Most of us were never taught how to grieve — yet loss is an inevitable part of life. In this rewind episode, Beth Luwandi, success coach and licensed professional counselor, shares compassionate guidance on how to move through grief in a healthy way. From normalizing the grieving process to learning how to shift unhealthy coping mechanisms, Beth brings hope and perspective to an experience that often feels overwhelming.

Beth Luwandi is a success coach and licensed professional counselor specializing in relationships and healing after loss. She works primarily with mid-life women who are ready to break old patterns and find more satisfaction and purpose. Beth believes that “we are made to heal” — and her approach empowers clients to do just that.

• Why it’s so important to do the work around loss
• How early coping mechanisms can keep us stuck
• Types of loss (beyond just death)
• What people can expect after they do the work
• Normalizing the grief process and gaining perspective
• How to learn healthy grieving skills and shift patterns that no longer serve you

00:00 – Introduction to Beth Luwandi

04:22 – How grief shows up in everyday life

10:47 – Why avoiding pain doesn’t work long-term

17:15 – Normalizing grief and reframing loss

24:50 – “We are made to heal” and what that means for us

31:35 – Practical ways to move through grief with perspective

38:20 – Beth’s resources and where to learn more

• Grief isn’t the problem; lacking the skills to process it is.
• We often internalize coping mechanisms modeled to us early in life — and they may not truly heal our pain.
• All types of loss (big and small, expected or unexpected) deserve acknowledgment and care.
• Healthy grieving can lead to perspective, peace, and even joy in remembering those we’ve lost.
• “We are made to heal” — your body, mind, and heart already know how

• Beth’s Online Course: Successful Grief
• Beth’s Website: BethLuwandi.com
• Blog Post: “An Ideal Grief”

• Website: BethLuwandi.com
• Online Courses: LivesWork.org

• Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast
• Facebook: facebook.com/LifeonRepeatPodcast
• Podcast Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com
• Podcast Email: [email protected]
• Professional Services: eldercarecounselor.com

If you’ve ever struggled to navigate grief or wondered if healing is truly possible, this conversation is for you. Remember: you are made to heal.

What happens when your inner critic runs the show—especially while you’re caring for someone else? In this rewind episode, Nicole Burgess, a clinically trained Soul-Led Leadership Coach for highly sensitive professional women, joins Laura to unpack stress in the body, everyday mindfulness practices, and how to soften perfectionism so you can receive more calm, joy, and support.

Nicole also shares how her fiber arts weaving practice restores her—and why creative outlets with a clear beginning, middle, and end can be deeply grounding for caregivers.

Nicole Burgess is a clinically trained Soul-Led Leadership Coach to ambitious, highly sensitive, professional women leaders. She hosts the Soulfilled Sisterhood podcast and founded the Self-Care Summit: Improve Your Bottom Line and Your Persona. Nicole helps clients move from overthinking and perfectionism to presence, purpose, and sustainable self-care.

• Stress in the body: common signals (stomach, shoulders, headaches) and simple nervous-system resets
• Micro-mindfulness you can actually do: breathing, shower/teeth-brushing presence, mindful walks, single-tasking
• Memory worries vs. anxiety: why being present matters for forming memories
• Perfectionism & the inner critic: all-or-nothing thinking, fear of judgment, giving that part a “back seat”
• Boundaries with advice-givers: permission to say no; asking for help on your terms
• Creativity as care: how weaving (and any tactile craft) can bring completion and calm
• Practical tools: brain dumps, nature breaks, hydration, tiny five- to ten-minute resets

• 00:00 – Welcome + Nicole’s path: therapy, coaching, podcasting
• 04:30 – Creativity & weaving as grounding (beginning–middle–end)
• 08:40 – Storykeeping for caregivers: memory books & meaning-making
• 12:30 – How stress shows up in the body; quick breath + posture resets
• 17:20 – Micro-mindfulness: shower, brushing teeth, mindful walking
• 22:30 – Presence, time, and easing the “I don’t have time” loop
• 26:40 – Anxiety vs memory: why presence helps you remember
• 31:10 – What mindfulness is: observing without attaching or fixing
• 36:50 – Perfectionism & the inner critic: moving from black-and-white to gray
• 43:30 – Boundaries with outside opinions; asking for help
• 49:20 – Naming the critic as a part (not all of you)
• 53:30 – Nicole’s self-care go-tos: nature, brain dumps, tiny practices
• 57:40 – Where to find Nicole + resources

