Licensed Mental Health Counselors Cassandra and Daiana sit down with author and nomadic traveler Kristy Halvorsen to explore the quiet, layered grief that follows caregiving, major life changes, and profound identity shifts. 

When loss is invisible to the outside world, how do we find the space to heal? 

Kristy shares her personal journey through overlapping seasons of loss, including the passing of her mother and discusses the impact of letting go, feeling fully, and trusting the “tickles of your soul” to guide you forward without forcing a neat timeline.

Key Takeaways

• Overlapping Seasons of Grief: Kristy’s raw experience navigating her mother's decline, the end of a relationship, relocating, and adjusting her book launch simultaneously.

• How stepping into a caregiving role fundamentally shifts your emotional capacity, daily identity, and life plans.

• Challenging the myth that "time heals all wounds" by exploring how intentional processing during that time is what actually changes us.

• Following Your Inner Compass: Using Kristy’s “tickles of your soul” framework to recognize the deep, quiet knowing that points toward your next right step.

• Allowing complex, conflicting emotions like sadness, relief, peace, and disorientation—to coexist completely free of judgment.

Check out Kristy's book: The Perfect Unfolding: Seven Years of Life-Changing Solo Adventure, One Year That Broke Me Open

Trailer: PerfectUnfolding.com

Website: KristyH.com

Instagram: @Kristy.Halvorsen

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-halvorsen/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/1kristy 

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/241413488-perfect-unfolding

Connect & Resources: Instagram: @thelivinglosspodcast Email: [email protected] (Guest inquiries & story submissions)

Keep in touch, Sign up for our newsletter! 

https://thelivinglossnondeathgriefmentalhealth.riverside.com/newsletter

Support the Show: If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe and share it with a friend!

Work With Us 

Daiana Bernard, LMHC: MeaningfulTherapyFL.com | [email protected] (In-person Riverview, FL & FL Telehealth) 

Cassandra Harris-Towner: [email protected] (In-person Ocala, FL & FL Telehealth)

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for clinical care. Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or The Living Loss Podcast.

Welcome back to the Living Lost Podcast! As licensed mental health counselors, hosts Daiana Bernard and Cassandra Harris Towner are here to unpack the quiet, complex griefs that don't come with a funeral. Because you can't heal what you don't acknowledge.

Before next week's special interview with author Kristy Halvorsen, Daiana and Cassandra set the stage by breaking down the clinical vocabulary of invisible losses. They also debut a brand-new game called "Overrated or Underrated," where they put popular self-care trends and coping mechanisms to the test.

What We Discuss in This Episode

Overrated vs. Underrated: The hosts debate common coping cliches. Is saying "everything happens for a reason" helpful or invalidating? What is the actual therapeutic value of screaming into a pillow, taking a bubble bath, retail therapy, or making dark jokes about your trauma?

The Power of the Block Button: Why curating your social media feed and muting or blocking accounts, is a top-tier strategy for surviving ambiguous loss and protecting your peace.

Cumulative Grief (Grief Overload): Navigating the "avalanche effect" when multiple losses, like a terminal illness, a breakup, and professional setbacks, occur in close succession without time to process.

Disenfranchised Grief: Validating the quiet losses that society often ignores or dismisses, such as the end of a friendship or a career change.

Identity Loss: How to mourn the intangible losses, like an imagined future, a role transition, or a sudden change in your life's trajectory.

It is not about fixing grief; it is about finding the strength to carry it. Coping isn't always perfect, and sometimes our strategies only offer a fleeting moment of relief. Give yourself the grace to accept that you are doing the best you can, even if that means canceling plans to stay home in your sweatpants.

Connect & Resources

Instagram: @thelivinglosspodcast Email: [email protected] (Guest inquiries & story submissions)

Keep in touch, Sign up for our newsletter! 

https://thelivinglossnondeathgriefmentalhealth.riverside.com/newsletter

Support the Show: If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe and share it with a friend!

