The Empowered Grief Journey

In this episode of the Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, Chris speaks with Lori Layne—author, speaker, and founder of The Lane Less Traveled—about her experience with a high-risk pregnancy, a long NICU journey, and the loss of her daughter.

Lori shares the emotional realities of child loss, including navigating grief while raising a surviving child, how partners grieve differently, and the importance of community and support. She also discusses how she turned her pain into purpose through writing, ministry, and legacy work to help other grieving parents feel less alone.

In this episode of the Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, Chris sits down with writer and storyteller Penelope Alonso to discuss her experience of losing both parents within a short period of time.

Through her journey of caregiving and profound loss, Penelope opens up about the emotional and identity shifts that follow when the foundational figures in your life are gone. She also shares how writing became a meaningful way to process grief, honor her parents, and move forward with intention.

In this episode, Chris sits down with Devorah Brinckerhoff, a mixed media artist and creator of the Soul Portrait Process, to explore how creativity can help transform grief, trauma, and life challenges into empowerment.

Together, they discuss healing through art, reconnecting with your authentic self, and how expression can become a powerful tool for growth after loss.

In this episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone sits down with Diane Carbo, a registered nurse with 54 years of experience and the founder of Caregiver Relief, to talk about the realities of grief, caregiving, and why families need a clear plan before a crisis hits.

Diane shares her personal story of losing her mother after her oncologist told her she had “beaten cancer”—only for her mom to suffer a pulmonary embolism and pass away the same day. That experience shaped Diane’s lifelong approach to death, dying, and medical advocacy, including how grief can rewire the brain, create trauma responses, and change relationships within families.

Chris and Diane also explore how end-of-life conversations are often avoided until it’s too late, and why practical preparation matters. Diane explains the purpose behind her system, My Vital Vault, designed to help families organize critical health and life information so they can stay prepared for everyday caregiving and unexpected emergencies.

In this deeply personal and spiritual episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone sits down with Samuel Thomas Holland—a clairvoyant medium and intuitive—to explore grief through the lens of suicide loss, spiritual awakening, and energetic healing.

Samuel shares the story of his friend Jordan, a 24-year-old aspiring opera singer who moved from Sydney to Melbourne to pursue her career. During the intense COVID lockdowns in Melbourne, canceled international opportunities and isolation contributed to what Samuel describes as a heavy, “black tar” depression—and Jordan ultimately died by suicide (2019). Samuel speaks candidly about how that loss affected his nervous system, emotions, and spiritual sensitivity, and how grief can sometimes “attach” itself when we’re deeply empathetic.

In this returning-guest episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone welcomes therapist, speaker, artist, and Adversity Rising founder Kyira Wackett back to the show for a deep conversation about radical acceptance, the hidden grief of not being able to control outcomes, and what it takes to rebuild self-trust after trauma.

Kyira—known for leading the “anti Band-Aid” movement in mental health—breaks down how fear, shame, and quick-fix thinking keep people stuck, and how healing often requires facing hard truths with compassion. Together, Chris and Kyira explore how thoughts vs. beliefs shape our self-worth, why many of us use other people’s reactions as “data” to decide our value, and how trauma can show up in relationships through rejection sensitivity and fear of abandonment.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

What radical acceptance really means (and what it doesn’t)

How to release the need to control other people, outcomes, and relationships

The difference between thoughts vs. beliefs—and why it matters for healing

How childhood trauma and caregiver loss can create fear of leaving/being left

How to stop outsourcing your worth and start living by your values

Why grief can include mourning what you can’t control—and moving forward anyway

If you’re navigating grief, trauma, anxiety, fear of rejection, or relationship triggers, this conversation will help you feel seen—and give you a grounded path toward authenticity, resilience, and values-driven living.

In this inspiring episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone sits down with author and speaker Linda Magoon to talk about what it really looks like to rebuild your life after a painful ending—and how nature can become a powerful path to healing.

After leaving a 25-year toxic marriage, Linda chose an unexpected kind of “post-divorce therapy”: she set a goal to hike all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot peaks—an intense challenge known for steep elevation gain, rugged terrain, and unpredictable mountain weather (including the legendary conditions on Mount Washington). Along the way, she rediscovered her strength, resilience, and a sense of freedom she didn’t know she’d lost.

