Grieve That Sh!t

Episode Description

"You don't have to have all the answers to begin healing."

In this episode of Grieve That Sh!t, Sharon Brubaker, grief specialist and founder of The Grief School, sits down with therapist and grieving mother Joanna Martinez Dunn for an honest conversation about losing a child, navigating unimaginable grief, and finding hope after life's deepest heartbreak.

After experiencing profound loss within her family in a matter of weeks, Joanna found herself facing overwhelming grief, unanswered questions, survivor's guilt, and the difficult journey of learning how to move forward one day at a time.

Together, Sharon and Joanna explore the unique challenges of grieving a child, the relentless search for answers, the emotional and physical impact of grief, and why healing begins when we stop trying to explain what cannot always be understood.

They also discuss parenting through grief, the role of faith and community, the importance of asking for help, and how honoring the people we love allows us to carry them forward with us.

This episode is a powerful reminder that healing doesn't require having every answer.

It simply asks you to keep showing up.

Because healing doesn't happen by forgetting.

It happens by learning how to carry love forward.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• The unique challenges of grieving the loss of a child
• Why survivor's guilt can feel so overwhelming
• How grief affects the mind, body, and nervous system
• The difference between surviving and truly healing
• Why unanswered questions don't have to stop your healing
• How faith and community can provide support through grief
• Why asking for help is one of the bravest things you can do
• The importance of speaking your loved one's name and honoring their memory
• How healing can eventually lead to purpose and hope

Questions to Sit With After Listening

• What questions have I been carrying that may never have an answer?
• Am I allowing myself to experience my grief, or am I trying to outrun it?
• Who can I reach out to when my grief feels too heavy to carry alone?
• How can I honor the person I love while continuing to move forward?

Homework for You

Take a few quiet moments today and write down the name of the person you're grieving.

Then write:

• One memory that makes you smile.
• One lesson they taught you.
• One way you can carry their love forward this week.

Because love doesn't end when someone's life does.

It continues in the way we choose to remember, honor, and live.

Resources + Next Steps

👉 Join Processing the Pain of Grief

👉 Join Forever Changed

👉 Join The Story Room

👉 Learn more at: griefdiscovery.com

If you or someone you know is in immediate emotional distress or thinking about self-harm, please contact your local emergency services or a crisis support service in your area. You don't have to face it alone.

Because even in the deepest grief...

There is still hope.

Episode Description

"You don't need more time. You need a plan."

In this episode of Grieve That Sh!t, Sharon Brubaker, grief specialist and founder of The Grief School, challenges one of the biggest lies grieving people have been told:

"Just give it time."

Time doesn't heal grief.

It simply creates space.

What you do with that space is what changes everything.

Sharon explains why so many grievers stay stuck for years—not because they're broken, but because no one ever taught them how to grieve. We learn how to survive loss, but not how to process it.

In this episode, Sharon shares the difference between surviving and healing, why grief needs structure instead of avoidance, and how unprocessed pain continues to affect your relationships, your body, your emotions, and your daily life.

She also walks through the three phases of grief healing, the purpose behind The Grief School, and why grief isn't something you're meant to carry alone.

Because grief changes your life.

But it doesn't have to define the rest of it.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why time alone doesn't heal grief
• The difference between surviving and processing grief
• Why so many grievers feel stuck for years
• How grief affects the mind, body, and nervous system
• Why avoiding grief keeps the pain alive
• The three phases of grief healing
• What it means to move through grief with intention
• Why healing begins with structure, not just support

Questions to Sit With After Listening

Am I surviving my grief or actively healing it?

What have I been waiting for time to fix?

What parts of my grief have I been avoiding?

What would change if I had a clear plan for my healing?

Homework for You

Take out a journal and answer this question:

"What is my current plan for healing?"

If your answer is simply "I'm waiting for time," ask yourself:

"What if time isn't the plan?"

Write down one action you can take this week to begin processing your grief instead of simply surviving it.

Because healing begins with one intentional step.

Resources + Next Steps

👉 Join Processing the Pain of Grief

👉 Join Forever Changed

👉 Join The Story Room

👉 Learn more at: griefdiscovery.com

Because grief doesn't ask you to stay stuck.

It asks you to begin.

And you don't have to do it alone.

Episode Description

"Grief changes your life. Healing changes the way you live it."

In this episode of Grieve That Sh!t, Sharon Brubaker, grief specialist and founder of The Grief School, sits down with Suzanne to share a deeply personal conversation about devastating loss, healing, and what happens when you finally begin doing the work grief has been asking of you.

