Coping with the loss of someone or something you love is one of life’s biggest challenges.

Grieving can be associated with many things, mostly with the death of a loved one, but other life events - like a divorce, loss of health, losing a job, a loss of a friendship and even retirement – can spark sadness.

In this episode, we sit down with a local licensed professional counselor about the grieving process and best ways to cope with loss.

Listen in to our conversation and see if there’s something that can help you or a loved one navigate the grieving process.

During the month of September, Here @ Home sat down with several local women who all met through a support group called “Living On.. A Path Forward.”

The support group was created by two women who both lost loved ones to suicide.

During the meetings, they not only facilitate the conversations, but also have developed strong bonds and friendships with many of the participants because of their shared experiences.

Here @ Home talked with some of these women who took part in this support group. They also spoke candidly to us about their loss, the grieving process, and how this type of support has helped them mourn and find a way to move forward day by day.

Listen in to our conversations, and the advice they offer to anyone who is affected by suicide and is experiencing this type of profound loss.

Smoky skies have blurred the Blue Ridge Mountains and hurt the air quality in Southwest Virginia several times this summer. However, the impacts of the Canadian wildfires go beyond the environmental and have economic repercussions as well. WDBJ7’s Kate Capodanno tackles the issue with Virginia Tech Professor Jadrian Wooten. The economics guru explains the factors that make the fires more difficult to extinguish and the potential financial impacts here at home.

   Domestic violence is not isolated to those it happens to, everyone is sharing the costs and that’s why it’s vitally important to recognize these costs and help prevent intimate partner violence. In this podcast, Host, Natalie Faunce sits down with Elizabeth Barbour, a Domestic Violence Attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Roanoke Valley to talk about this issue.  As a seasoned domestic violence attorney, Barbour knows first-hand the ramifications of domestic violence burdens to society from an economic point of view. She also shares what you can do to help someone who is, or someone they suspect is, suffering domestic abuse and the resources available that can help them navigate a way out.

The Hear @ Home Podcast continues our conversations from our live show that airs weekdays at 3 on WDBJ7.  In today’s episode, I sat down with Lauren Rogers,  a Certified Holistic Sexuality Educator, to talk about Self-care.

You may have heard about it – but don’t really know what it is.

Lauren tells me Self-care is more than just bubble baths and chocolates. Self-care is about learning to give ourselves permission to prioritize our needs, wants, and desires.

As women, we often feel like when we put our needs first – we’re being selfish. Many times, we feel guilty.

But as Lauren tells me, the first principle of real self-care – is setting boundaries, moving past the guilt, and ultimately taking back your power.

Listen in to our conversation – and learn the skills needed to get in touch with what your body needs – the steps you can take to be more aware of your emotions, and why it’s important to validate those emotions, and communicate what you really want.

We hope you enjoy.

We continue the conversation on Hear @ Home about Teens and Mental Health.

Our teens are in crisis, is social media to blame?

There are over a thousand families who say it is .. and are suing several social media companies.

Natalie Faunce sits down with a social media expert who says our teens are in psychological and emotional turmoil.

We get his take on why - and find out what’s being done locally to educate caregivers on this everchanging digital world.

In today’s episode, we talk with the women who are running businesses and taking care of their families. We call them mompreneurs. And if you've ever been to the Grandin Village - you might be surprised to learn that many of those businesses - are run and owned by women. I had the opportunity to sit down and have coffee one morning at the Little Green Hive, and meet with Laurie Frohock from Two and a Half Sisters, Karen and Ashley Curtis from the Grey Goose of Grandin, and Ashely Arney from Urban Gypsy.  We talked about their dreams, their challenges, and the support they've gained along their business journey. Hope you enjoy.