New Ways New You ( Tendrils of Grief- Life After Grief)

In this powerful episode of Tendrils of Grief, I sit down with psychotherapist and author Sally Dukes for a deeply personal and layered conversation about grief, identity, attachment, and the stories that shape our lives.

During our discussion, I share my own journey with abandonment wounds and the loss of my husband — how those early attachment patterns resurfaced in grief, and how loss forces us to confront the narratives we've carried for years. Sally brings her expertise in transpersonal psychology and narrative healing to explore how the stories we tell ourselves can either keep us stuck in victimhood or help us step into growth.

We also dive into Sally's near-death experience at age three during open-heart surgery — a profound encounter with a violet light of love that forever shaped her understanding of death and what may lie beyond it. Together, we explore anxious attachment, spiritual connection, manifestation, and whether the bonds we share with loved ones truly end when they die.

This episode is an honest conversation about grief not as something to "get over," but as something that reveals who we are beneath the surface. It's about rewriting the story — not denying the pain — and discovering that love may continue in ways we don't fully understand.

If you've ever questioned your patterns, wrestled with abandonment, or wondered whether your loved ones are still somehow near, this episode will meet you with compassion and depth.

Know Sally Dukes

Website:https://www.sallydukes.com/

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Welcome to New Ways Barre. We are so glad you are here. Get ready to transform your body, mind and life. At New Ways Barre, we are dedicated to fostering a supportive community where individuals can achieve holistic well-being.

Please subscribe and leave a review. If you have questions, comments, or possible show topics, email [email protected]

Don't forget to visit Tendrils Of Grief website and join for upcoming Webinars, Podcasts Updates and Group Coaching.

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Tendrils of Grief-Survivor of Loss

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In this powerful episode, I dive into a deeply honest conversation about what it really means to live with grief—not fix it, rush it, or silence it.

Drawing from personal experience and the themes we explore in this episode, I unpack how loss reshapes identity, challenges faith, and forces us to confront the parts of ourselves we often avoid. We talk about the waves of grief that return years later, the guilt and unanswered questions that linger, and the quiet strength it takes to keep moving forward.

This conversation is for anyone who has ever wondered, "Why does this still hurt?" or "Am I grieving the right way?" Together, we explore how grief evolves, how love continues, and how healing isn't about closure—it's about learning to carry both the pain and the love with intention.

If you're navigating loss in any form, this episode offers validation, perspective, and reassurance that you are not alone—and that your grief, in all its complexity, is human.

Check out the book!

Welcome to New Ways Barre. We are so glad you are here. Get ready to transform your body, mind and life. At New Ways Barre, we are dedicated to fostering a supportive community where individuals can achieve holistic well-being.

https://newwaysbarre.com/

Please subscribe and leave a review. If you have questions, comments, or possible show topics, email [email protected]

Don't forget to visit Tendrils Of Grief website and join for upcoming Webinars, Podcasts Updates and Group Coaching.

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Tendrils of Grief-Survivor of Loss

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In this moving episode of Tendrils of Grief, I sit down with Barry Hoffner, a widower whose life changed forever after his wife was tragically killed in a sudden accident while they were traveling in Botswana.

In the wake of devastating loss, Barry made an extraordinary decision: to honor his wife by visiting every country in the world. What began as heartbreak became a journey of purpose, connection, and healing.

Barry shares openly about sudden loss, trauma, widowhood, and what it means to carry love forward instead of leaving it behind. We talk about grief as transformation, continuing bonds after death, and how meaning can emerge even from unimaginable pain.

This episode is a powerful reminder that love doesn't end—and that even after tragedy, life can still hold purpose, courage, and connection.

Know Barry Hoffner

CONNECT WITH BARRY

Instagram: @barryh99

Facebook: Barry Hoffner

Goodreads: @BarryHoffner

LinkedIn: Barry Hoffner

Website: https://belongingtotheworld.com/

Belonging to the World is available for pre-order now from Amazon.

Did you enjoy today's episode?

Welcome to New Ways Barre. We are so glad you are here. Get ready to transform your body, mind and life. At New Ways Barre, we are dedicated to fostering a supportive community where individuals can achieve holistic well-being.

Please subscribe and leave a review. If you have questions, comments, or possible show topics, email [email protected]

Don't forget to visit Tendrils Of Grief website and join for upcoming Webinars, Podcasts Updates and Group Coaching.