Work With Us 

Daiana Bernard, LMHC: MeaningfulTherapyFL.com | [email protected] (In-person Riverview, FL & FL Telehealth) 

Cassandra Harris-Towner: [email protected] (In-person Ocala, FL & FL Telehealth)

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for clinical care. Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or The Living Loss Podcast.

Welcome back to Season Two of The Living Loss Podcast! Licensed Mental Health Counselors Daiana Bernard and Cassandra Harris-Towner kick off the new season by diving into the quiet, non-death losses that disrupt our lives. From navigating summer schedule chaos and sudden life pivots to shattering the "assumptive world" we build in our minds, this episode explores what happens when life simply doesn't go according to the blueprint.

Join Daiana and Cassandra as they play an interactive quiz breaking down real-life scenarios, discuss clinical concepts in plain language, and share their own summer highs, lows, and "wait, what?" moments.

In this episode, we explore:

The "Assumptive World": Why sudden pivots (like unexpected school changes or schedule collapses) trigger genuine grief responses.

Highs, Lows & "Wait, What?": Summer road trips, facing the pain of returning to meaningful places, and unexpected personal trivia.

Interactive Grief Quiz: Naming everyday hidden losses through real-world scenarios.

Living Loss Lessons: Moving toward radical acceptance when control is an illusion, and finding the courage to lean into grief rather than avoid it.

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: How Will I Ever Get Through This? Evidence-based Tools to Help You Heal from Hardship, Grief, and Loss by Dr. Lucy Hone.

Connect & Resources

Instagram: @thelivinglosspodcast Email: [email protected] (Guest inquiries & story submissions)

Support the Show: If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe and share it with a friend!

Work With Us 

Daiana Bernard, LMHC: MeaningfulTherapyFL.com | [email protected] (In-person Riverview, FL & FL Telehealth) 

Cassandra Harris-Towner: [email protected] (In-person Ocala, FL & FL Telehealth)

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for clinical care. Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or The Living Loss Podcast.

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, share with a friend, a prima, and leave a review. It helps us reach others who need to hear that their grief is valid.

While Daiana and Cassandra are behind the scenes preparing for Season 2, they wanted to keep the conversation going. This week, they are bringing you Part 2 of our 80’s Baby and cumulative grief conversation. Enjoy the episode, and they will be back with fresh content very soon!

In this replay, Cassandra and Daiana shift the conversation from simply surviving a chaotic generational timeline to intentionally living through it. Together, they explore how major events, from 9/11 and the 2008 recession to the COVID-19 pandemic, create delayed grief and hypervigilance in our nervous systems.

Learn why practicing "radical honesty" helps strip away shame, how the body holds onto trauma even when our minds try to power through, and how you can widen your window of tolerance by actively looking for micro-moments of safety, nostalgia, and joy.

Thank you for being part of our circle! If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, follow, and share it with someone who might be carrying their loss in silence. Instagram: @thelivinglosspodcast  Email: [email protected]

If you’re interested in a consultation for individual therapy with Daiana Bernard, please reach out via email or visit the practice website below.

Email: [email protected] Website: MeaningfulTherapyFL.com Location: Riverview, FL, In-Person, and Telehealth serving clients throughout Florida.

If you’re interested in a consultation with Cassandra Harris-Towner please reach out via email or visit the practice website below. Email: [email protected] Website: firststridezcounseling.com Location: Ocala, FL, In-Person, and Telehealth serving clients throughout Florida.

• Defining the Heavy Stuff: The difference between collective grief (shared societal trauma) and cumulative grief (grief overload from back-to-back losses).

• The Window of Tolerance: Dr. Dan Siegel’s concept, and why our generation's baseline for "normal" has shifted, shrinking our capacity to cope.

• Parenting Through Chaos: Balancing the desire to protect our children's innocence with the necessity of preparing them for reality.

