Grieve That Sh!t

Episode Title: Shattered Trust: Finding Hope in Grief

Episode Description: In this heartfelt episode of Healing Starts with a Heart, grief specialist Sharon Brubaker delves into the complex and little-discussed topic of grooming in the context of grief. Grievers are often in a state of heightened emotional vulnerability, which can make them susceptible to predatory behavior. Sharon sits down with guest Sherry Young, who bravely shares her personal experience of being groomed and scammed during her grieving process. Together, they explore the tactics used by groomers, the emotional toll it takes, and how to recognize and protect oneself from such situations.

Key Points Discussed:

1. What is Grooming?

   • An explanation of grooming and its psychological impact on individuals, especially those who are grieving.

2. Grooming vs. Scamming: The Link

   • How grooming often serves as a precursor to financial or emotional exploitation.

3. Personal Story: Sherry's Journey

   • Sherry candidly shares her experience of being groomed and scammed after personal loss, shedding light on the subtle ways groomers build trust.

4. Recognizing the Red Flags

   • Key behaviors to watch for when forming new relationships during times of grief.

5. The Role of Community and Support

   • Why having a strong support system can help shield against vulnerability.

6. Healing After Betrayal

   • How to process the emotional scars of being groomed and reclaim your sense of trust and security.

Journal Questions:

1. Have you ever felt unusually drawn to someone who later let you down? What made them seem trustworthy at first?
2. Reflect on a time you ignored a gut feeling about someone. What happened, and how did it shape your view of intuition?
3. In what ways do you ensure your emotional safety when meeting new people, especially during vulnerable periods?
4. What can you do to build a strong support system to rely on during times of emotional distress?
5. How can you reclaim your narrative and strength after experiencing emotional manipulation?

Conclusion: This episode emphasizes the importance of trusting your instincts, leaning on your support network, and recognizing your worth, even during grief. Healing from loss is challenging enough—understanding and avoiding manipulation is a critical step in safeguarding your emotional journey.

Follow Us:

• Website: healingstartswiththeheart.com
• Facebook: Healing Starts with the Heart
• Instagram: @healatthegriefschool

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]

Thank you for tuning in! Join us next time as we continue uncovering insights and strategies to help you heal, one step at a time.

Episode Title: How to Recognize and Heal Silent Grief

Episode Description: In this episode of Healing Starts with a Heart, grief specialist Sharon Brubaker dives into the often-overlooked world of silent losses. Grief isn't always about losing a loved one; it can stem from many other life experiences that bring deep feelings of sadness and emptiness. Sharon sheds light on the impact of silent losses, like moving away from a childhood friend, losing a job, or experiencing a broken relationship. These losses, though less recognized, can attach themselves to major grief events, amplifying pain over time. Sharon shares why it's essential to acknowledge and grieve these silent losses to find a path toward healing and resilience.

Key Points Discussed:

1. Silent Losses Explained Grief isn't always tied to death. Sharon explains how silent losses, such as moving away, career setbacks, or relationship changes, can have a lasting emotional impact.

2. Why Silent Grief is Overlooked Society often doesn't recognize or support grief outside of death. Sharon discusses why these silent losses are rarely acknowledged and why we tend to brush them aside.

3. The Impact of Unacknowledged Losses Silent losses can connect with new grief experiences, creating a heavier emotional burden. Sharon explains how unprocessed grief can resurface unexpectedly and affect current losses.

4. Learning to Grieve Silent Losses Sharon shares ways to recognize and validate silent losses, emphasizing the importance of fully experiencing these emotions to heal.

5. Finding Support and Moving Forward While grieving silent losses can feel isolating, finding support—even within oneself—can help. Sharon encourages listeners to talk openly about these losses and seek support when needed.

Journal Questions:

1. What recent loss have you experienced that isn't related to death?
2. Which silent losses from your past still affect you today?
3. How might acknowledging silent losses change your approach to grieving?
4. Are there emotions tied to silent losses that you've kept private?
5. What small step could you take to honor a silent loss?