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Tendrils of Grief-Survivor of Loss

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I open my heart and share where I truly am in my grief journey—eight years after losing Paul, and after walking through layers of loss I never imagined I'd have to carry.

This episode was born out of a quiet but powerful realization during the holidays: that grief evolves, that endings can bring clarity, and that moving forward doesn't mean forgetting—it means choosing alignment, peace, and authenticity. I reflect on parental estrangement, complicated family dynamics, selling the home Paul and I built our life in, and the tender moment of recognizing when a chapter has truly completed.

I talk honestly about what I've learned along the way:

• How sitting with your feelings—rather than avoiding them—can bring unexpected peace

• Why turning inward matters more than seeking answers from others

• Letting go of anger, old stories, and the need to react

• Trusting your inner guidance, even when life feels unfair

• Holding grief and hope in the same container

• Choosing not to participate in cycles of dysfunction

• Finding purpose after loss, even when it feels scary or unreasonable

I also share how opening a community-centered barre studio became part of my healing—not because grief ended, but because I allowed myself to evolve. This episode is about trusting that what broke you may also be the thing that reshapes you into someone stronger, clearer, and more aligned than ever before.

If you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure whether you'll ever be "okay" again, I want you to hear this clearly: you are not broken, you are not grieving wrong, and you are capable of moving forward in your own time.

This episode is an invitation—to get quiet, to turn inward, to trust yourself, and to believe that even now, something meaningful is still unfolding for you.

Welcome to New Ways Barre. We are so glad you are here. Get ready to transform your body, mind and life. At New Ways Barre, we are dedicated to fostering a supportive community where individuals can achieve holistic well-being.

https://newwaysbarre.com/

Please subscribe and leave a review. If you have questions, comments, or possible show topics, email [email protected]

Don't forget to visit Tendrils Of Grief website and join for upcoming Webinars, Podcasts Updates and Group Coaching.

Get involve and share your thoughts and experiences in our online community

Tendrils of Grief-Survivor of Loss

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In this thoughtful and deeply grounded episode, I sit down with Gyani Richards, MA—a grief counselor, Certified Grief Educator, and lifelong student of meditation and wisdom traditions—to explore what it truly means to live with grief over a lifetime.

Gyani's path into grief work began early, following the death of his father when he was just 13 years old. That loss set him on a lifelong journey of inquiry—one that led him into meditation, Eastern and Western wisdom traditions, martial arts, and ultimately the field of grief counseling. With over 40 years of personal practice and professional experience, Gyani brings a calm, compassionate, and deeply human presence to conversations about loss.

In this episode, we talk about grief not as something to "get over," but as an experience that unfolds, evolves, and teaches us over time. Gyani shares how meditation, embodied awareness, and spiritual inquiry can support grievers without bypassing pain or forcing healing. Drawing from his background in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology, Aikido, and grief education, he offers insights into how grief lives in the body, how presence can soften suffering, and why meaning-making is a deeply personal process.

Together, we explore themes such as:

• Early loss and its lifelong impact

• Grief as a teacher rather than a problem to solve

• Meditation and mindfulness in grief support

• The role of embodiment and movement in healing

• Integrating wisdom traditions with modern grief counseling

• Learning to meet grief with curiosity, compassion, and patience

This conversation is especially meaningful for those seeking a quieter, more contemplative approach to grief—one that honors sorrow while gently opening space for growth, insight, and resilience.

Whether you're newly grieving or decades into your loss, this episode offers reassurance that grief does not mean you are broken—and that wisdom, presence, and healing can emerge when we learn to walk alongside it.

Episode Highlights

• grief counselor interview

• living with grief

• grief and mindfulness

• grief and meditation

• navigating grief and loss

• embodied grief healing

• grief as a lifelong journey

• grief support podcast

Know Gyani Richards

Website at www.ourgriefpath.com

YouTube at https://youtu.be/3Y0F5IPcWO4

Substack at https://gyanirichards.substack.com/p/grief-and-aikido-relaxing-under-pressure

Did you enjoy today's episode?

Welcome to New Ways Barre. We are so glad you are here. Get ready to transform your body, mind and life. At New Ways Barre, we are dedicated to fostering a supportive community where individuals can achieve holistic well-being.

