Welcome to the Christmas episode 2024! The episode where we hear from you, the listener. Thank you to everyone who wrote in or sent a voicenote for this special yearly episode. You make this episode magical!

I am sending every one huge love and light as navigate this Christmas. Whether it's your first or tenth Christmas without your loved one, know that you are not alone. I hope this episode can really highlight that for you.

Whatever you do today, I hope you can find a moment to stop, reflect and remember. Do what you need to get through, we've got this.

Thank you all for a wonderful season 7 and 2024. This community means everything to me, thank you for letting me into your lives in so many ways. I'll see you in 2025 for season 8!

Big love,

Amber xxx

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I'm back for the second to last episode of season 7, and this one is a griefy walks. Where I basically just stomp around my town with my phone in my hand and see what on earth comes out. Expect rambles, birds tweeting and me coo'ing over cute doggies.

But todays griefy walks has a main message. With Christmas one week away, I wanted to gently remind you that whether you're team f*** off Christmas or team embracing it, both are absolutely valid. Being all in or not doesn't quantify or equate anything, you're just doing what you need to do to get by. Listen to your heart and lean in to whatever it's asking. Whether that calling is to wrap yourself up in tinsel or the duvet.

I'll see you all next week for the final ep, The Christmas episode!

Big love,

Amber xxx

Connect with The Grief Gang community:

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If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Share this episode with someone who might need to hear it today!

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This weeks episode is a bit of a diary dump. Verbal diarrhoea if you will!

I've been feeling a bit stuck, if I'm totally honest. Creatively constipated, and it's been tough. As I've been grappling with the unfolding of my new identity since Poppy's death, the penny has well and truly finally dropped as to what that means for me as a creative. How this grief and life changing loss has sculpted my creative identity and the rut I'm in at the moment. It's very kitchen table-esque style. It might make sense to some of you and if it does, I'd really really love to hear from you. I know I need community in this experience to see me through, I want community in this experience.

So if you identify as a creative in any shape or form and relate to this or have navigated through this creative ickiness in grief, please do reach out. I'd really love to be in touch and find ways we can navigate through this together. Find our creative selves again and welcome all the new unfolding parts of ourselves.

Big love,

Amber xxx

Connect with The Grief Gang community:

Enquire about Grief Gang 1:1 and group circle mentoring here

Book onto a Grief Gang group circle here

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If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Share this episode with someone who might need to hear it today!

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In this episode, I'm delving into the complex relationship between grief and vices. When faced with grief and death, many of us (me included) turn to habits or substances like alcohol, drugs, food, shopping, or sex as a way to cope. But when do these behaviours and acts cross the line from being a comfort to a crutch?

This episode is categorically not here to shame, judge or even endorse. It's here to highlight the various ways we cope and show that we are all just trying to figure some big stuff out and deserve support and compassion in doing so.

If you are struggling and need direct support with drugs and alcohol, please visit https://www.talktofrank.com/

Big love,

Amber xxx

Connect with The Grief Gang community:

Enquire about Grief Gang 1:1 and group circle mentoring here

Book onto a Grief Gang group circle here

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If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Share this episode with someone who might need to hear it today!

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In this insightful part 2 episode, I'm deep diving into the intersections between grief and the nervous system with my friend Meghan Riordan Jarvis, a renowned grief therapist and trauma expert. Together, we explore how our bodies react to loss and how understanding the nervous system can empower us to navigate grief with self-compassion. Meghan shares practical approaches, including vagal toning techniques and her signature Six Mentor Methods (keep your eyes peeled for this!), to support nervous system health throughout the grieving process. We also answer questions from you, The Grief Gang listeners, addressing your experiences and concerns about how grief impacts your well-being and nervous systems.

If this episode landed with you, I'm excited to share that Meghan and I are cooking something up off the back of your wonderful feedback to our episodes. This will be a workshop hosted by me and Meghan , where we’ll take a deeper dive into understanding and tending to grief through nervous system support. This workshop will cover hands-on strategies for managing grief’s impact on the body and exclusive insights into Meghan’s Six Mentor Methods.

This workshop will be taking place in the 2025 New Year, but we wanted to get the word out nice and early to gauge interest. So if this sounds up your alley, be sure to register your interest below to receive early access and updates about this incredible workshop!

Register interest here for Grief, the brain and nervous system workshops.

Resources Mentioned:

•"Grief is crime prevention" Instagram post Amber mentioned early in the episode.

•Vagal toning exercises - From Neurodivergentinsights.com

•Can Anyone Tell Me? - Meghan's new brilliant book!

Big love,

Amber xxx

Connect with The Grief Gang community:

Enquire about Grief Gang 1:1 and group circle mentoring here

Book onto a Grief Gang group circle here

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If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Share this episode with someone who might need to hear it today!

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/thegriefgang.

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

In this intimate solo episode, I'm opening up about one of the most challenging aspects of grief that I don't think we talk about enough: letting go of past versions of ourselves and looking towards our new self.

Grief doesn’t only change our world; it fundamentally changes who we are and how we see ourselves in the world. I'm sharing today my personal journey of navigating these profound identity shifts through my various experiences of loss, up to some very present day revelations. How these revelations have revealed to me, the term 'letting go' hasn't been about resistance of letting loved ones go as that's simply not possible, but really and truly about letting the hand of a past version of Amber go.

It's big, it's deep, it's woo-woo. It's very dare, I say...the new me.

Big love,

Amber xxx

Connect with The Grief Gang community:

Enquire about Grief Gang 1:1 and group circle mentoring here

Book onto a Grief Gang group circle here

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If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Share this episode with someone who might need to hear it today!