• The Duality of Healing: Finding glimpses of joy and peace when the world feels entirely out of our control.

Instagram: @thelivinglosspodcast  Email: [email protected]

If you’re interested in a consultation for individual therapy with Daiana Bernard, please reach out via email or visit the practice website below.

Email: [email protected] Website: MeaningfulTherapyFL.com Location: Riverview, FL, In-Person, and Telehealth serving clients throughout Florida.

If you’re interested in a consultation with Cassandra Harris-Towner please reach out via email or visit the practice website below. Email: [email protected] Website: firststridezcounseling.com Location: Ocala, FL, In-Person, and Telehealth serving clients throughout Florida.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes. While we are licensed mental health counselors, we are not your therapists, and this does not replace professional mental health care. If you need support, please reach out to a local professional.

In this special solo edition of The Living Loss Podcast, host Daiana Bernard, LMHC, steps to the mic for an intimate, heart-to-heart conversation in Spanglish. While taking a break between seasons, Daiana shares her personal journey as a Brooklyn-born Dominican-American navigating mental health, psychology, and el duelo in her first language.

Together, we break down what a "Living Loss" (pérdida en vida) really means and hold space for the unique, unspoken grief carried across first-generation experiences. From unpacking cultural definitions of loss to reframing survival mode, this episode offers a compassionate reminder that your pain is valid—even when nobody brings you flowers for it.

• Redefining Grief Beyond Bereavement: Unpacking how nuestra cultura often teaches us that el duelo only happens when someone passes away, and giving a name to the losses that happen while life goes on.
• The First-Gen Balancing Act: Navigating the complex emotional space of straddling two worlds and honoring the subtle grief of feeling ni de aquí, ni de allá.
• First-Gen Guilt & Setting Boundaries: Exploring the heavy guilt that often surfaces as we grow, set healthy boundaries, and choose to do things differently than our parents.
• Loss of Self & Unfulfilled Dreams: Acknowledging the silent pain of outgrowing old versions of yourself, grieving lost identity, or letting go of dreams that didn't materialize.
• Living Loss Lesson: Giving yourself full permission to validate your grief, step out of survival mode, and offer yourself self-compassion without judgment. Because at the end of the day, you can't heal what you don't acknowledge.

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, share with a friend, a prima, and leave a review. It helps us reach others who need to hear that their grief is valid.

"In our culture, we are often taught that el duelo only happens when someone passes away. But what about the losses that nobody brings you flowers for?"

— Daiana Bernard, LMHC

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional therapy.

Adam shares the story of losing his beloved dog, Baxter, navigating anticipatory grief with his senior dog, Sophie, and how he turned his pain into Love Baxter, a platform supporting pet parents through their hardest goodbye.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The Reality of Disenfranchised Grief: Why society minimizes pet loss and how to validate your own heartbreak.
• Navigating Anticipatory Grief: How to cope with the dread and anxiety that comes as our pets age or face illness.
• Finding Meaning in the Pain: Adam’s journey of building a supportive community and resource hub through Love Baxter.
• Living Loss Lessons: Tangible takeaways on how to honor your pets, stay present, and create lasting memories without regret.
• How to Support Others: Actionable advice on what to say (and what not to say) when someone you love loses an animal companion.

Resources & Links Mentioned

• Explore Love Baxter: lovebaxter.com
• Follow on Instagram: @lovebaxterco

Support the Show If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it to help us reach others who might be carrying their loss in silence.

• Instagram: @thelivinglosspodcast
• Email: [email protected]

Work With Us If you’re interested in an individual therapy consultation, please reach out to us:

Daiana Bernard: [email protected] | MeaningfulTherapyFL.com | Location: Riverview, FL (In-Person & Telehealth statewide)

Cassandra Harris-Towner: [email protected] | firststridezcounseling.com | Location: Ocala, FL (In-Person & Telehealth statewide)

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes. While we are licensed mental health counselors, we are not your therapists, and this does not replace professional mental health care. If you need support, please reach out to a local professional.

