How To Deal With Grief and Trauma

By Nathalie HimmelrichSociety & Culture Health & Fitness Mental Health Personal Journals

How To Deal With Grief and Trauma episodes

November 10, 2025The Grieving Body: How Grief Lives in the Body with Dr Mary Frances O'Connor | 158
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HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.
Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you!
For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.
About this week’s episode
Mary-Frances’s book The Grieving Brain has inspired me from the moment I started reading it. In this episode Mary-Frances is back to speak about her second book The Grieving Body.
So I’m very excited today to be speaking with Mary-Frances again, neuroscientist to find out even more about the science behind grief and all that Mary-Frances and her colleagues have researched in their lab.
About this week’s guest
Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Grief, Loss and Social Stress (GLASS) Lab.
Her research focuses on the physiological correlates of emotion, in particular, the wide range of physical and emotional responses during bereavement, including yearning and isolation. She believes that a clinical science approach toward the experience and mechanisms of grieving can improve interventions for prolonged grief disorder, newly included in the revised DSM-5.
Website: https://maryfrancesoconnor.org/
Support the show
💡 If today’s episode touched you, please share it with someone who might need it.
🤝 Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month & leave a review.
Stay Connected
🌐 Visit nathaliehimmelrich.com
💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for resources and updates
🎧 Never miss an episode—follow the podcast!
💛 Socials Instagram Facebook
Find Support Resources
💜 For Grievers – Resources
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/grief-trauma-support/
💜 For Supporters – Supporting someone https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/supporters-resources/
💜 Books – Explore books on grief and healing https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/books/
💜 Support – Offers - free and paid
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/free-resources-hub/
47 min
October 30, 2025Grief and Hope After Pregnancy and Infant Loss: Continued Support | PAIL Mini Series | 157
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October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and with it comes a deeply meaningful PAIL Mini Series here on How to Deal With Grief and Trauma.
In this seventh and last episode of the PAIL Mini Series, we explore two central themes:
how hope and grief can coexist — how life can slowly expand again without erasing love, and
compassionate insights on sustaining long-term support for grieving parents, reminding us that presence months and years later can mean even more than words in the early days.
🕊️ What You’ll Hear in This Episode
How to allow hope to return naturally after deep loss
Understanding that healing and grief can exist side by side
Ways hope manifests in small, meaningful moments
How to stay connected and supportive after initial condolences fade
Practical suggestions for long-term, sustainable support
Reflections on the beauty of ongoing love and remembrance
🗓️ About the Mini Series
The PAIL Mini Series runs through October with episodes released every four days, combining solo reflections and replays of the most loved guest episodes on pregnancy and infant loss.
🩷 Replays: October 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28
💬 Solo episodes: October 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30
Support the show
💡 If today’s episode touched you, please share it with someone who might need it.
🤝 Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month & leave a review.
Stay Connected
🌐 Visit nathaliehimmelrich.com
💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for resources and updates
🎧 Never miss an episode—follow the podcast!
💛 Socials Instagram Facebook
Find Support Resources
💜 For Grievers – Resources
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/grief-trauma-support/
💜 For Supporters – Supporting someone https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/supporters-resources/
💜 Books – Explore books on grief and healing https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/books/
💜 Support – Offers - free and paid
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/free-resources-hub/
13 min
October 28, 2025Finding Light in the Darkness After Stillbirth (PAIL Replay) with Katherine Lazar | 156
Send us Fan Mail
HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.
Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you!
For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.
About today’s episode
During October, which is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, we will dedicate all the episodes to increasing awareness around what parents experience. Today, we feature a conversation with Katherine Lazar, a mum who has experienced her first child's death through stillbirth.
About this week’s guest
Katherine Lazar currently lives in Atlanta, GA in the US and is married to the love of her life, Brody’s dad, Michael. When she was 37 weeks pregnant, her precious son died and was stillborn. The sorrow following his death almost killed her. Conversations with other loss moms saved her. She decided to record them and put them out for others to hear. If they helped her feel less alone, maybe they could help others. She’s so proud to have created this in Brody’s honor and to give other mothers a platform to talk about their babies.
At the time of recording this episode, they were expecting their second child, and navigating the world of pregnancy after loss is a whole new battle. However, Katherine has spent a lot of time putting in the work with grief therapy & trauma recovery, surrounding herself with good people, having a great support system, and amazing doctors this time around. She feels ready for whatever comes her way.
