This is a replay of a conversation I had in June 2022. It’s all about grief. What it is, how it affects you, and how to manage it.  

The expert guest is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Arizona. Her focus is on the physical and emotional responses we experience in grief, yearning and isolation. Dr. Mary France O’Connor is also the author of The Grieving Brain: The Science of How We Learn From Love and Loss. 

Grieving the loss of a loved one is a process people seldomly bring up. It’s uncomfortable, it’s painful and something terribly personal. When my mother passed away in July 2021, I was left trying to hold all the pieces but my body seemed to be falling apart. 

A friend shared with me that although grief never goes away, it does get softer. After an overwhelming response to a social media post about grieving the loss of my mother, I wanted to better understand how grief affects our minds, bodies, and lives. 

Dr. O’Connor heads the grief loss and social stress labs at University of Arizona and literally wrote the book on how grieving impacts the brain. She shares her expert opinions and research on how we can better process the feelings and process of grieving, not just for ourselves but also for others. 

Sadly, many of us are never told how to go through the grieving process. Losing someone you love is more than their absence. It’s a loss of identity, habits and traditions that affect you emotionally and physically as well.  

This episode is an excellent start for those of us that don’t feel prepared to grieve and feel at a loss on how to comfort someone through their grieving process. 

Learn more about Dr. O’Connor here: 

Website: https://maryfrancesoconnor.org 

Connect with Barbara Hannah Grufferman: 

Website: https://www.barbarahannahgrufferman.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraHannahGruffermanAuthor 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbarahannahgrufferman/ 

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