• Your body signals stress before your mind does—listen early, respond gently.
• Mindfulness can be tiny: one breath, one task, one sense at a time.
• Worried about memory? Presence is what allows memories to encode.
• Perfectionism blocks joy and peace; most caregiving has no single “right” way.
• Your inner critic is a part of you, not all of you—it doesn’t have to drive.
• Ask for help. People can’t support needs they don’t know about.

• Nicole’s site: Nicole Burgess Coaching
• Podcast: Soulfilled Sisterhood (episodes listed on her site)
• Facebook: Nicole Burgess Coaching
• LinkedIn: Nicole Burgess Coach

• Website: nicoleburgesscoaching.com
• Facebook: Nicole Burgess Coaching
• LinkedIn: Nicole Burgess Coach

• Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast
• Facebook: facebook.com/LifeonRepeatPodcast
• Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Private consultations: eldercarecounselor.com

If this episode helped, share it with a caregiver who needs permission to do less perfectly—and to breathe a little more today. 💛

In this episode of the Life on Repeat Podcast, I sit down with Peg Sandeen, CEO of Death with Dignity and a social worker with 25+ years in end-of-life care. Together, we explore one of the most difficult—but important—topics for caregivers: end-of-life choices, dignity, and what options really exist for families facing dementia.

Peg shares her personal story of losing her husband to HIV-related dementia in the 1990s and how it shaped her life’s work. We talk openly about the Death with Dignity laws in the U.S., why dementia does not currently qualify, and what families can do to prepare and communicate their wishes with compassion and clarity.

This episode is about facing hard truths while also feeling empowered with knowledge, so you can better support yourself and your loved ones.

👤 Meet Peg Sandeen:

Peg Sandeen is the CEO of Death with Dignity in Portland, OR, and has more than 25 years of experience as a social worker in end-of-life care. Her personal and professional journey gives her unique insight into the challenges of caregiving, policy, and how we talk about dying in our culture.

📌 Topics Discussed:

• Why end-of-life conversations are still taboo—and why they matter
• Peg’s personal story of caregiving, loss, and advocacy
• What the Death with Dignity laws allow (and don’t allow)
• Why people with dementia do not qualify under current U.S. laws
• The differences between U.S., Canada, Switzerland, and Belgium policies
• The role of POLST/MOLST forms and healthcare agents
• How caregivers can prepare their loved ones’ wishes with clarity
• Rethinking death as a social issue with a medical component, not just a medical problem

⏱️ Timestamps (Approximate):

00:00 – Introduction + why this conversation matters

04:20 – Peg’s personal caregiving story and early work in end-of-life care

13:00 – What Death with Dignity laws cover and how they work

22:30 – Patient and family experiences: calm, clarity, and choice

33:00 – Why dementia patients are excluded from current laws

41:00 – International perspectives: Canada, Switzerland, Belgium

48:15 – The importance of advanced directives, POLST/MOLST, and choosing the right agent

56:00 – Preparing families for dignity, clarity, and compassionate decision-making

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Difficult conversations about end-of-life care are easier before a crisis
• Death with Dignity laws allow choice, but exclude people with dementia due to competency requirements
• International approaches vary, but the U.S. currently has no pathway for dementia within these laws
• Every caregiver should have clear conversations about wishes, markers of quality of life, and a trusted healthcare agent
• End-of-life care is about more than medicine—it’s about community, caregiving, and dignity

📚 Resources Mentioned:

Death with Dignity

In Love by Amy Bloom (book)

🤝 Connect with Peg Sandeen & Death with Dignity:

Website: deathwithdignity.org

🌿 Connect with Laura Vaillancourt & the Life on Repeat Podcast:

Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast

Facebook: facebook.com/Lifeonrepeatpodcast

Email: [email protected]

These are not easy conversations—but they are necessary ones. My hope is that this episode brings you clarity, courage, and compassion as you navigate caregiving and end-of-life decisions. Please like, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who may need it. 💙

Welcome to this episode with Laura and Maggie Syme, PhD!