She misses her son every day and knows that she will see him again someday. Until then, she will continue to tell her story, be very open about her journey, and help other loss mothers find light in the dark.
Support the show
💡 If today’s episode touched you, please share it with someone who might need it.
🤝 Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month & leave a review.
Stay Connected
🌐 Visit nathaliehimmelrich.com
💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for resources and updates
🎧 Never miss an episode—follow the podcast!
💛 Socials Instagram Facebook
Find Support Resources
💜 For Grievers – Resources
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/grief-trauma-support/
💜 For Supporters – Supporting someone https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/supporters-resources/
💜 Books – Explore books on grief and healing https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/books/
💜 Support – Offers - free and paid
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/free-resources-hub/
42 min
October 26, 2025Permission to Grieve Your Own Way: Supporting Partners and Family | PAIL Mini Series | 155
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October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and with it comes a deeply meaningful PAIL Mini Series here on How to Deal With Grief and Trauma.
Grief is not one-size-fits-all.
In this sixth episode, we explore two central themes:
how every person’s grief unfolds differently — and why permitting yourself to grieve in your own way is essential and
compassionate guidance for partners and extended family, who each carry their own version of loss and need understanding, patience, and communication to stay connected through grief.
🕊️ What You’ll Hear in This Episode
Why there’s no single right way to grieve
The harm of comparing grief journeys
Giving yourself permission to feel, rest, and heal authentically
Navigating differences in grief styles between partners
How the extended family can offer genuine, sensitive support
The power of communication and respect in shared grief
🗓️ About the Mini Series
The PAIL Mini Series runs through October with episodes released every four days, combining solo reflections and replays of the most loved guest episodes on pregnancy and infant loss.
🩷 Replays: October 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28
💬 Solo episodes: October 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30
🧭 Next Episode
🎧 PAIL Mini Series: 7 — Carrying Hope Alongside Grief & Sustaining Support Beyond the Early Weeks
📅 Releasing October 30
Exploring how grief and hope can coexist — and how ongoing support brings strength long after the early days.
Support the show
💡 If today’s episode touched you, please share it with someone who might need it.
🤝 Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month & leave a review.
Stay Connected
🌐 Visit nathaliehimmelrich.com
💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for resources and updates
🎧 Never miss an episode—follow the podcast!
💛 Socials Instagram Facebook
Find Support Resources
💜 For Grievers – Resources
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/grief-trauma-support/
💜 For Supporters – Supporting someone https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/supporters-resources/
💜 Books – Explore books on grief and healing https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/books/
💜 Support – Offers - free and paid
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/free-resources-hub/
14 min
October 24, 2025Being Proud of Who You've Become After Loss (PAIL Replay) with Rachelle Spencer | 154
Send us Fan Mail
HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.
Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you!
For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.
About today’s episode
During October, which is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, we will dedicate all the episodes to increasing awareness around what parents experience. Today, we feature a conversation with Rachelle Spencer, a mum who has experienced multiple pregnancy losses.
About this week’s guest
Rachelle Spencer is an entrepreneur and mom in Baltimore, Maryland (USA). She started her handmade jewellery business after she lost 4 children to early miscarriage. She now has a son, daughter, and another little one on the way. She spends most of her time doing photography, reading children’s books, or trying her hand out at a new creative outlet.
Support the show
💡 If today’s episode touched you, please share it with someone who might need it.
🤝 Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month & leave a review.
Stay Connected
🌐 Visit nathaliehimmelrich.com
💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for resources and updates
🎧 Never miss an episode—follow the podcast!
💛 Socials Instagram Facebook
Find Support Resources
💜 For Grievers – Resources
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/grief-trauma-support/
💜 For Supporters – Supporting someone https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/supporters-resources/
💜 Books – Explore books on grief and healing https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/books/
💜 Support – Offers - free and paid
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/free-resources-hub/
42 min
October 22, 2025Continuing Bonds After Loss: Respecting Boundaries and Needs | PAIL Mini Series | 153
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October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and with it comes a deeply meaningful PAIL Mini Series here on How to Deal With Grief and Trauma.
Love doesn’t end when a baby dies — it transforms.
In this fifth episode, we explore two central themes:
the continuing bonds that parents carry after pregnancy and infant loss, how to navigate the complex dance between connection, longing, and healing, and
insights on boundaries — how grieving parents can protect their emotional space and how supporters can respect it with empathy and awareness
This episode speaks to both parents who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss and the people who wish to support them with sensitivity and presence.