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/thegriefgang.

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

In this week's episode, I'm welcoming Sara Rian.

Sara Rian is a poet, self-published author, mother, wife, licensed therapist, and griever living in Metro Detroit. She has been drawn to grief poetry ever since her mother's death in 2018. Her mother embraced the power of words through her own love notes and poems and had always wanted to publish a book. As a mental health professional, suicide loss survivor, and grieving human, Sara shares her work with others to let them know that they are not alone in their big love or big grief. 

Sara opens up in this episode about the complexities of grief that come with such a profound loss through suicide, and how she found solace and healing through the power of words and poetry. Her experience shines a light on the struggles and emotional waves that follow, offering a compassionate perspective for others who may be grappling with a similar experience.

Towards the end of the episode (Where Sara also shares some exclusive poetry with us!) Sara explains how writing became and is a vital outlet for her to express feelings that often felt too overwhelming to speak aloud. Writing that makes and made her tremble as she put pen to paper. Poetry provided her with a space to give voice to sorrow, confusion, guilt, and hope, helping her to process and navigate this world of grief.

This episode also touches on the healing potential of writing for others facing grief. Sara encourages us to explore our own creative outlets and to remember at the core of it all, our why. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or have never tried poetry, I hope Sara’s insights will inspire you to take that first step, to embracing writing as a gentle companion on this path of grief.

Connect with Sara Rian:

•Instagram

•Website

Big love,

Amber x

Connect with The Grief Gang community:

Enquire about Grief Gang 1:1 and group circle mentoring here

Book onto a Grief Gang group circle here

Instagram

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Youtube

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If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Share this episode with someone who might need to hear it today!

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/thegriefgang.

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

Let's talk about will's baby!

In this week's episode, I'm talking with Sam Grice, founder of Octopus Legacy. Sam founded Octopus Legacy after his Mum died in a car accident. She died suddenly and didn’t have a plan in place. As a lot of us have learnt the hard way, losing someone you love is tough enough, without everything else that comes with it. Sam and his family had to deal with the shock and grief that came with her death, as well as navigating mountains of legal admin and financial paperwork, all when it was needed the least.

It was overwhelming, and Sam knew he wasn’t alone. So he set up Octopus Legacy, to try and solve the problem for other families like his. Now Octopus Legacy, which is part of the Octopus group, helps people plan for death and find support after loss - to make life that little bit simpler for those of us left behind after someone dies. All with the mission of making life easier for those of us left behind, to free up space so we can focus on what matters.

Octopus Legacy is a place to plan for death and find support after a loss. They’ve partnered with charities across the UK, so that you can update your will for free, until November 6th. You can write your will in whatever way suits you best: online, over the phone or face-to-face. The cost of the will is covered by whichever charity you choose – many choose to leave a gift to charity as a thank you, but it isn’t required to claim the offer. 

No matter what assets you have or your situation, having a will helps to save time, money, and stress for the people you leave behind. Claim your free will at the following link: https://octopuslegacy.com/free-will-october?utm_channel=partner&utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=2024autumnolads&utm_campaign=thegriefgang&utm_term=podcast

Listening after November 6th? Get 50% off an online will here with an exclusive Grief Gang discount code: https://octopuslegacy.com/online-will?utm_campaign=thegriefgang

This offering and ep is not an ad or sponsorship. Just a company I know and love doing good work that I think you should know about!

Big love,

Amber x

Connect with The Grief Gang community:

Enquire about Grief Gang 1:1 and group circle mentoring here

Book onto a Grief Gang group circle here

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If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Share this episode with someone who might need to hear it today!

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/thegriefgang.

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

Welcome to season 7!

In this episode, I'm diving into the journey of navigating the year of firsts after the death of my friend, Poppy. I explore how grief impacts our personal and professional lives, the ways disassociation can emerge as a coping mechanism and can actually be beneficial, and the unexpected lessons I've learned in healing and personal growth. You’ll also hear for the first time on the podcast what it has been like starting a business in the midst of the most emotionally weighted time of my life.

Key Topics Covered:

•Grief and the “Year of Firsts”: What navigating the year of firsts has been like for me, even with 8 years of grief under my belt already. My unexpected pleasant experience of Poppy's 1 year anniversary and what it has taught me, once again.

•Coping with Disassociation: Understanding and sharing how disassociation as a coping mechanism during intense grief has kept me afloat and it's positives to me.

•Building a Business During Grief: My insight into starting a business while navigating personal loss.

It feels really good to be back and I hope you enjoy this episode and the season ahead!

Big love,

Amber x

Connect with The Grief Gang community:

Enquire about Grief Gang 1:1 and group circle mentoring here

Book onto a Grief Gang group circle here

Instagram

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Facebook

Youtube

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Substack

Website

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Share this episode with someone who might need to hear it today!

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/thegriefgang.

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

I'm back with a lil bonus ep for your ears. In this bonus episode I'm giving you a recap on this summer and what I've been navigating. As a family, we celebrated the wedding of my older brother and what would be our Mum's 60th birthday...it's been quite the summer.

I hope this episode can give you a small insight into what it's like to navigate such milestones and perhaps give you a little bit of hope that it all might be okay in the end.

Events mentioned in the episode:

if we don’t laugh in conversation with The Grief Gang and Suicide&Co- Wednesday 25th September at Feel Good Club Manchester.

Suicide and Co retreat at The Falcon, Northampton. October 2024.

Big love,

Amber x

Follow and be part of The Grief Gang community:

Enquire about Grief Gang 1:1 and group circle mentoring here

Book onto a Grief Gang group circle here

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Website

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/thegriefgang.

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