The Living Loss Podcast is officially on summer break! While we recharge, we are replaying some of the most impactful conversations from Season One.

Keeping it real, society gives us rituals for romantic breakups and family passing, but there is no public script or timeline for the ache of losing a close friend. Whether the friendship experienced a gradual fade, a sudden ghosting, or a shift because of different life seasons, friendship loss is a quiet earthquake. In this episode, Cassandra and Daiana sit down to validate the unseen losses and hidden grief tied to adult friendships.

What You'll Hear in This Episode:

• The "Quiet Earthquake": Why friendship breakups perfectly capture ambiguous loss and disenfranchised grief.
• The 3 AM Rumination Loop: Why our brains desperately crave closure when a friend leaves, and how to stop taking the end of a relationship as a personal failure.
• Identity Disruption: How we attach parts of our identity to our friends, and how to answer the question, "Who am I without them?"
• Attachment Injuries: Navigating the fear of vulnerability with new friends after a deep connection is broken.
• The Magic of "Low-Maintenance" Friends: Embracing the shifting dynamics of adult friendships and why it is perfectly okay to outgrow people as your values change.

Connect With Us: If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, follow, and share it with someone who might be carrying their loss in silence.

Instagram: @thelivinglosspodcast  Email: [email protected]

If you’re interested in a consultation for individual therapy with Daiana Bernard, please reach out via email or visit the practice website below.

Email: [email protected] Website: MeaningfulTherapyFL.com Location: Riverview, FL, In-Person, and Telehealth serving clients throughout Florida.

If you’re interested in a consultation with Cassandra Harris-Towner please reach out via email or visit the practice website below. Email: [email protected] Website: firststridezcounseling.com Location: Ocala, FL, In-Person, and Telehealth serving clients throughout Florida.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. While we are licensed therapists, we are not your therapists, and this does not replace professional mental health care. If you need support, please reach out to a professional near you.

Have you ever felt the quiet, exhausting helplessness of desperately trying to save someone you love? It is a very specific kind of pain, and a heavy grief that the world rarely validates.

In this special Summer Series replay, we revisit a deeply moving conversation with licensed mental health counselor and author Joel Asencio about his book, How Much Could a Clementine Weigh?. While we touch on the internal reality of depression, this episode shines a light on the other side of that emotional wall. We unpack the disenfranchised and ambiguous grief that comes with loving someone who is struggling, and remind you that their inability to receive your love does not mean you are loving them wrong.

Questions for Reflection: Because this episode is so packed with insight, I want to add a little extra value this time around. As you listen—or listen again, I invite you to keep these questions in mind:

How are you currently carrying or measuring the "weight" of the unacknowledged losses in your own life?

What is one small way you can give yourself permission to process that weight today?

Connect with Our Guest:

• Author: Joel Asencio
• Book: How Much Could a Clementine Weigh?
• Instagram: @authorJoelAsencio

Join the Community: Please subscribe and share this episode, maybe even text it to someone who could use those reflection questions right now! It helps us grow this community and reach others who need to know their grief is valid.

Instagram: @thelivinglosspodcast  Email: [email protected]

If you’re interested in a consultation for individual therapy with Daiana Bernard, please reach out via email or visit the practice website below.

Email: [email protected] Website: MeaningfulTherapyFL.com Location: Riverview, FL, In-Person, and Telehealth serving clients throughout Florida.

If you’re interested in a consultation with Cassandra Harris-Towner please reach out via email or visit the practice website below. Email: [email protected] Website: firststridezcounseling.com Location: Ocala, FL, In-Person, and Telehealth serving clients throughout Florida.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. While Daiana and Cassandra are licensed mental health counselors, they are not your mental health counselors, and this does not replace professional mental health care. If you feel you need support, please reach out to a professional near you.