The Quiet Crisis Podcast

Episode #10

In episode #10 of The Quiet Crisis podcast, we debunk the tired notion that “you must be strong” in your grief. Strength comes in a variety of measures, and being “strong” by societal standards is oftentimes the worst thing you can do for your grief. Includes a quick DIY exercise.

#Grief #GriefSupport #GriefHelp #GriefRecovery #Resilience #HealingGrief #HealingAfterLoss #ArtTherapy #ExpressiveArts #NarrativeTherapy

Topics in this Episode

* Why must you be “strong”? (0:26)

* We should not approach grief from a place of pretense (0:41)

* A simple exercise (1:03)

Memorable Quote

"Why must you be strong? So the Joneses don’t get offended?"

Healing Links

Self-Study Healing Suite: Grief Therapy in a Box

1:1 Coaching Program: Evolving through Loss

Next Episode: You Just Have to Move On?

Subscribe to The Quiet Crisis Podcast

If you’re a woman navigating incessant grief after profound personal loss, and you wish to effectively process and “complete” that grief (without ever “forgetting”), explore my revolutionary and critically-acclaimed, self-paced healing suite, Grief Therapy in a Box.” If you’re more the 1:1 coaching type, check out my Evolving through Loss program.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nelsonpahlphd.substack.com

Episode #9

In episode #9 of The Quiet Crisis podcast, we explore how research finds that unresolved grief can lead to long-term autoimmune issues.

#Grief #GriefSupport #GriefHelp #GriefRecovery #HealingGrief #HealingAfterLoss #ADHD #ArtTherapy #ExpressiveArts #NarrativeTherapy #Autoimmune

Topics in this Episode

* Unresolved grief can cause autoimmune issues (0:33)

* The research (0:55)

* A simple exercise (1:20)

Memorable Quote

"You’re immune system takes a beating as you navigate your way through grief?"

Healing Links

Self-Study Healing Suite: Grief Therapy in a Box

1:1 Coaching Program: Evolving through Loss

Supporting Links

Study: “Unresolved Grief Can Suppress Immune Function”

Next Episode: You Must Be Strong?

Subscribe to The Quiet Crisis Podcast

If you’re a woman navigating incessant grief after profound personal loss, and you wish to effectively process and “complete” that grief (without ever “forgetting”), explore my revolutionary and critically-acclaimed, self-paced healing suite, Grief Therapy in a Box.” If you’re more the 1:1 coaching type, check out my Evolving through Loss program.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nelsonpahlphd.substack.com

Episode #8

In episode #8 of The Quiet Crisis podcast, we explore how unresolved grief can cause symptoms that may mimic ADHD: scattered thoughts, brain fog, and/or mental overwhelm. We discuss research findings and provide a simple exercise to help you better cope with this problematic grief issue.

#Grief #GriefSupport #GriefHelp #GriefRecovery #HealingGrief #HealingAfterLoss #ADHD #ArtTherapy #ExpressiveArts #NarrativeTherapy

Topics in this Episode

* It might not be ADHD (0:31)

* We don’t talk about how grief hijacks attention (0:37)

* Research: Prolonged Grief disrupts executive function (0:44)

* Grief loops fragment attention before workday even begins (1:10)

* A simple exercise to help you (1:22)

Memorable Quote

"This is why you may find yourself re-reading emails, forgetting appointments, or feeling mentally paralyzed in simple decisions."

Healing Links

Self-Study Healing Suite: Grief Therapy in a Box

1:1 Coaching Program: Evolving through Loss

Supporting Links

Study: “Attention Deficit During Acute Grief”

Next Episode: Complicated Grief Can Cause Autoimmune Issues

Subscribe to The Quiet Crisis Podcast

If you’re a woman navigating incessant grief after profound personal loss, and you wish to effectively process and “complete” that grief (without ever “forgetting”), explore my revolutionary and critically-acclaimed, self-paced healing suite, Grief Therapy in a Box.” If you’re more the 1:1 coaching type, check out my Evolving through Loss program.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nelsonpahlphd.substack.com

Episode #7

In this episode of The Quiet Crisis podcast, we’ll discuss how the reason you often feel alone and isolated in your grief is because those around you—friends and colleagues—are seldom “good listeners.” In truth, it’s not you; it’s them. I also provide you with a quick exercise to help you find your voice.

#Grief #GriefSupport #Loneliness #Isolation #HealingAfterLoss #ArtTherapy #ExpressiveArts #GrievingAlone

Topics in this Episode

* Friends and colleagues aren’t typically “good listeners” (0:26)

* Most people prefer to talk about themselves (0:38)

* Sometimes it’s not you but them. (0:48)

* You’re not out of line for wanting to talk about our grief (1:41)

* A simple exercise to help you find your voice (1:59)

Memorable Quote

"We’re never at fault for wanting to sort through our feelings."