Suzanne has experienced the deaths of her parents, siblings, nephew, niece, partner, and many other significant losses throughout her life. Like so many grievers, she believed time would somehow make the pain easier. Instead, she found herself surviving behind walls she didn't even realize she had built.

Everything changed when she began processing her grief one relationship at a time.

Together, Sharon and Suzanne talk about brain fog, the overwhelming weight of loss, the pressure society places on grieving people, and why grief is never something you simply "get over."

They also explore the unique pain of losing a parent, the loneliness that comes when your family is gone, and how grief work transformed not only Suzanne's healing, but also inspired her to become a Certified Grief Specialist so she could help others find hope.

This episode is a powerful reminder that grief changes you.

But healing changes you, too.

Because grief may become part of your story.

It does not have to become your identity.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why time alone doesn't heal grief
• What brain fog and grief overwhelm really feel like
• The hidden weight of carrying multiple losses
• Why unprocessed grief builds over time
• The unique grief of losing parents, siblings, and a life partner
• How grief work changes the way you experience future losses
• Why community is essential during healing
• The difference between surviving grief and living again
• How grief can inspire purpose and service to others
• Why healing is possible, no matter how long you've been grieving

Questions to Sit With After Listening

What parts of my grief have I been carrying alone?

Have I mistaken surviving for healing?

What walls have I built to protect myself?

What would it look like to take one small step toward healing today?

Homework for You

Take a piece of paper and write down every significant loss you've experienced, not just the deaths.

As you look at the list, ask yourself:

"Which of these losses have I truly allowed myself to grieve?"

You don't have to heal everything today.

You only have to be willing to begin.

Resources + Next Steps

👉 Join Courage Club

👉 Listen to more episodes of Grieve That Sh!t

👉 Learn more at: griefdiscovery.com

Because grief changes your life.

Healing changes what comes next.

"It's okay to be a griever."

In this episode of Grieve That Sh!t, Sharon Brubaker, grief specialist and founder of The Grief School, sits down with Monette Hopkins, a graduate of Forever Changed and Processing the Pain of Grief, to share an honest conversation about what healing can look like after unimaginable loss.

Monette has experienced the deaths of her husband, three children, and several other loved ones. When she first met Sharon, the weight of her grief was so overwhelming that she could barely speak in complete sentences.

Today, she shares how grief work helped her find hope, peace, laughter, and the courage to keep living.

Together, Sharon and Monette talk about the power of brain dumps, why healing takes time, the importance of boundaries, and how telling the truth about your grief can change everything.

This episode is a beautiful reminder that healing doesn't mean forgetting the people you love.

It means learning how to carry their love without carrying the unbearable weight of unprocessed grief.

Because no matter how deep your pain feels...

There is still hope.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why it's okay to be a griever
• How brain dumps help process overwhelming emotions
• Why grief healing looks different for everyone
• The importance of honesty during the healing process
• How boundaries support emotional healing
• Why laughter can exist alongside grief
• How community helps us heal
• What happens when you finally begin processing years of unresolved pain

Questions to Sit With After Listening

What have I been carrying that I've never put into words?

Am I giving myself permission to grieve honestly?

Who has been walking alongside me in my grief?

What would it look like to tell the truth about my pain?

Homework for You

Take a journal and spend ten minutes doing a brain dump.

Write whatever comes to mind without editing, judging, or organizing your thoughts.

Then ask yourself:

"What is my heart trying to tell me that my mind has been avoiding?"

Because sometimes healing begins the moment we stop holding everything inside.

Resources + Next Steps

👉 Join Courage Club

👉 Listen to more episodes of Grieve That Sh!t

👉 Learn more at: griefdiscovery.com

Because your grief deserves to be heard.

And you never have to walk through it alone.

Episode Description

"What if the problem was never that you weren't enough?"

In this episode of Grieve That Sh!t, Sharon Brubaker, grief specialist and founder of The Grief School, sits down with licensed professional counselor, trauma specialist, speaker, and co-author Dawna Daigneault for a powerful conversation about self-worth, grief, and the stories we carry about ourselves.

Because grief doesn't just break your heart.

Sometimes it breaks the way you see yourself.

After a significant loss, many grievers find themselves asking questions they never expected:

Who am I now?

Why do I feel invisible?

Why do I feel abandoned?

Why do I suddenly feel like I'm not enough?

Dawna introduces the concept of birthright self-worth—the idea that your worth was never something you had to earn. It was yours from the moment you arrived in this world.

Together, Sharon and Dawna explore how family systems, childhood experiences, trauma, grief, shame, and relationships shape the way we view ourselves. They discuss why so many people spend their lives chasing worth through achievement, productivity, appearance, or success, while never realizing the worth they were searching for was already there.