Maggie is the Project Director at Marcus Institute for Aging Research and specializes in sexual wellness.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How sexual relationships change during the course of dementia progression
• Ways to maintain sexual wellness as both a caregiver and a person living with dementia
• How to recognize when a person living with dementia is able to give consent
• Stigma related to aging, sex and intimacy

Maggie had some great resources:

National Institute on Aging (sex and dementia articles)

Alzheimer's Association: Changes in Sexuality and Intimacy

Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast

Facebook: facebook.com/Lifeonrepeatpodcast

Podcast Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Professional Service Website: eldercarecounselor.com

I host a weekly podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported, and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may arise, and how to gain knowledge so you can be your own best advocate.

You can also find it by searching “Life on Repeat” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Life on Repeat Podcast” on your Apple device.

Or simply go to the link below for ease =).

lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/listen

I hope you enjoy this episode with Teresa Quadres as she talks about Polyvagal Theory, how our autonomic nervous system works and the "rungs of the ladder": ventral vagal state, sympathetic state and dorsal vagal state. Most importantly, we talk about how to recognize and befriend each of these states.

She encourages doing these three things to help yourself:

1. Notice: have awareness to how you are responding in the moment
2. Remind yourself you are human: your response is normal
3. Ask yourself what state you may be in: where are you at on the ladder?
4. What state is your love one in?

Teresa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 25 years of experience working in health care, mostly in palliative care and hospice. She currently works part time as a palliative care social worker and has a part-time private psychotherapy practice.

Teresa was also a guest in episode #14: Hospice, Palliative Care and Decision Making

You can find out more about Teresa and her work here: TeresaQuadres.com

Teresa has a fabulous blog you can check out here!

Deb Dana's work: Rhythm of Regulation

Deb Dana's book: Anchored

Robert Sapolsky's book: Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers

Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast

Facebook: facebook.com/Lifeonrepeatpodcast

Podcast Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Professional Service Website: eldercarecounselor.com

I host a weekly podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported, and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may arise, and how to gain knowledge so you can be your own best advocate.

You can also find it by searching “Life on Repeat” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Life on Repeat Podcast” on your Apple device.

Or simply go to the link below for ease =).

lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/listen

Join us in this episode as we explore how to get a dementia diagnosis. Laura will review the many causes that look similar to dementia and how to rule out and treat those disorders that are reversible. Find out who the best diagnosticians are when looking at cognitive and memory concerns, the types of assessments that are readily available and learn about dementia as an 'umbrella' term for the many types that exist.

Instagram: @lifeonrepeat.podcast

Facebook: facebook.com/Lifeonrepeatpodcast

Podcast Website: lifeonrepeatpodcast.com

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Professional Service Website: eldercarecounselor.com

I host a weekly podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported, and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may arise, and how to gain knowledge so you can be your own best advocate.

You can also find it by searching “Life on Repeat” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Life on Repeat Podcast” on your Apple device.

Or simply go to the link below for ease =).

lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/listen

In this episode, Laura reviews what is considered "normal" forgetfulness and when to be concerned. Memory impairment is not a normal part of the aging process. Our brains have the capacity to produce throughout life.

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Podcast Website: https://www.lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/ (https://www.lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/)

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Professional Service Website: https://www.eldercarecounselor.com/ (https://www.eldercarecounselor.com/)

SUBSCRIBE TO THE LIFE ON REPEAT PODCAST:

I host a weekly podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may arise and how to gain knowledge so you can be your own best advocate.

You can also find it by searching “Life on Repeat” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Life on Repeat Podcast” on your Apple device.

Or simply go to the link below for ease =).

https://www.lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/ (https://www.lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/)

This is a special bonus episode to showcase the new release of the song, "Let's Reimagine" with a goal to inspire and spread humanity and end the stigma around the world.

