Vanessa Fierstadt started a counseling practice called Kintsugi Grief Center that's near me in Pasadena, CA. I wanted to find out what drew her to work with people who are grieving and our conversation was wide-ranging and fun. As Vanessa recounted her earliest losses it was clear that her curiosity about grief both helped her heal and find her calling. I loved Vanessa's take on creativity as a way to help support kids in grief, the importance of conversations about death, as well as her focus on ritual as a critical piece of healing. We talked openly about depression too, which is an important, yet often overlooked layer of grief.

You can find Vanessa on Instagram , Facebook , or LinkedIn or on her website Kintsugi Grief Center

To leave comments please rate and review on Apple podcasts or visit me on my substack: "I'm Listening."

Special thanks to Josephine Wiggs for the intro and outro music, from her album "We Fall."

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.