This episode is a deep and healing conversation about what happens when grief uncovers old wounds, why loss often triggers questions about identity and value, and how learning to reconnect with your worth can change everything.

Because sometimes grief isn't just about missing the person.

Sometimes it's about rediscovering yourself.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• What "birthright self-worth" actually means
• Why worth is different from self-esteem and confidence
• How grief can trigger questions about identity and value
• The connection between childhood experiences and self-worth
• Why achievement, success, and productivity often become substitutes for worth
• How shame impacts the way we see ourselves
• The relationship between trauma and self-worth
• Why comparison keeps people stuck
• The difference between authentic worth and ego
• How healing begins when you reconnect with your value

Questions to Sit With After Listening

When did I first begin questioning my worth?

What experiences taught me that I had to earn love, acceptance, or belonging?

Do I tie my worth to achievement, productivity, appearance, or relationships?

What parts of myself have I been trying to prove?

What would change if I truly believed I was worthy simply because I exist?

Homework for You

Take a piece of paper and answer this question:

"What makes me believe I am enough?"

Then answer a second question:

"Who taught me that I wasn't?"

Write without judgment.

Write without editing.

Just tell the truth.

Because sometimes healing begins when we stop trying to earn our worth and start remembering we already have it.

Resources + Next Steps

👉 Listen to more episodes of Grieve That Sh!t

👉 Join The Story Room

👉 Learn more at: griefdiscovery.com

👉 Learn more about Dawna Daigneault and her work on self-worth

Because grief may shake your world.

But it does not get to decide your value.

You were worthy before the loss.

You are worthy during the grief.

And you will still be worthy on the other side of it.

Episode Description

"Time doesn't heal grief. It just passes."

In this episode of Grieve That Sh!t, Sharon Brubaker, grief specialist and founder of The Grief School, takes on some of the biggest grief myths we've all heard—and tells the truth about why they're keeping grievers stuck.

"Just give it time."

"Grief comes in waves."

"You're never supposed to let go of the pain."

"Grief is a roller coaster."

We hear these phrases all the time. They're repeated at funerals, shared by friends, posted online, and passed from one griever to another.

But are they actually helping?

Or are they keeping people trapped in survival mode?

In this powerful episode, Sharon breaks down the hidden messages behind common grief advice and explains why healing requires more than simply waiting for time to pass.

She explores why so many grievers believe holding onto pain is the same as holding onto their person, why grief keeps showing up in waves, and what it really means to process loss instead of avoiding it.

This episode is a reminder that grief is not something time fixes.

It's something we learn to move through.

Because healing doesn't happen by accident.

It happens when we stop waiting and start doing the work.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why "just give it time" is some of the most misunderstood grief advice
• What time actually does—and doesn't do—for grief
• Why looking better is not the same as healing
• The truth about holding onto pain after loss
• Why many grievers fear letting go of their suffering
• What it means when grief comes in waves
• The difference between surviving grief and processing grief
• Why grief feels like a roller coaster—and how to step off
• How unprocessed grief continues to resurface
• Why healing requires action, not just time

Questions to Sit With After Listening

What am I waiting for time to fix?

Am I healing my grief or simply learning how to hide it?

What pain am I afraid to let go of?

What emotions keep showing up over and over again?

What would change if I stopped waiting and started processing?

Homework for You

Take out a piece of paper and answer this question:

"What am I hoping time will do for me?"

Write down every answer that comes up.

Then ask yourself:

"What if time isn't the thing that's supposed to heal this?"

Because healing doesn't happen because enough days pass.

Healing happens when you become willing to face the pain that's asking for your attention.

Resources + Next Steps

👉 Join Processing the Pain of Grief

👉 Join The Story Room

👉 Listen to more episodes of Grieve That Sh!t

👉 Learn more at: griefdiscovery.com

Because time is not coming to save you.

But that doesn't mean you're stuck.

It means the power to heal has been inside you all along.

And there is a way forward.

Episode Description

"What if the thing you've been carrying for years is actually grief?"

In this episode of Grieve That Sh!t, Sharon Brubaker, grief specialist and founder of The Grief School, sits down with grief graduate and friend Elizabeth Keene to talk about a truth that changes everything:

Not all grief comes from death.

Sometimes grief comes from childhood wounds.

Broken relationships.

Disappointments.

Rejection.

Life experiences that never got processed.

And years later, you're still carrying them around without realizing it.

Elizabeth shares how she stumbled into Sharon's TikTok live completely by accident, asking a simple question about whether a romantic breakup could be considered grief.

That question led her into grief work that uncovered more than twenty years of unresolved pain she didn't even know she was carrying.

