Guiding Grief

How can planning for death help us live—and leave—more peacefully? 

In this episode of Guiding Grief, host Nicholas Welzenbach speaks with Lucia Galindo, a holistic death coach, death doula, board-certified holistic health practitioner, and volunteer with Hospice of Santa Cruz. 

Lucia helps individuals and families navigate the many decisions that surround the end of life. Her work goes far beyond the moment of dying. She supports people in preparing their affairs, making important decisions, and creating a plan that reflects their wishes and values. In many ways, she serves as a project manager and guide for both the dying person and the family, helping ease the emotional and practical burdens that can arise during an already difficult time. 

Nicholas and Lucia discuss the importance of planning ahead, including wills and Advance Health Care Directives. They also explore the distinction between an Advance Health Care Directive and a Power of Attorney and why understanding these documents can be so important. 

Lucia shares a simple but powerful perspective: when we have fewer unfinished tasks and decisions weighing on us, we may be able to leave this realm a little lighter. 

This episode offers a compassionate and practical conversation about dignity, preparation, and giving both ourselves and the people we love the gift of clarity. 

The loss of a beloved pet can leave an emptiness unlike any other. In this heartfelt episode of Guiding Grief, host Nicholas Welzenbach sits down with Ken Toren to explore the extraordinary bond we share with our animal companions and why saying goodbye can be so profoundly difficult. 

Ken, who is involved with the Alzheimer’s community and serves on the Monte Sereno City Council, shares deeply personal stories about the dogs who have shaped his life. From Pixie, his first beloved Sheltie and a treasured member of the family, to Valentine, Cupid, Rocky, and the many other dogs he has loved and lost, Ken reflects on the companionship, joy, and unconditional love that pets bring into our lives. 

Some of those losses were especially intertwined with other moments of grief. Pixie and Ken’s father both faced cancer, and when Pixie was eventually put to rest at the age of 16, she was buried alongside his father. Ken also shares the remarkable connection he felt between Rocky and his late mother and a beautiful moment involving a rainbow above the veterinary center when Rocky passed. 

Through these stories, Ken offers a moving reflection on pet loss, love, and the courage to open your heart again. As he shares, every loss may leave your heart feeling empty, but the next animal we welcome into our lives has the capacity to fill it in an entirely new way. 

Because, ultimately, it is all about loving again. 

What happens when grief and real estate intersect? 

In this episode of Guiding Grief, host Nicholas Welzenbach speaks with Jason Arena, a Certified Probate and Trust Specialist and Realtor with Compass, about the deeply emotional experience of navigating a loved one’s home and estate after a death. 

Jason’s perspective is shaped by both his professional experience and his personal journey as a caregiver. When his father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017, and as he helped care for other family members, Jason began to recognize the complicated intersection between loss, family, and the practical decisions that follow a death. He realized he could offer more than simply helping people sell a home, he could support families through one of life's most difficult transitions. 

Jason and Nicholas explore the emotions connected to letting go of a family home, as well as the importance of preparation. The conversation includes an approachable discussion about trusts, why they can be valuable, and why families with real estate and multiple family members may want to consider planning ahead. 

This episode is a thoughtful look at the practical side of loss and the human emotions that are often inseparable from it. 

In this returning episode of Guiding Grief, host Nicholas Welzenbach welcomes back Juliann Halvorson, LMFT, for an organic and heartfelt conversation about grief, healing, vulnerability, and the many ways loss and change shape our lives. 

Juliann shares her work supporting patients and families in the cancer community through Cancer CAREpoint, an organization dedicated to providing holistic care, resources, and support.  

The conversation also explores Juliann’s work facilitating grief group therapy for Darling Fischer families and the power of coming together with others who understand. From learning to recognize our own grief to resisting the urge to compare our experiences, Juliann reminds us that vulnerability can create meaningful connection. 

Grief is not limited to death. It can emerge from any significant change in our physical, mental, or emotional lives and sometimes, it can be difficult to recognize while we are living through it. Most importantly, this episode offers a powerful reminder: it is never too late to begin your grieving process or your healing journey. By validating what we feel and giving ourselves permission to discover new ways forward, healing can begin wherever we are. 

In the latest episode of the Guiding Grief podcast, host Nicholas Welzenbach welcomes back Juliann Halvorsen, MA, LMFT, from Cancer CAREpoint (https://www.cancercarepoint.org/), for another thoughtful and heartfelt conversation. Juliann is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology and a certificate in Traumatology from Holy Names University in Oakland. She brings a wealth of clinical experience and deep compassion to her work supporting individuals and families impacted by cancer.

In this episode, Juliann shares updates on the important work Cancer CAREpoint is doing, including newly expanded services for minors experiencing grief related to a cancer diagnosis in the family. She and Nicholas also delve into the complex grief faced by caregivers, offering insights into how they can find support and healing while continuing to care for others.

Cancer CAREpoint provides no-cost Counseling, Assistance, Resources & Education to cancer patients, survivors, families, and caregivers throughout the Bay Area.

To learn more about their programs or get involved, visit cancercarepoint.org (https://www.cancercarepoint.org/). And don’t miss their annual Garden Party fundraiser, taking place August 24th at the stunning Nestldown estate in Los Gatos.