Linda shares how shame, fear, finances, and stigma can keep people stuck in unhealthy situations—and how taking one brave step at a time can lead to profound transformation. She also discusses her book, Live Free and Hike: Finding Grace on 48 Summits, and why the outdoors can support emotional and mental well-being in ways traditional healing tools sometimes can’t.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

Leaving a long-term toxic relationship and starting over

The emotional weight of shame, stigma, and fear around divorce

Why hiking became Linda’s “therapy” and turning point

The mental and emotional lessons hidden inside hard climbs

Finding grace, resilience, and freedom through the healing power of nature

If you’re navigating grief after divorce, identity loss, or a major life transition, this conversation will remind you: your ending can become your beginning—and healing can start with one step.

In this episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone sits down with Rob Gutro—award-winning author, paranormal investigator, retired meteorologist, and pet medium—for a powerful conversation about pet loss grief, the afterlife, and the real-life signs our animals can send after they pass.

Rob shares the story of his dog Buzz, the loss that reawakened his mediumship abilities, and the early signs that changed everything—including meaningful songs that played unexpectedly and a striking physical validation at the vet that confirmed Buzz was still present and okay.

Together, Chris and Rob explore:

What it means when people receive signs from pets in spirit

Common ways pets communicate after passing (music, energy, physical signs, intuition)

The difference between spirits vs. ghosts and why that matters

How Rob’s science background explains spiritual communication through energy

Why grief can heighten sensitivity—and how to stay grounded

How to ask for a sign (without forcing it) and trust what you receive

If you’ve ever wondered, “Is my pet still with me?” or you’re navigating the heartbreak of losing a beloved animal companion, this episode offers both comfort and clarity—blending compassion, lived experience, and practical insight into the mysteries of connection beyond death.

In this deeply moving episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone sits down with award-winning journalist and author Ashley Jordan to talk about a kind of grief many people experience—but rarely name: the loss of a first love in childhood and the long-term impact of unprocessed grief.

Ashley shares the story of Daniel—her childhood sweetheart—who was killed in a sudden accident just days before her 13th birthday. With no emotional tools or support system to help her process the trauma, she did what many people are taught to do: shut down, “suck it up,” and keep going. Years later, an unexpected trigger cracked the grief back open—and changed everything.

Together, Chris and Ashley explore:

What it’s like to lose someone deeply significant at a young age

How repressed grief can return later in life (even decades later)

The emotional cost of becoming an “unhappy achiever” to outrun pain

Why grief is connected to love, presence, and emotional aliveness

How healing can include witnessing, meaning-making, and allowing the pain to move

Ashley also shares her book, The Unhappy Achiever: Rejecting the Good Girl Image and Reclaiming the Joy of Inner Fulfillment, and how her grief journey shaped the message behind it.

If you’ve ever felt grief resurface years after a loss—or you’ve carried a quiet heartbreak you never fully processed—this episode will help you feel seen and remind you: you’re not broken. Your grief is asking to be honored.

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone welcomes creative empowerment coach, musician, educator, and author Jenny Leigh Hodgins for a deeply meaningful conversation about grief, creativity, and rediscovering purpose after loss.

Drawing from more than 30 years in music education and nearly four decades of Buddhist practice, Jenny shares how creativity becomes a powerful tool for navigating grief, burnout, and major life transitions. Together, Chris and Jenny explore how courage, self-compassion, and creative expression help us reconnect with ourselves when life changes everything.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

How grief and creativity are deeply connected

Why emotional expression is an act of courage — not weakness

Healing burnout through creative flow and self-compassion

The role of mindfulness and Buddhist practice in grief recovery

Reclaiming identity after loss and life transition

How music, art, and storytelling support emotional healing

This conversation is especially powerful for anyone experiencing grief, creative burnout, identity shifts, or feeling disconnected from their purpose. Jenny reminds us that creativity isn’t reserved for artists — it’s a human pathway back to wholeness.

Grief may change your life, but it can also reconnect you to your most authentic voice.

Connect with Jenny Leigh:

Website:

https://www.YourCreativeChord.com

Podcast:

https://www.YourCreativeChord.com/podcast

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@yourcreativechord

LinkedIn:

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

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/YourCreativeChord

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/yourcreativechord