Together, Sharon and Elizabeth discuss the surprising ways grief shows up in everyday life, why so many people stay stuck in old pain, and what happens when you finally stop trying to "get over it" and learn how to process it instead.

Elizabeth also shares the moment she experienced a physical release after doing grief work for the first time, how understanding the difference between thoughts and emotions changed everything, and why healing is possible even when you've spent decades believing it isn't.

This episode is a powerful reminder that grief is bigger than death.

And sometimes the healing you're searching for begins when you finally call it what it is.

Grief.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why grief is about far more than death
• How unresolved life experiences continue affecting us for decades
• The 47+ different losses that can create grief
• Why people stay stuck even when they desperately want to move forward
• The difference between thoughts, stories, and emotions
• How grief work creates emotional and physical healing
• Why "just get over it" never works
• What happens when you finally process old pain
• How grief affects relationships, identity, and daily life
• Why healing doesn't erase your past—it changes your relationship with it

Questions to Sit With After Listening

What experiences from my past still carry emotional weight today?

What pain have I been calling something else instead of grief?

Have I been trying to think my way out of emotions?

What losses have I never fully acknowledged?

What would be possible if I finally put down the emotional weight I've been carrying?

Homework for You

Take out a notebook and create a timeline of your life.

Start with your earliest memories and write down every event, relationship, disappointment, heartbreak, transition, or loss that affected you emotionally.

Don't judge it.

Don't minimize it.

Just write it down.

Then ask yourself:

"What part of this might actually be grief?"

Because healing often starts when we stop dismissing our experiences and start telling the truth about them.

Resources + Next Steps

👉 Join The Story Room

👉 Listen to more episodes of Grieve That Sh!t

👉 Learn more at: griefdiscovery.com

Because grief is not just about who died.

It's about every experience that left a mark on your heart.

And healing begins when you finally stop carrying it alone.

Episode Description

"Healing didn't just change her life. It changed her purpose."

In this episode of Grieve That Sh!t, Sharon Brubaker sits down again with Elizabeth Keene for Part 2 of their powerful conversation about grief, healing, and what happens when you finally stop surviving and start living.

After doing her own grief work, Elizabeth experienced something she never expected.

She didn't just heal.

She found her calling.

What started as a random TikTok scroll turned into a journey that transformed how she sees herself, other people, and the entire world. Now, after working through decades of unresolved grief, Elizabeth is becoming a certified grief specialist to help others navigate the pain she knows so well.

Together, Sharon and Elizabeth dive into the reality that every person you meet is carrying a broken heart somewhere. They discuss why grief is not a life sentence, how emotional pain accumulates over time, and why so many people remain stuck in survival mode for years—or even decades.

Elizabeth shares the moment she realized her own pain could become a pathway to helping others heal, the surprising connection between grief and trauma, and why doing grief work gave her something no amount of therapy, self-help, or distraction ever could:

Peace.

This episode is also a powerful conversation about purpose.

Because sometimes the thing that breaks your heart becomes the very thing that teaches you how to help someone else heal theirs.

And sometimes your greatest pain becomes your greatest gift.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why everyone is a griever
• The difference between carrying pain and processing it
• How grief accumulates throughout a lifetime
• Why grief is often connected to trauma and survival responses
• What happens when you stop avoiding emotional pain
• Why healing doesn't erase your story
• How grief work creates more peace, joy, and emotional freedom
• The role grief plays in purpose and personal growth
• Why people stay stuck in grief for decades
• How healing changes the way you show up for others

Questions to Sit With After Listening

What pain have I been carrying longer than I realize?

Am I surviving my life or fully living it?

What losses have shaped the person I am today?

What would my life look like if I stopped carrying the emotional weight?

Could my healing help someone else someday?

Homework for You

Write down this question:

"What pain am I still carrying that no longer belongs in my backpack?"

Then make a list.

Don't judge it.

Don't rank it.

Don't minimize it.

Just tell the truth.

Because every unresolved hurt takes up space.

And healing begins when you're willing to look at what you've been carrying.

Resources + Next Steps

👉 Join The Story Room

👉 Listen to more episodes of Grieve That Sh!t

👉 Learn more at: griefdiscovery.com

Because grief is not the end of your story.

It's often the beginning of the chapter where you finally learn how to live again.

And when you heal your own heart, you become a safer place for someone else's.

Episode Description

"Your kids are already grieving. The question is whether they know how."

In this episode of Grieve That Sh!t, Sharon Brubaker, grief specialist and founder of The Grief School, tackles one of the hardest parts of loss for parents: helping children grieve while you're grieving too.