Healing Links

Self-Study Healing Suite: Grief Therapy in a Box

1:1 Coaching Program: Evolving through Loss

Next Episode: Why You Can’t Focus

Subscribe to The Quiet Crisis Podcast

If you’re a woman navigating incessant grief after profound personal loss, and you wish to effectively process and “complete” that grief (without ever “forgetting”), explore my revolutionary and critically-acclaimed, self-paced healing suite, Grief Therapy in a Box.” If you’re more the 1:1 coaching type, check out my Evolving through Loss program.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nelsonpahlphd.substack.com

Episode #6

In this episode of The Quiet Crisis podcast, we explore how unresolved grief increases your risk of hypertension, as well as stroke. We’ll also discuss an research-based art therapy exercise you can do to help you fend off this issue.

#Grief #GriefSupport #Hypertension #HighBloodPressure #HealingAfterLoss #ArtTherapy #ExpressiveArts

Topics in this Episode

* Unresolved grief takes a toll on your health (0:21)

* Problematic grief’s impact on blood pressure (0:41)

* Hypertension can lead to a myriad of issues…including stroke (0:50)

* Research finds that bereavement increases risk of stroke (0:59)

* A DIY, art-based exercise for managing blood pressure (1:12)

Memorable Quote

"Unresolved grief can increase stroke risk."

Healing Links

Self-Study Healing Suite: Grief Therapy in a Box

1:1 Coaching Program: Evolving through Loss

Supporting Links

Study: “Risk of Stroke After Bereavement”

Study: “Clay Art Therapy for Physical Health”

Next Episode: It’s not you. It’s them!

Subscribe to The Quiet Crisis Podcast

If you’re a woman navigating incessant grief after profound personal loss, and you wish to effectively process and “complete” that grief (without ever “forgetting”), explore my revolutionary and critically-acclaimed, self-paced healing suite, Grief Therapy in a Box.” If you’re more the 1:1 coaching type, check out my Evolving through Loss program.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nelsonpahlphd.substack.com

Episode #5

In this episode, we explore the topic of professional burnout. Is your issue really burnout? Or it actually unresolved grief? We’ll discuss the symptom similarities, the differences, what the science says, and we’ll conclude with a simple experiential exercise you can carry out for immediate relief.

This one’s for the woman entrepreneur, solopreneneur, executive, founder, small business owner, or manager.

#TheQuietCrisis | #Burnout | #ArtTherapy | #GriefExhaustion

Topics in this Episode

* This issue so often misdiagnosed (0:37)

* What if your “burnout” isn’t really burnout? (0:49)

* Pressure to lead doesn’t disappear just because you grieve (0:55)

* Research finds emotional suppression increases stress burden (1:12)

* In the workplace, disenfranchised grief expresses itself as burnout (1:28)

* Symptom comparison of classic “burnout” with disenfranchised grief (1:45)

* DIY Experiential exercise (2:11)

Memorable Quote

"Grief doesn’t disappear just because you have to lead. It simply goes underground."

Healing Links

Self-Study Healing Suite: Grief Therapy in a Box

1:1 Coaching Program: Evolving through Loss

Supporting Links

Study: “Emotional Suppression Increases Allostatic Load”

Study: “Disenfranchised Grief Disguised as Professional Burnout”

Next Episode: The Grief that Looks Like Burnout

Subscribe to The Quiet Crisis Podcast

If you’re a woman navigating incessant grief after profound personal loss, and you wish to effectively process and “complete” that grief (without ever “forgetting”), explore my revolutionary and critically-acclaimed, self-paced healing suite, Grief Therapy in a Box.” If you’re more the 1:1 coaching type, check out my Evolving through Loss program.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nelsonpahlphd.substack.com

Episode #4

In this episode, we explore a lesser-known symptom of grief: exhaustion. The type that sleep can’t fix. If you're feeling deeply tired—even after eight hours in bed—you’re not alone. And you’re not lazy. Unresolved grief, especially complicated, traumatic, and/or prolonged, can flood the body with cortisol, keeping your nervous system stuck in overdrive. We’ll unpack the science behind grief-related fatigue, and I’ll guide you through a short somatic exercise to help your body finally rest.

This one’s for the high-functioning women who feel like they’re running on empty. Let’s have a gentle reset.

#TheQuietCrisis | #WhyGriefMakesYouTired | #SomaticHealing | #GriefExhaustion

Topics in this Episode

* It’s not just physical “fatigue” (0:26)

* It’s not laziness. It’s not your schedule (0:38)

* Grief activates the stress response system (0:51)

* Persons grieving experience cortisol surge (1:08)

* Prolonged grief demands consistent stress response (1:23)

* Somatic breathwork exercise (1:49)

Memorable Quote

"The mind never fully shuts down…not even at night."