Conclusion: Reflect on these questions as you explore silent grief's impact on your life. Grieving these losses may be key to finding balance, peace, and true healing.

Follow Us:

• Website: healingstartswiththeheart.com
• Facebook: Healing Starts with the Heart
• Instagram: @healatthegriefschool

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]

Thank you for tuning in. Join us next time for more insights on healing from grief, one step at a time.

Episode Title: How Grief Affects Your Whole Body

Episode Description: In this episode of Healing Starts with a Heart, grief specialist Sharon Brubaker discusses how grief impacts more than just our emotions—it's a full-body experience. Sharon shares insights from her personal journey and professional expertise, illustrating how grief can affect various parts of the body, from physical pain to changes in behavior and even beliefs. She explores six main areas that grief can impact, helping listeners understand why grief feels so overwhelming and unpredictable. Through practical advice and compassionate guidance, Sharon sheds light on how grief touches every part of who we are and why it's essential to recognize these effects on our path to healing.

Key Points Discussed:

1. Grief's Full-Body Impact Grief is more than an emotional experience; it affects the entire body, including physical health, behavior, and even our beliefs.

2. Emotional Roller Coaster Grief can send emotions spinning, often changing from sadness to anger to confusion all within moments. Sharon explains why these feelings fluctuate and how to approach them.

3. Thoughts and Overthinking Grief brings intense thoughts and fears, often playing on repeat. Sharon shares how these thoughts shape emotions and why managing them is key to healing.

4. Behavior Changes and Self-Care Grieving can alter daily habits and routines, sometimes leading to neglect of self-care. Sharon offers advice on gentle ways to care for yourself.

5. Questioning Beliefs After a loss, beliefs about life, purpose, and faith often shift. Sharon explains how to navigate this change with self-compassion.

6. Physical Health Grief can take a toll on physical health, causing symptoms like muscle pain, digestive issues, and headaches. Sharon encourages listeners to seek medical support as needed.

Journal Questions:

1. What emotions have been the strongest for you during grief?
2. What thoughts often repeat in your mind since your loss?
3. How has grief changed your daily habits and self-care?
4. Have your beliefs or outlook on life shifted? In what ways?
5. What physical symptoms have you noticed, and how do they connect to your grief?

Conclusion: Reflect on these questions as you navigate your grief journey. Remember, grief affects the whole body and healing takes time and action steps.

Follow Us:

• Website: healingstartswiththeheart.com
• Facebook: Healing Starts with the Heart
• Instagram: @healatthegriefschool

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]

Thank you for listening. Stay tuned for more insights and support on your journey through grief.

pisode Title: Honoring Motherhood After Loss: A Conversation with Cory

Episode Description: In this moving episode of Healing Starts with a Heart, grief specialist Sharon Brubaker welcomes Corey, a mother who shares her deeply personal story of infertility, the joy of her pregnancy, and the heartbreaking loss of her twins, Leo and Lucy. Corey's journey highlights the profound bond of motherhood even through unimaginable sorrow, as well as the resilience required to navigate grief. She openly discusses her experience with polycystic ovarian syndrome, pregnancy complications, and the strength it took to honor her children's memory. Corey's story sheds light on the importance of validating the experiences of mothers facing child loss and the healing power of small acts of remembrance.

Key Points Discussed:

1. The Joy and Struggle of Becoming a Mother Corey shares her journey through infertility and the special bond she formed with her twins, Leo and Lucy, during her pregnancy.

2. Navigating Medical Challenges and Loss Corey describes her difficult experiences with medical complications and the heartbreak of realizing she couldn't save her twins, despite her unwavering hope and determination.

3. The First Steps of Grieving From saying goodbye to her babies in the hospital to celebrating their memory with small acts of love, Corey reflects on her early days of grief and the unique challenges of losing a child.

4. Finding Purpose Through Remembrance Corey speaks about honoring Leo and Lucy by donating her breast milk, a healing act that helped her feel connected to her role as their mother.