Please subscribe and leave a review. If you have questions, comments, or possible show topics, email [email protected]

Don't forget to visit Tendrils Of Grief website and join for upcoming Webinars, Podcasts Updates and Group Coaching.

Get involve and share your thoughts and experiences in our online community

Tendrils of Grief-Survivor of Loss

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Facebook:@ susan.ways

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In this episode of Tendrils of Grief, we are honored to welcome Kelly Daugherty, a seasoned social worker with over two decades of clinical experience and a Fellow in Thanatology: the study of death, dying, and bereavement. Based in Malta, NY, Kelly is the founder of Greater Life Grief Counseling and the Center for Informed Grief, LLC. Her personal journey with grief began as a teenager following the loss of her mother to breast cancer, inspiring her lifelong dedication to supporting individuals navigating the complexities of grief.

Kelly's mission extends beyond individual support to creating a more grief-informed society. Through the Center for Informed Grief, she provides tools and training for educators, therapists, and communities, ensuring that no one faces their grief alone. Additionally, as co-owner of Healing Strides, LLC, Kelly combines emotional and physical well-being through a unique seven-week program that pairs therapeutic grief groups with 5K race training. She is also the co-author of several impactful books, including The Grief Experience: Tools for Acceptance, Resilience, and Connection.

Join us for an insightful conversation as Kelly shares her professional expertise, personal experiences, and her innovative approach to grief support. Whether you're navigating your own grief journey or supporting someone else, this episode offers valuable tools and inspiration for healing, growth, and resilience.

Tune in now to learn from Kelly's profound insights and compassionate perspective on grief and healing.

Episode Highlights

• Grief counseling resources

• Thanatology expert

• Kelly Daugherty grief specialist

• Center for Informed Grief

• Grief-informed society

• Therapeutic grief programs

• Healing through running programs

• Greater Life Grief Counseling

• Grief support tools and techniques

• Navigating grief and loss

• Grief-informed education and training

• Holistic approaches to grief support

• Coping with the loss of a loved one

• Emotional and physical healing programs

• Grief books and resources

• Kelly Daugherty grief counseling books

• Healing Strides grief program

• Personal growth through grief

• Resilience after loss

• Professional grief training for therapists

Connect with Kelly

https://linktr.ee/kellydaugherty

Did you enjoy today's episode?

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Tendrils of Grief-Survivor of Loss

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In this deeply grounding episode of Tendrils of Grief, I'm joined by Sheena Nancy Sarles—lifelong student of well-being, certified yoga teacher, author, and creator of Yoga for Living with Loss™—for a powerful conversation about grief as an embodied experience and the wisdom of learning to live with loss rather than trying to heal or fix it.

After the profound losses of her parents, sister, and best friend, Sheena began to notice what many grievers intuitively feel but rarely hear validated: grief doesn't only live in the heart or mind—it congests in the body. Through years of personal practice, teaching, and grief-centered workshops, she integrated yoga, chakra-based awareness, and somatic presence into a compassionate approach that honors grief as a lifelong companion.

In this episode, Sheena shares how Yoga for Living with Loss™ was born—not as a method to "move on," but as a way to gently reconnect with the body, breath, and spirit when grief overwhelms the nervous system. We explore how traditional grief narratives often bypass the body, why stillness can feel unsafe for the bereaved, and how intentional movement can create moments of grounding, safety, and self-trust.

Together, we reflect on themes including:

• Why grief is not something to heal, but something to live alongside

• How trauma and loss are stored in the body

• The role of chakras and energy centers in grief awareness

• Yoga as a non-verbal language for sorrow

• Creating space for grief without spiritual bypassing

• Reclaiming connection to the body after profound loss

Sheena also speaks about sharing this work globally—from BaliSpirit Festival to grief centers, healthcare conferences, and studios—along with her journey as an author, former communications and fundraising professional, and creator of holistic wellness offerings.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, soften, and listen inward—to recognize that even in grief, the body holds wisdom, memory, and the quiet possibility of presence.

Whether you are newly bereaved or years into your loss, this conversation offers permission to stop striving, to stop fixing, and to begin living gently alongside your grief.

Episode Highlights

• yoga for grief

• grief in the body

• embodied grief healing

• somatic grief support

• living with loss

• grief and the nervous system

• yoga for loss and trauma

• grief yoga practice

• grief support through movement

Know Sheena Nancy Sarles

More information is available at www.yogaforlivingwithloss.com

Did you enjoy today's episode?