🕊️ What You’ll Hear in This Episode
The concept of continuing bonds and how love evolves after loss
The role of longing and remembrance in healing
Why maintaining connection doesn’t mean being “stuck” in grief
How to communicate and honor emotional boundaries
Guidance for supporters to show love without intrusion
Reflections on mutual respect and sustainable compassion
🗓️ About the Mini Series
The PAIL Mini Series runs through October with episodes released every four days, combining solo reflections and replays of the most loved guest episodes on pregnancy and infant loss.
🩷 Replays: October 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28
💬 Solo episodes: October 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30
🧭 Next Episode
🎧 PAIL Mini Series: 6 — Permission to Grieve in Your Own Way & Supporting Partners and Extended Family
📅 Releasing October 26
Affirming that every grief journey is unique — and exploring how partners and families can support each other through loss.
Support the show
💡 If today’s episode touched you, please share it with someone who might need it.
🤝 Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month & leave a review.
Stay Connected
🌐 Visit nathaliehimmelrich.com
💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for resources and updates
🎧 Never miss an episode—follow the podcast!
💛 Socials Instagram Facebook
Find Support Resources
💜 For Grievers – Resources
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/grief-trauma-support/
💜 For Supporters – Supporting someone https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/supporters-resources/
💜 Books – Explore books on grief and healing https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/books/
💜 Support – Offers - free and paid
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/free-resources-hub/
16 min
October 20, 2025Stillbirth, Miscarriage and Pregnancy After Loss (PAIL Replay) with Amy Watson | 152
Send us Fan Mail
HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.
Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you!
For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.
About today’s episode
During October, which is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, we will dedicate all the episodes to increasing awareness around what parents experience. Today, we feature a conversation with Amy Watson, a mother who has experience miscarriage and stillbirth and speaks about what pregnancy after loss was like for her.
About this week’s guest
Amy Watson is a certified life and grief coach. She takes her own experiences with stillbirth, miscarriage, and pregnancy after loss and combines them with proven techniques to help moms find themselves again after loss. She shares everything she knows to help you feel more peaceful, confident, and hopeful on her podcast, Smooth Stones. Amy wants all loss parents to know that by making friends with grief, tapping into their own inner voice, and learning to truly love themselves again they will be able to have not just a life to be endured, but one that is full and beautiful. Amy is a sought-after podcast guest, and she loves sharing her story, her babies, and hope everywhere she goes.
Support the show
💡 If today’s episode touched you, please share it with someone who might need it.
🤝 Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month & leave a review.
Stay Connected
🌐 Visit nathaliehimmelrich.com
💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for resources and updates
🎧 Never miss an episode—follow the podcast!
💛 Socials Instagram Facebook
Find Support Resources
💜 For Grievers – Resources
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/grief-trauma-support/
💜 For Supporters – Supporting someone https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/supporters-resources/
💜 Books – Explore books on grief and healing https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/books/
💜 Support – Offers - free and paid
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/free-resources-hub/
41 min
October 18, 2025The Body Remembers: Grief and Honoring Important Dates | PAIL Mini Series | 151
Send us Fan Mail
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and with it comes a deeply meaningful PAIL Mini Series here on How to Deal With Grief and Trauma.
In this fourth episode, we explore two central themes:
how the body remembers grief — physically, hormonally, emotionally — and
how honoring important dates can help bring gentle healing and connection.
This episode speaks to both parents who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss and the people who wish to support them with sensitivity and presence.
🕊️ What You’ll Hear in This Episode
How the body holds memories of pregnancy and loss
Physical sensations and emotional responses around anniversaries
How to listen to and care for your body during grief
The importance of rituals and remembrance dates
Creative ways to honor your baby and your ongoing love
How supporters can remember and acknowledge meaningful dates
🗓️ About the Mini Series
The PAIL Mini Series runs through October with episodes released every four days, combining solo reflections and replays of the most loved guest episodes on pregnancy and infant loss.
🩷 Replays: October 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28
💬 Solo episodes: October 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30
🧭 Next Episode
🎧 PAIL Mini Series: 5 — Love, Longing, and Continuing Bonds & Respecting Boundaries and Emotional Needs
📅 Releasing October 22
Exploring how ongoing love for your baby can coexist with healing — and how to hold space for personal boundaries in grief.
Support the show
💡 If today’s episode touched you, please share it with someone who might need it.
🤝 Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month & leave a review.