5. Support and Understanding for Grieving Mothers Sharon and Corey discuss the need for societal recognition of grief in mothers who have lost children and the importance of validating each mother's unique journey.

Journal Questions:

1. What small ways can you honor the memory of a loved one?
2. How can you validate your experiences, even if others don't fully understand?
3. How have challenging experiences shaped your sense of purpose?
4. What role has community support played in your grief journey?
5. What meaningful acts could help you feel closer to a lost loved one?

Conclusion: Reflect on these questions as you navigate your journey through grief. Remember, honoring your story and those of your loved ones can be a profound step toward healing.

Follow Us:

• Website: healingstartswiththeheart.com
• Facebook: Healing Starts with the Heart
• Instagram: @healatthegriefschool

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]

Join our Event on November 20th:

• Link to Register: https://www.thegriefschool.life/tgsworkshop112024

Thank you for listening to Corey's story. Join us next time as we continue to explore journeys of resilience, love, and healing through grief.

Episode Title: Ways to Handle Cumulative Grief Gently

Episode Description: In today's episode of Healing Starts with a Heart, grief specialist Sharon Brubaker unpacks the concept of cumulative grief and why unresolved losses from the past can intensify the pain of new ones. Sharon shares insights drawn from her own journey and years of experience with grieving clients to shed light on the overwhelming effects of grief overload. From childhood losses to recent heartbreaks, she explains how cumulative grief layers upon itself, often leaving us feeling trapped in a cycle of sorrow. This episode guides listeners on embracing their grief fully, with actionable steps for managing the waves of unresolved pain and building resilience along the way.

Key Points Discussed:

1. The Nature of Cumulative Grief Grief doesn't operate on a timeline; it builds up over time. Sharon explains how early grief experiences, even from childhood, can resurface with each new loss, creating an overwhelming accumulation of unresolved pain.

2. Recognizing Grief Overload Grief can feel like waves crashing repeatedly with no breathing room. Sharon discusses how grief overload occurs when we face multiple losses in a short period or hold onto grief from years past, making it feel impossible to manage.

3. Avoiding the "Grief Detective" Mindset Instead of processing grief, some people become "grief detectives," focusing on finding answers or blaming others as a way of avoiding painful emotions. Sharon explains how this can prolong grief and offers tips for breaking this habit.

4. Finding a "Grief Friend" or Support Group Even when it feels easier to carry grief alone, having a "grief friend" or joining a support group can provide comfort and understanding. Sharon encourages listeners to reach out to those who truly support their grief journey.

5. Taking Action for Healing Healing doesn't just happen with time; it requires active steps. Sharon highlights practical actions, from journaling to creative expression, that help make space for grief, allowing it to flow rather than accumulate.

Journal Questions:

1. What early losses have you experienced that still weigh heavy on your heart?
2. How might avoidance or "grief detective" behaviors affect your grieving process?
3. Who in your life can be a supportive "grief friend" as you navigate cumulative grief?
4. Reflect on a time you felt joy despite experiencing loss. What did that teach you?
5. What is one small step you can take to begin addressing any unresolved grief?

Conclusion: Reflect on these questions as you approach grief with patience and self-compassion. Remember, grief is not meant to be carried alone. Each action step you take helps build a foundation of resilience, moving you closer to peace.

Follow Us:

• Website: healingstartswiththeheart.com
• Facebook: Healing Starts with the Heart
• Instagram: @healatthegriefschool

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]

Thank you for joining us. Stay tuned for more episodes offering support, insight, and hope on your grief journey.

In today's episode of Healing Starts with a Heart, grief specialist Sharon Brubaker dives into five common pitfalls to steer clear of on your personal path through grief. Drawing from her own experiences and over a decade of work with grieving individuals, Sharon shares practical insights on what to avoid when navigating loss. From self-judgment to resisting emotions, she explains how letting yourself fully experience grief can lead to deeper healing and resilience. Each tip is designed to help you honor your grief journey with courage and compassion, while building a supportive foundation along the way.

