weigh options, consider best- and worst-case scenarios, and make compassionate choices you can trust.

You'll learn:

• Why "don't make any major decisions for at least a year after loss" isn't always realistic

• Three practical ways to make big decisions while grieving

• How to ease fear of regret and find clarity in the fog of loss

Pre-order my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia 

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

What do you do with the dreams that come after loss? In this conversation with grief dreams expert Dr. Joshua Black, we talk about why grief shows up while we're sleeping, what these dreams might be trying to tell us, and how they can offer connection, clarity, and even comfort in the wake of death.

Together we explore:

• The 3 types of grief dreams and how to recognize them

• How to invite a dream of your person (even if it hasn't happened yet)

• Why dream dictionaries can confuse more than clarify

• How to interpret grief dreams in personal, meaningful ways

• Pop culture examples of grief dreams in film, TV, and music

Learn more about grief dreams, listen to the Grief Dreams Podcast, and join Joshua's grief dreams group: griefdreams.ca

Pre-order my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia 

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

"I'm sorry for your loss" is one of the most common phrases people say to grievers after a loss—but does it really help? I explore why it often falls flat and share what grieving people actually want to hear.

You'll discover:

• Why we default to "I'm sorry for your loss" in the first place

• How this phrase can unintentionally feel empty or obligatory

• Real examples of how grievers experience these words

• What to say instead that brings comfort, connection, and care

Pre-order my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia 

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

Have you ever felt like you're grieving not just a loss, but grieving grief itself? In this episode, I introduce the term "meta grief"—the invisible sorrow that comes from being tired of grieving, worn down by ongoing tragedy, or overwhelmed by the endlessness of loss. If you've felt grief fatigue or wondered how long this will last, this episode is for you.

You'll learn:

• What meta grief means and why I created the term

• How grief fatigue, burnout, and despair show up in everyday life

• Why it's normal to feel overwhelmed by ongoing personal or global loss

• The hidden grief of knowing there's always more grief to come

• How to cope when you're sick and tired of grieving

Pre-order my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving:https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia 

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

Sometimes grief is too big for plain language. I'm sharing six powerful grief metaphors—from the "Ball in the Box" to "grief butter" to my own "dressing room"—that give shape and words to what life after loss feels like. These images can help you explain your grief, validate your experience, and feel a little more understood.

You'll hear:

• Why metaphors help make sense of overwhelming emotions

• 6 powerful metaphors for grief (and where they came from)

• How to use metaphors to share your experience with others

• Ways these images can validate your life after loss

See the six grief metaphors in action on this week's blog: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/blog-archive/6-powerful-grief-metaphors-that-help-you-make-sense-of-life-after-loss

Pre-order my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving:https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia 

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast

You don't need to be a therapist to support someone grieving. In this episode, discover why presence matters more than credentials and how to show up with confidence, even when you feel unqualified.

You'll hear:

• Why "comforter imposter syndrome" is so common

• How grievers often find the deepest support outside therapy

• Three questions to ask to boost your comforter confidence

• Practical ways to offer care without overthinking it

Pre-order my new book, Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

Join Life After Loss Academy FREE for one month with code GRIEFGROWER: https://life-after-loss-academy.circle.so/checkout/life-after-loss-academy-membership?coupon_code=Griefgrower

...

Get FREE grief workshops, quizzes, and so much more on my website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/links

Keep Grief Grower ad-free by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/shelbyforsythia 

Join my online course + community, Life After Loss Academy: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/life-after-loss-academy

Listen to more episodes of Grief Grower, view episode transcripts, and submit a question for the show: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/grief-grower-podcast