Please check out this amazing group of people from all over the world who come together to create a sense of inclusion, creativity, growth and collaboration with folks who live with dementia and their families.

https://www.reimaginingdementia.com/

We explore what the Reimaging Dementia coalition is, what inspired the creation of the new song and how folks can be involved with the coalition.

Stay tuned for the end to listen to the song! And as Wally says, check out the video for the full experience!

In this episode, we delve deep into the power of sound and music and explore how music can serve as a bridge to connect us with those who have dementia.

Grace Meadows is a music therapist and Campaign Director for Music for Dementia, a UK based campaign with a mission to make music an integral part of dementia care.

"Music isn't a nicety, it's a necessity for people living with dementia"

We explore:

• The importance of sound in human beings: did you know we are wired for rhythm pre-birth through the heartbeat of our mother?
• How to incorporate music into daily tasks to support smooth transitions through the day
• How music can be used as a tool for those resistive moments
• How music can support the caregiver/care partner
• Why music is a conduit for connection and creativity
• Grace shares a touching story about a man who was resisting care until a music therapist became involved

You can find our more about the Music for Dementia Campaign here: https://musicfordementia.org.uk/

Download their "5 Ways to Use Music" pdf here: https://musicfordementia.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Music-for-Dementia-5-ways-to-use-music-and-how-to-use-music-tips.pdf

You can also find their links on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn

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Instagram: lifeonrepeat.podcast

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Podcast Website: https://www.lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/ (https://www.lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/)

Personal Consultations and Coaching Website: https://www.eldercarecounselor.com/ (https://www.eldercarecounselor.com/)

SUBSCRIBE TO THE LIFE ON REPEAT PODCAST:

Subscribe to this informative podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may arise and how to gain knowledge so you can be your own best advocate.

You can also find it by searching “Life on Repeat” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Life on Repeat Podcast” on your Apple device.

Or simply go to the link below for ease =).

https://www.lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/ (https://www.lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/)

I love this interview with Stacy Scheel-Hirsch about 'resourcing'. Resourcing is how we access and apply self-care. Imagine all the resources we tap into within to survive and thrive.

Stacy talks us through how to access our inner resources, how mindfulness is a helpful tool and the different dimensions of wellness.

We explore stories and examples and she also shares with us about her free weekly meditation group that meets online.

Stacy is a trauma-informed mindfulness teacher, resilience coach and organizational wellness consultant. She is passionate about helping people find safe and supportive ways to connect with their humanity so that they can live each day with more purpose, empathy, and a greater sense of belonging.

Clients describe Stacy as “a deeply rooted person” and “one of those rare knowledgeable, sensitive, and talented individuals” with a “deep capacity for empathy and an ability to cut through foggy thinking with remarkable insight.”

She is the CEO and founder of Life Takes Practice™, the creator of Mindful Living at Work: An Eight-Week Mindfulness-Based Skills Program for the workplace, and the Mindfulness-Based Neuro-Somatic Engagement (MBNSE) Program. Stacy is also the co-founder of Cultivate, a writing and meditation retreat for women in beautiful Hood River, Oregon

You can find our more about Stacy and her work here: https://www.lifetakespractice.com/home

Learn more about her meditation group here: https://www.lifetakespractice.com/pilgrimageinside?r_done=1

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Instagram: lifeonrepeat.podcast

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Podcast Website: https://www.lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/ (https://www.lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/)

Professional Service Website: https://www.eldercarecounselor.com/ (https://www.eldercarecounselor.com/)

SUBSCRIBE TO THE LIFE ON REPEAT PODCAST:

I host a weekly podcast where I interview dementia specialists and other professionals to help caregivers feel educated, supported and empowered.

We talk about a variety of topics including how to live your best life as a caregiver, how to work with challenges that may arise and how to gain knowledge so you can be your own best advocate.

You can also find it by searching “Life on Repeat” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Life on Repeat Podcast” on your Apple device.

Or simply go to the link below for ease =).

https://www.lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/ (https://www.lifeonrepeatpodcast.com/)