Because most parents believe their job is to protect their children from pain.

But grief doesn't work that way.

Children feel everything. They feel the tension. They feel the sadness. They feel the fear. They notice the silence. They notice the tears you hide. And when we avoid talking about grief, soften the truth, or pretend we're okay, they don't feel protected.

They feel confused.

In this powerful episode, Sharon explains why children do not need perfect answers. They need honest ones. They need to see what grief looks like. They need to learn that pain is something you move through, not something you avoid.

Sharon shares why so many parents rush to fix, distract, or protect their children from grief, and how that often comes from their own fear of facing the pain. She also shares a deeply personal story about losing her favorite aunt at sixteen years old and how being left to figure grief out alone shaped her understanding of loss.

This episode is a reminder that your children are watching.

Not your words.

Your grief.

Because whether we realize it or not, we are teaching our children how to grieve every single day.

And if we don't teach them?

They'll end up where most of us did.

Trying to figure it out alone.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why children experience grief differently than adults
• The truth about trying to protect kids from pain
• Why silence creates confusion during grief
• How children learn grief by watching the adults around them
• The difference between protecting your child and interrupting their grief
• Why honesty builds trust during loss
• Common mistakes parents make when talking about death
• How your own grief work helps your children heal
• Why children need presence more than perfect answers

Questions to Sit With After Listening

• What emotions does my child's grief bring up in me?
• Am I protecting my child from pain... or protecting myself from watching it?
• What messages did I learn about grief growing up?
• How am I modeling grief for my children right now?
• What would change if I stopped pretending I was okay?

Homework for You

Take a piece of paper and write this question at the top:

"What did I learn about grief growing up?"

Then answer honestly.

What did the adults around you teach you?

Did they talk about grief?

Did they hide it?

Did they cry?

Did they tell the truth?

Because before we can teach our children how to grieve...

We have to understand what we learned about grief ourselves.

Resources + Next Steps

👉 Join The Story Room

👉 Listen to more episodes of Grieve That Sh!t

👉 Learn more at: griefdiscovery.com

Because your child does not need a perfect parent.

They need a grieving parent willing to tell the truth.

And sometimes the greatest gift we can give our children is showing them that pain is not something to fear.

It's something we learn to move through.

*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:fdf6c21b-5eed-4c55-a667-61b4c2eff342-6" data-turn-id-container= "request-WEB:fdf6c21b-5eed-4c55-a667-61b4c2eff342-6" data-testid= "conversation-turn-4" data-scroll-anchor="false" data-turn= "assistant"> Episode Description

"What you thought grief was… it isn't."

In this episode of Grieve That Sh!t, Sharon Brubaker, grief specialist and founder of The Grief School, breaks down the real definition of grief and why so many grievers feel overwhelmed, exhausted, numb, angry, and emotionally out of control after loss.

Because nobody taught us what grief actually is. We were taught how to survive it. Stay strong. Stay busy. Push it down. Keep going. Humans really decided emotional pain should be ignored until it starts leaking out sideways into every relationship. Strange little system.

But grief is not just sadness. It is emotional, mental, physical, and deeply connected to the body. It affects your brain, nervous system, thoughts, emotions, and reactions.

In this episode, Sharon talks about the brain fog, exhaustion, chest tightness, numbness, anger out of nowhere, and the feeling that your whole life split in half after loss.

She also explains why grief itself is not the problem. The problem is resisting it, avoiding it, distracting yourself from it, and pretending it is not there. Because unprocessed grief does not disappear. It waits. It builds. And eventually it starts showing up in every part of your life.

This episode is also a powerful teaching on what it actually means to process grief. Not just talking about it, but learning how to lean into the pain long enough for your body to move through it.

Because your body already knows how to grieve.

It was designed to.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why grief is more than sadness
• What a full-body grief experience looks like
• Why grief causes brain fog, exhaustion, and numbness
• The difference between surviving grief and processing grief
• Why avoiding grief keeps people stuck
• What it actually means to process grief
• How unprocessed grief starts showing up in daily life

Questions to Sit With After Listening

What was I taught grief should look like?

What emotions have I been trying to avoid?

Am I processing my grief… or surviving it?

Where is grief showing up in my body right now?

Homework for You

Write this question at the top of a page:

"What was I taught to do with grief?"

Then answer honestly.

Because most people were never taught how to process grief.

They were taught how to hide it.

Resources + Next Steps

👉 Join The Story Room 👉 Listen to more episodes of Grieve That Sh!t 👉 Learn more at: griefdiscovery.com

Because healing starts when you stop resisting the pain and finally understand what grief is actually doing inside of you.