1. Don't Talk Yourself Out of Grieving Embrace your emotions, no matter how difficult they may feel. Sharon explains the importance of acknowledging every type of grief, whether it's a silent loss or a life-altering heartbreak.

2. Avoid Self-Bullying Grief isn't a measure of strength or control. Sharon shares why it's essential to treat yourself kindly and why self-compassion is key to healing.

3. Don't Lock Away the 'Grief Monster' Using the metaphor of a "grief monster," Sharon explains how bottling up grief can intensify its hold. Facing the "monster" in manageable ways helps lessen its overwhelming presence.

4. Don't Disconnect from Your Support System Even when it feels tough to let others in, finding a supportive "grief friend" or community can provide the compassion and understanding needed for healing.

5. Don't Believe the Darkness Will Last Forever The journey through grief can feel unending, but Sharon offers reassurance that joy and light will return. Embracing small steps can help shift your perspective and illuminate the way forward.

1. How do you typically respond to grief? Do you find yourself talking yourself out of it or locking it away?

2. What are some ways you can practice self-compassion during tough moments?

3. Who in your life can be a "grief friend" and offer you support through this journey?

4. Reflect on a time you've experienced unexpected joy. How did that impact your outlook?

5. What is one small way you can start to embrace your grief and let it flow naturally?

Reflect on these questions as you approach grief as a personal journey, free from societal expectations. Healing takes time, and with each step, you are moving closer to a life of resilience and peace.

Follow Us:

• Website: healingstartswiththeheart.com

• Facebook: Healing Starts with the Heart

• Instagram: @healatthegriefschool

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]

Thank you for joining us. Stay tuned for more discussions offering support, insight, and hope on your grief journey.

Episode Title: Are You Truly Respecting Grief?

Episode Description: In today's episode, we dive into the significance of respecting the grief of others. Grief is as unique as the individual experiencing it. Sharon Brubaker discusses how grief can vary based on personality, relationships, and individual circumstances. Understanding this can help us honor others' grief without trying to fix or rush the process. Join us as we explore how respect, acknowledgment, and allowing space for grief can transform the healing journey for both the griever and their supporters.

Key Points Discussed:

Grief and Personality:

• Grief reflects your personality—whether open, reserved, or emotional, you will grieve in the way you show up in life.
• Just because someone is grieving doesn't mean their personality changes. Recognizing this can help others understand how to support them.

Grief and Relationships:

• Your relationship with the deceased affects how you grieve. Whether they were a best friend, parent, or admired public figure, grief varies based on the depth of that bond.
• Family members often grieve differently, both in timing and expression. Respecting each individual's grief journey is crucial to maintaining harmony.

Respecting Grief:

• Respect is essential in supporting others. This means allowing space for grief, listening without offering solutions, and acknowledging the emotions involved.
• Society often fails to understand or support grief properly, but asking simple questions like "How's your grief today?" can make a significant difference.

Journal Questions:

1. How does your personality influence the way you grieve?
2. How do the different relationships you've lost affect how you feel grief?
3. How can you show respect for your own grief and the grief of those around you?
4. What strategies can you use to support someone else's unique grief process without trying to fix it?
5. How can you create space for open conversations about grief with your family and friends?

Conclusion: Use these questions to reflect on your grief and the grief of others. Respecting each person's journey allows for healing in its own time and form. Whether you're grieving or supporting a griever, creating a space of respect is crucial.

Follow Us:

• Website: https://www.healingstartswiththeheart.com/
• Facebook: Healing Starts with the Heart
• Instagram: healatthegriefschool

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected] Thank you for joining us in this episode. Stay tuned for more discussions on how we can better navigate grief and healing together.