Healing Links

Self-Study Healing Suite: Grief Therapy in a Box

1:1 Coaching Program: Evolving through Loss

Supporting Links

Study: “Complicated Grief and Cortisol Response”

Study: “Complicated Grief as a Stress Response Disorder”

Next Episode: The Grief that Looks Like Burnout

Subscribe to The Quiet Crisis Podcast

If you’re a woman navigating incessant grief after profound personal loss, and you wish to effectively process and “complete” that grief (without ever “forgetting”), explore my revolutionary and critically-acclaimed, self-paced healing suite, Grief Therapy in a Box.” If you’re more the 1:1 coaching type, check out my Evolving through Loss program.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nelsonpahlphd.substack.com

Episode #3

Grief isn’t just emotional — it’s physical. In this episode, we explore how unresolved grief impacts heart health, including its link to “broken heart syndrome” and increased cardiovascular risk. Citing research from Annals of Behavioral Medicine and Circulation, we ask: Can grief actually break your heart? A guided exercises is included.

#TheQuietCrisis | #GriefHealth | #SomaticHealing

Topics in this Episode

* Love & grief are both “matters of the heart” (0:25)

* Unresolved grief can increase risk of heart disease (0:37)

* Grief associated with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (0:47)

* Grief can raise risk of heart disease (1:06)

* Somatic Exercise (1:36)

Memorable Quote

"Grief is often associated with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy."

Healing Links

Self-Study Healing Suite: Grief Therapy in a Box

1:1 Coaching Program: Evolving through Loss

Supporting Links

Study: “Grief Can Cause Takotsubo CardioMyopathy”

Study: “Grief Increases Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction”

Explanation: “What is Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy?”

Next Episode: Why You’re So Tired—Even After Sleep

Subscribe to The Quiet Crisis Podcast

If you’re a woman navigating incessant grief after profound personal loss, and you wish to effectively process and “complete” that grief (without ever “forgetting”), explore my revolutionary and critically-acclaimed, self-paced healing suite, Grief Therapy in a Box.” If you’re more the 1:1 coaching type, check out my Evolving through Loss program.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nelsonpahlphd.substack.com

Episode #2

Grief-related brain fog is real — and neurological. In this episode, learn how unresolved grief affects cognitive function, why you're not "lazy" or "unfocused," and how to reclaim your bandwidth with a gentle productivity shift. For women healing from prolonged grief.

Topics in this Episode

* Brain fog isn't just emotional. It's neurological (0:37)

* Unresolved grief consumes "cognitive bandwidth" (0:50)

* Research finds grief thoughts interfere with executive function (1:01)

* A helpful "micro-mapping" technique (1:33)

Memorable Quote

"...where your brain feels slower...almost like it's stuck in molasses."

Healing Links

1:1 Coaching Program: Evolving through Loss

Self-Study Healing Suite: Grief Therapy in a Box

Supporting Links

Study: “Bereavement and Grief in Psychiatric Outpatients”

Next Episode: Can Grief Literally Break Your Heart?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nelsonpahlphd.substack.com

Episode #1

In this premier episode of The Quiet Crisis, we explore four essential truths about your unresolved grief — those that no one tells you, but that every grieving woman deserves to know. If you’ve been feeling lost, numb, or unlike yourself lately, this episode will meet you where you’re at.

Topics in this Episode

* Time does not heal grief (0:32)

* “The 5 Stages” are a myth (1:12)

* Everything you feel is normal (1:33)

* Grief is intensely personal (2:00)

Memorable Quotes

“There’s no right way to grief. There’s no wrong way to grieve.”

Healing Links

1:1 Coaching Program: Evolving through Loss

Self-Study Healing Suite: Grief Therapy in a Box

Supporting Links

Study: “Bereaved Persons Are Misguided Through the Stages of Grief”

Article: “Grief is a Journey, Not 5 Stages”

Study: “Pitfalls in the Search for Pathological Grief”

Study: “Parameters of Normal Grief: A Delphi Study”

Article: “The Grief You’re Feeling is Normal”

Article: “Grief is a Personal Journey”

Next Episode: The Brain Fog No One Warns You About

Keywords

#griefpodcast #unresolvedgrief #emotionalhealing #mentalhealthforwomen #grievinginsilence #complicatedgrief #healingafterloss #womenandgrief #traumainformedgriefsupport #griefeducation

Bio

Nelson Pahl, Ph.D. is an Experiential Psychologist and Grief Recovery Coach that helps striving, sensitive, and self-aware woman navigate enduring grief after profound personal loss. He does so by way of 1:1 coaching and his revolutionary healing suite, Grief Therapy in a Box.

Subscribe to The Quiet Crisis.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nelsonpahlphd.substack.com