Grief Grower

Friendship grief is one of the most overlooked and heartbreaking parts of loss. I'm talking about why friends pull away after death, divorce, or diagnosis—and what to do about it.

You'll hear:

• What friendship grief is and why it hurts so much

• 3 toxic grief tropes to look out for in your friendships

• My 5-step framework for navigating hurtful relationships—while grieving!

• How to set new boundaries and rules for friendship 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

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

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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

How do you keep a loved one's memory alive after they die? In this episode, I share how to use a Signs + Symbols Library—a powerful tool that helps you feel connected to someone you've lost through your five senses. Whether you believe in signs from the afterlife or just want intentional ways to remember your person, this episode is for you.

You'll hear about:

• How to use sensory memory to feel close to your person

• What to do if signs feel "made up" or like you're "faking it"

• Ideas for losses without direct memories (such as miscarriage or estrangement)

• Spiritual and non-spiritual approaches to staying connected to a loved one who died

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

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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

What do you do when your own face reminds you—or others—of someone who died? In this conversation with Empower founder Cara Belvin, we talk about the surreal experience of resembling someone you've lost and how it shapes identity, memory, and the grief we carry.

Together we explore:

• Why looking like someone who died can feel comforting—or complicated

• The emotional weight of being a "living reminder" to friends and family

• Why parent loss is SO life-changing

• The powerful role of mentorship in navigating early parent loss

Become a mentor or volunteer with Empower—or get support for a grieving kid in your life: https://weareempower.org/

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

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

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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

Can you really let go of grief without letting go of love? These two powerful lists can help you release the pain of what can no longer be—while making space for what remains… and how you'd like to move forward.

You'll learn:

• Why "letting go" doesn't mean forgetting

• How to grieve the person you used to be

• How to grieve you thought you'd have

• Simple rituals to help you release and heal

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

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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

If you've been wondering what to actually do after a loss or death, this episode is for you. I'm sharing the most important—and most overlooked—first step in grief. Before joining a support group, before reading the books, before trying to "process" the pain… you need this.

You'll discover:

• Why grief can feel so disorienting, even when you're "doing the work"

• What the Safety First Rule is and how to use it

• Real-life grounding practices from my students

• How to stop feeling like you're failing at grief

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

Check out the Safety First Rule plus two more helpful grief tools in my free workshop: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/free-workshop

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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

Thinking about grief coaching but not sure if you're ready? In this episode, I'll walk you through three important questions to help you figure out if coaching is the right next step for you and your grief.

You'll hear:

• Why feeling "stuck" might be a sign you're ready

• What feedback and support really look like in grief coaching

• How to know if you have the capacity to engage with a grief coach 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

See if Life After Loss Academy is right for you by taking this two-minute quiz: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/free-quiz-is-life-after-loss-academy-right-for-you

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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

When loss hits, it can feel like your whole world shrinks down to your own pain. And then someone says you're being "selfish" or "self-centered" for grieving! In this episode, I unpack where those accusations come from—and why turning inward after loss isn't shameful. In fact, it might be necessary for your healing.

You'll learn:

• Why grief feels so personal and consuming

• What "selfish" actually means in the context of grief

• How cultural and spiritual messages shape shame around "selfishness"

• Reframes to take back your grief without apology

• What to say when someone calls you "self-centered" for grieving

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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

Grieving more than one loss can make the calendar feel like a minefield. Illustrator and author Tyler Feder joins me to talk about cumulative grief, anxiety, and how art can become a companion when no part of the year feels safe.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why no month feels emotionally "safe" after multiple losses

• How to create and use a grief calendar

• The link between anxiety and loss after death

• How illustration and creative expression help process grief

Check out Tyler's work, including her book, Dancing at the Pity Party: https://www.tylerfeder.com/

Read Tyler's comic about her father's cancer coming back: https://www.instagram.com/p/DC_ASrLxKPD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Read Tyler's comic about how no part of the calendar is safe from grief: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHKGCcNxOws/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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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

Grief doesn't happen in a vacuum—it happens in a political system. In this episode, we explore how grief is political and what that means for grieving people who want to start or stay engaged in activism.

You'll learn:

• How politics shape your grief

• Questions to ask before participating in activism

• 6 low-energy ways to take meaningful action

• How your grief can become a powerful force for change

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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

Planning a wedding after the death of a loved one is bittersweet. In this episode, I share how to honor grief, make space for absence, and infuse your celebration with memory, meaning, and love—without losing yourself in the overwhelm.

You'll learn:

• How to choose a wedding format that supports your grief

• Ideas for clothing, flowers, and rituals that honor loved ones who have died

• Tips for managing energy and emotional overwhelm

• Stories from my wedding to my wife (We were grieving nine people between us!)

• Why making space for grief makes joy more possible

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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