Stay Connected
🌐 Visit nathaliehimmelrich.com
💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for resources and updates
🎧 Never miss an episode—follow the podcast!
💛 Socials Instagram Facebook
Find Support Resources
💜 For Grievers – Resources
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/grief-trauma-support/
💜 For Supporters – Supporting someone https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/supporters-resources/
💜 Books – Explore books on grief and healing https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/books/
💜 Support – Offers - free and paid
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/free-resources-hub/
15 min
October 16, 2025Somatic Insights for Child Loss and Developmental Trauma (PAIL Replay) with Betsy Winter | 150
Send us Fan Mail
HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.
Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you!
For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.
About today’s episode
During October, which is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, we will dedicate all the episodes to increasing awareness around what parents experience. Today, we feature a conversation with Betsy Winter, a somatic practitioner sharing both about her personal experience after the stillbirth of her daughter and her work with parents who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss.
About this week’s guest
Betsy Winter is an experienced mind-body coach and somatic practitioner known for her effective methods in helping individuals transform profound loss and unresolved trauma into deep healing and embodied change. She believes in understanding individuals rather than pathologizing them, viewing each person as the expert of their own experiences. Her client-centred approach is aimed at those seeking self-discovery, deep healing, and sustainable change. Betsy is also a key contributor to the pregnancy and infant loss community, significantly involved in the creation and growth of RTZ HOPE’s support groups, retreats, and provider resources. Her work is deeply influenced by the brief life of her daughter, Eliza, who was diagnosed with a severe heart defect and trisomy 18 at 31 weeks and stillborn at 41 weeks, and by her own journey of uncovering and healing from layers of unresolved complex trauma from early childhood neglect and abuse.
Support the show
💡 If today’s episode touched you, please share it with someone who might need it.
🤝 Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month & leave a review.
Stay Connected
🌐 Visit nathaliehimmelrich.com
💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for resources and updates
🎧 Never miss an episode—follow the podcast!
💛 Socials Instagram Facebook
Find Support Resources
💜 For Grievers – Resources
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/grief-trauma-support/
💜 For Supporters – Supporting someone https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/supporters-resources/
💜 Books – Explore books on grief and healing https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/books/
💜 Support – Offers - free and paid
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/free-resources-hub/
44 min
October 14, 2025Navigating the Waves of Grief: Practical Support That Matters | PAIL Mini Series | 149
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October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and with it comes a deeply meaningful PAIL Mini Series here on How to Deal With Grief and Trauma.
In this third solo episode, we explore two central themes:
Navigating the waves of grief, and
how practical support really matters in easing the everyday load of life after loss.
Grief moves like waves — unpredictable, powerful, and always changing.
In this episode, we explore the emotional tides of pregnancy and infant loss and how understanding these rhythms can help both grievers and supporters find steadiness.
I also shared practical, compassionate ways loved ones can help ease daily burdens when words aren’t enough.
🕊️ What You’ll Hear in This Episode
The wave-like nature of grief and how to ride emotional surges
Why grief isn’t linear or something to “get over”
How hormones, silence, and missing rituals make this grief unique
Simple, meaningful ways to offer practical support
Encouragement for grievers to receive help without guilt
Reflection on staying present — through the waves and beyond
🗓️ About the Mini Series
The PAIL Mini Series runs through October with episodes released every four days, combining solo reflections and replays of the most loved guest episodes on pregnancy and infant loss.
🩷 Replays: October 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28
💬 Solo episodes: October 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30
🧭 Next Episode
🎧 PAIL Mini Series: 4 — The Body Remembers & Honoring Important Dates
📅 Releasing October 18
Exploring how the body holds grief and how remembrance rituals can bring comfort and connection.
Support the show
💡 If today’s episode touched you, please share it with someone who might need it.
🤝 Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month & leave a review.
Stay Connected
🌐 Visit nathaliehimmelrich.com
💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for resources and updates
🎧 Never miss an episode—follow the podcast!
💛 Socials Instagram Facebook
Find Support Resources
💜 For Grievers – Resources
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/grief-trauma-support/
💜 For Supporters – Supporting someone https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/supporters-resources/
💜 Books – Explore books on grief and healing https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/books/
💜 Support – Offers - free and paid
https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/free-resources-hub/
15 min

About How To Deal With Grief and Trauma

From the publisher's feed

You can't go through life without experiencing loss and trauma the question is how do we deal and live with the grief and pain? Join Nathalie Himmelrich, grief expert and author, talking to people…