Welcome to New Ways Barre. We are so glad you are here. Get ready to transform your body, mind and life. At New Ways Barre, we are dedicated to fostering a supportive community where individuals can achieve holistic well-being.

Please subscribe and leave a review. If you have questions, comments, or possible show topics, email [email protected]

Don't forget to visit Tendrils Of Grief website and join for upcoming Webinars, Podcasts Updates and Group Coaching.

Get involve and share your thoughts and experiences in our online community

Tendrils of Grief-Survivor of Loss

To subscribe and review use one links of the links below

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Connect with me

Facebook:@ susan.ways

Email @[email protected]

Let me hear your thoughts!

In this deeply moving episode of Tendrils of Grief, I sit down with Ksenia Merck—artist, architect, and creative storyteller—to explore how love, creativity, and spiritual connection continue long after loss.

Ksenia shares her powerful grief journey following the death of her husband, William F. Merck II, and how honoring his final wish led her to bring his genre-blending science fiction novel, Ghost Flower, to life through posthumous publication and her own original illustrations. What unfolds is an intimate conversation about enduring bonds, creative healing, and the unseen ways our loved ones remain present.

Together, Ksenia and I reflect on caregiving, compounded loss, spiritual communication, and how grief reshapes purpose over time. She opens up about caring for her mother until age 102, navigating trauma within the hospital system, and discovering that creativity became both her refuge and her bridge to continued connection with her husband.

In this episode, we gently explore themes such as:

• Continuing bonds after death

• Spiritual signs and intuitive communication with loved ones

• Grief as a lifelong companion, not something to "get over"

• Creative expression as a path to healing

• Trusting inner guidance and making meaning after loss

With compassion, honesty, and hope, this conversation is a reminder that grief does not end love—and that connection, creativity, and faith can help illuminate a path forward, even in the darkest seasons.

Whether you're early in your grief journey or years into it, this episode offers reassurance that you're not imagining your connection, you're not grieving wrong, and you are not alone.

Know Ksenia J. Merck

Website : https://www.merckiipress.com/

LinkedIn : Ksenia Merck

Instagram: merck2press

Did you enjoy today's episode?

Welcome to New Ways Barre. We are so glad you are here. Get ready to transform your body, mind and life. At New Ways Barre, we are dedicated to fostering a supportive community where individuals can achieve holistic well-being.

Please subscribe and leave a review. If you have questions, comments, or possible show topics, email [email protected]

Don't forget to visit Tendrils Of Grief website and join for upcoming Webinars, Podcasts Updates and Group Coaching.

Get involve and share your thoughts and experiences in our online community

Tendrils of Grief-Survivor of Loss

To subscribe and review use one links of the links below

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Connect with me

Facebook:@ susan.ways

Email @[email protected]

Let me hear your thoughts!

In today's episode with Karen Roldan, a licensed funeral director, embalmer, and the creator of Behind the Funeral, to pull back the curtain on one of the most misunderstood industries in our lives — death care.

With nearly twenty years of experience and a deep respect for the families she serves, Karen brings honesty, compassion, and clarity to conversations many of us avoid until we're forced to have them. As a graduate of Worsham College of Mortuary Science and a licensed professional in funeral services, cremation, pre-need planning, and cemetery property, Karen offers a rare insider perspective on what really happens behind the scenes after a death.

Through Behind the Funeral, Karen is changing how we talk about grief, funerals, and end-of-life planning — dismantling myths, answering hard questions, and humanizing a profession often surrounded by fear and silence. In our conversation, we explore what families should know before making arrangements, why transparency matters in death care, and how understanding the process can bring peace during some of life's most difficult moments.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating loss, planning ahead, or simply wanting a more honest and informed relationship with death — because the conversations we avoid are often the ones that heal us most.