Grief is like Glitter

Episode Title: Grief is like Glitter: Embracing the Persistent Nature of Grief

Episode Description: In today's episode, we explore the concept that grief is like glitter. No matter how much you try to clean it up, it always shows up when you least expect it. This analogy highlights the persistent and sometimes unexpected nature of grief. Join us as we discuss how to understand and embrace these moments as part of your healing journey.

Key Points Discussed:

• Grief as Glitter:
• Grief can be both beautiful and inconvenient, resurfacing at unexpected times.
• It serves as a reminder of the love and deep connections we have with those we've lost.
• Embracing Grief:
• Allow yourself to feel the emotions and acknowledge the significance of your loss.
• These moments are part of your healing journey and reflect the deep connections you've had.

Journal Questions:

1. In what ways does grief continue to show up in your life, even when you think you've moved past it?
2. How do these unexpected moments of grief make you feel?
3. What positive memories or aspects of your loved one's life come to mind when grief "glitters" appear?
4. How can you honor these moments and the memories they bring up?
5. What strategies can you use to embrace and manage these unexpected reminders of your grief?

Conclusion: Use these questions to explore your experiences and find ways to embrace the glitter of grief in your life. Remember, these moments of grief are a sign of the love you still carry.

Follow Us:

• Website: https://www.healingstartswiththeheart.com/
• Facebook: Healing Starts with the Heart
• Instagram: healatthegriefschool

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]

Thank you for joining us in this episode. Stay tuned for more discussions and support on your grief journey.

Podcast Description: Hello everyone, today we're talking about those moments when grief feels unbearable. It's important to remember that you're not alone during these times. Grief can feel overwhelming, but there are ways to manage and cope with these intense emotions.

When grief feels unbearable, reaching out for support is crucial. Whether it's talking to a friend, family member, or grief counselor, sharing your feelings can provide relief. Additionally, practicing self-care can help you navigate through these difficult times. Taking care of your physical, emotional, and mental health is essential.

Sometimes, doing simple things like taking a walk, journaling, or practicing mindfulness can make a big difference. Remember, it's okay to ask for help and to take the time you need to heal.

Here are five journal questions to help you navigate those moments when grief feels unbearable:

1. What specific situations or triggers make your grief feel unbearable?
2. How do you typically react or cope when the intensity of grief feels overwhelming?
3. Who can you reach out to for support during these times?
4. What self-care practices can you implement to help manage these intense emotions?
5. How can you remind yourself of your strength and resilience when grief feels too heavy?
6. What activities or routines have helped you feel grounded and supported in the past?

Reflect on these questions and remember, it's okay to seek help and lean on others when grief feels too much to bear. Taking small steps towards self-care and reaching out for support can make a significant difference in your healing journey.

Follow Us:

• Website: https://www.healingstartswiththeheart.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healingstartswiththeheart
• Instagram: healatthegriefschool

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]

Thank you for joining us in this episode. Stay tuned for more discussions and support on your grief journey.

Podcast Description: Welcome back! Today we're discussing whether grief and loss are the same. While loss is the event – the end of something or someone dear – grief is our reaction to that loss. Understanding this distinction can help us navigate our emotions better.

Loss can take many forms, including the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or a significant life change. Grief is the emotional response to these losses, encompassing a range of feelings such as sadness, anger, and confusion.

Here are five journal questions to help you explore the distinction between grief and loss:

1. How do you differentiate between the concepts of grief and loss in your experience?
2. What specific losses have you experienced, and how have you grieved each one?
3. How does understanding this distinction help you navigate your emotions?
4. What coping mechanisms have you found helpful in dealing with loss and grief?
5. How can you support others in recognizing and processing their own grief and loss?

Use these questions to gain clarity on your experiences and find effective ways to cope with both grief and loss. Remember, acknowledging the difference can help you better understand and manage your emotions.

Follow Us:

• Website: https://www.healingstartswiththeheart.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healingstartswiththeheart
• Instagram: healatthegriefschool

Contact Us:

• Email: [email protected]

Thank you for joining us in this episode. Stay tuned for more discussions and support on your grief journey.