Episode Highlights

• The Death-Positive Movement

• Transparency in the Funeral Industry

• End-of-Life Planning for Millennials & Gen X

• Normalizing Conversations About Death

• Grief Education vs Grief Avoidance

• Ethical Funeral Practices

• Pre-Planning Funerals & Cremation

• Humanizing the Death-Care Profession

• Funeral Industry Myths Debunked

• Emotional Support During Funeral Planning

• Death Literacy & Public Education

• Digital Memorials & Modern Grief Rituals

• Consumer Advocacy in Funeral Services

• Trauma-Informed Death Care

• Cultural Shifts in How We Honor the Dead

• funeral director insights

• death care industry explained

• behind the funeral process

• funeral planning guide

• cremation vs burial explained

• end-of-life planning education

• funeral myths and truths

• grief and funeral services

• death care transparency

• licensed funeral director advice

• pre-need funeral planning

• what happens after death

• funeral costs explained

• compassionate funeral care

• talking about death and grief

• modern funeral practices

• behind the scenes funeral home

• death positive movement

• understanding cremation process

• how funerals really work

Know Karen Roldan

Visit behindthefuneral.com to learn more.

[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenroldanaasfsp/

Did you enjoy today's episode?

Welcome to New Ways Barre. We are so glad you are here. Get ready to transform your body, mind and life. At New Ways Barre, we are dedicated to fostering a supportive community where individuals can achieve holistic well-being.

Please subscribe and leave a review. If you have questions, comments, or possible show topics, email [email protected]

Don't forget to visit Tendrils Of Grief website and join for upcoming Webinars, Podcasts Updates and Group Coaching.

Get involve and share your thoughts and experiences in our online community

Tendrils of Grief-Survivor of Loss

To subscribe and review use one links of the links below

Amazon Apple Spotify Audacy Deezer Podcast Addict Pandora Rephonic Tune In

Connect with me

Facebook:@ susan.ways

Email @[email protected]

Let me hear your thoughts!

Today I sit down with Kyle Kittleson, the on-camera host for MedCircle, known for making complex mental health topics accessible through thoughtful, compassionate conversations. Kyle opens up about his personal grief journey after losing his mother as a teenager and how unprocessed loss shaped his emotional world for years.

Drawing from both lived experience and thousands of interviews with leading mental health experts, Kyle shares powerful insights on grief, trauma, emotional healing, and rebuilding life after loss. We talk about why there's no "right" way to grieve, how avoidance quietly impacts healing, and what it truly means to work with grief rather than against it.

This conversation offers grounded wisdom, hope, and practical tools for anyone navigating bereavement, supporting a loved one, or seeking a deeper understanding of mental health and grief.

Episode Highlights

• Kyle Kittleson MedCircle

• grief and mental health podcast

• losing a parent as a teenager

• childhood grief and trauma

• unprocessed grief healing

• navigating grief after loss

• grief and emotional avoidance

• mental health education podcast

• understanding grief and trauma

• healing after loss journey

• how grief affects mental health

• coping with grief after losing a mother

• grief recovery without timelines

• working with grief instead of avoiding it

• emotional healing after bereavement

• grief conversations with mental health experts

• making sense of loss and trauma

• grief support through mental health education

Know Kyle Kittleson

About MedCircle:

While treatment, medication, and therapy are all crucial components to mental wellness, the often forgotten step to optimal mental health is preventative mental health care – for you and others.

MedCircle believes that people who become highly educated about mental health can improve both their lives and the lives of the people around them.

MedCircle provides access to the world's greatest minds in mental health through engaging interview-style video series, virtual live Workshops, and in-depth articles on important mental health topics. MedCircle's award-winning video library gives you "behind-the-scenes" insight from the most sought after psychologists and psychiatrists.

You'll learn what certain diagnoses entail and get unprecedented insight into the processes experienced doctors use to diagnose them. You'll also understand treatment options along with the risks and benefits each doctor considers, and how they go about prescribing a treatment, therapy and/or medication.

Become a MedCircle Member today: https://medcircle.com/

Did you enjoy today's episode?

Welcome to New Ways Barre. We are so glad you are here. Get ready to transform your body, mind and life. At New Ways Barre, we are dedicated to fostering a supportive community where individuals can achieve holistic well-being.

Please subscribe and leave a review. If you have questions, comments, or possible show topics, email [email protected]

Don't forget to visit Tendrils Of Grief website and join for upcoming Webinars, Podcasts Updates and Group Coaching.

Get involve and share your thoughts and experiences in our online community

Tendrils of Grief-Survivor of Loss

To subscribe and review use one links of the links below

Amazon Apple Spotify Audacy Deezer Podcast Addict Pandora Rephonic Tune In

Connect with me

Facebook:@ susan.ways

Email @[email protected]

Let me hear your thoughts!