Grief Refuge

Today I am joined by Lisa Marie Conine to talk about the unique way she supports people in grief. Lisa Marie uses plant medicine. She views plants as helpers when people need extra support and I find it fascinating how she approaches her work. Lisa Marie is doing special work and you’ve got to listen to hear how she does it. Also, join us for a 4-week workshop series starting January 30th learn how to use plants and herbs to help aid in your healing after loss! Details and registration here: https://www.griefrefuge.com/plantmedicineforgrief Lisa Marie serves as a trained Death Doula, Yoga Instructor, and Plant Medicine Guide, offering 1:1 and group containers. She supports folks by providing spaces to explore transformation by leaning into the wisdom of our bodies, sacred plants, and the earth. Lisa specializes in utilizing specific plant allies to aid in one's journey alongside somatic tools for regulation and embodiment. Her work is held with the intention to honor the power of transformative rites of passage present in life and death. Calendly: https://calendly.com/belovedgateway Newsletter: https://lisamarieco9.substack.com/ If you need more support for your grief journey, download the Grief Refuge app for daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief (on iOS and Android).

Today we talk about a difficult emotion to manage when grieving. It’s anger. Anger can cause a lot of problems and when you’re grieving, and it’s a very common emotion to feel. Today, I’m joined by Sandy Linda, who is a grief and women’s empowerment coach. Sandy and I talk about her difficult experience of feeling heaps of grief related anger for over a 2 year period + the things she did to resolve that anger and heal herself. Sandy also offers some tips and techniques for managing your own grief related anger. It’s a powerful conversation I hope you very much enjoy. If you need more support right now, visit the Grief Refuge website to download our app or learn more about our retreats, workshops, and groups.

Today I would like to share a guest interview with you. My guest is Yuivany Aguilar who lives in California and has a powerful story to share about the loss of her twin daughters and how she worked through her grief. Yuivany is a caregiver by nature. She’s a professional nurse and has a lot of wisdom to share about navigating grief. Much of her wisdom has been documented in her new book titled Pearls of the Soul available on Amazon. For more grief support, download the Grief Refuge app.

Today I would like to share a webinar replay about grieving in isolation. The webinar shares some important perspectives from some of the world’s leading experts on grief support. If isolation has been something you’ve felt during your grief, this information is for you. As you listen in, do your best to let go of any self judgements you may have about how you’re grieving. Please enjoy the information shared regarding this important topic.

Today I would like to share a guest interview with you. My guest is Bryan Jung and he created a platform for individuals who have lost a parent as a child or teen. It’s called “This Is Why” and it’s found online at thisiswhy.life. In our conversation, Bryan shares some of the trauma he and his family endured after tragically losing his father at 10 years old. He also shares some of the things that have helped and continue to help him cope when the waves of grief hit. Brian’s heart is in the right place and I’m grateful he made This is Why for people in need. If you need more support right now, download the Grief Refuge app for daily companionship, comfort, care, and compassionate suggestions for managing grief (on iOS and Android)

On this Grief Refuge podcast episode, Founder and Host, Reid Peterson, shares a guest interview with you. His guest is Barb Higgins and she has a helpful perspective on giving grief a voice. She shares her journey publicly on her “A Thousand Tiny Steps” podcast and Youtube channels. One of the things that really stands out about this interview is her visual analogies for some of the harder experiences in grief. It made a lot more sense to have a metaphorical image to visualize when talking about the complex emotions involved in handling death related loss. Barb’s insights can help validate you for being your true self as you grieve and heal. You no longer have to tell yourself you’re supposed to think or feel a certain way or that somehow you’re responsible for the comfort of others in your own grief. Enjoy the podcast episode. If you need more support, download the Grief Refuge App

On this new Grief Refuge podcast episode, Founder and Host, Reid Peterson, shares his thoughts regarding some of the initial responses and reactions to a death related loss. These include: It’s tragic. Losing someone you love so deeply or someone who had such an impact on your life is very painful. It hurts in ways that some people can’t begin to describe. And even if you had a heads up that death was coming, you still may feel unprepared and overwhelmed with all of the emotions involved. Gain the needed insights and perspective from this unique and special episode.

Today’s episode is a sequel to Episode 64: As a Grieving Spouse… but today we hear the experience, perspective and support provided by a grief counselor. On today’s episode, Carol Goldfain Davis shares what she observed in Marv’s process as he experienced anticipatory grief, deep sorrow, and his journey for coping and finding his footing in life again. Carol’s empathy clearly speaks as she shares several reflections from Marv’s journey. It’s remarkable to know there are people on this planet who can show up for others in this way! Carol and Marv also collaborated to create the book, When the Rocks Sing, which is available for purchase on Amazon. If you need more support, download the Grief Refuge app for daily companionship, comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief (on iOS and Android)

This new Grief Refuge podcast episode is a story and conversation of love, loss, and repair. Repair in a sense of how a person with a broken heart got support and was able to put the pieces back together again. On this podcast episode, I interview Marv Weidner, a grieving spouse who authentically articulates his grief and healing journey. There’s so much beauty in this conversation because Marv speaks from his heart, is honest, and shares important things he experienced to aid in his healing. We hope this Grief Refuge podcast episode helps support you on your own grief journey. BONUS: This is Part 1 of a 2 Part series. In Part 2, you will hear insights and reflections from Marv’s Grief Counselor, Carol Goldfain. If you need more grief support, download the Grief Refuge app for daily companionship, comfort, care, and compassionate suggestions for managing grief (on iOS and Android)

Are you tired of people trying to fix your grief or judging you for feeling a certain way? If so, you will want to listen to this Grief Refuge podcast conversation with Stephenie Zamora. On this podcast episode, Grief Refuge founder, Reid Peterson, and Stephanie discuss the ways grief’s “Dark and Twisty” overwhelm someone experiencing loss and not knowing who they are right now, or who they are going to be when they get their grief bearings down. This is a truly authentic conversation about grief that we hope helps you put your own loss into words, helps you feel heard and understood, and gives you insights into the deeper and darker experiences and emotions of grief: disorientation, guilt, rage, recklessness, etc. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the Grief Refuge app for daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief.

It’s very rare to hear of someone who works as a Clinical Psychologist and has the gift of communicating with deceased loved ones. Today’s guest, Dr. Amy Robbins is that person. Dr. Robbins is a Psychologist in the Chicago area and has a powerful story of losing her aunt unexpectedly, grieving, and opening up to communication with loved ones who have crossed over. Dr. Robbins has a very practical approach to supporting people pained by loss. Her experience is very interesting and we hope you enjoy her story and reflections on loss, grief, and communication with loved ones on the other side. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the Grief Refuge app for daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief.

There are people who feel lost and alone because their grief journey is ‘a-typical’. Today’s guest interview with Candace Cahill is filled with her story about relinquishing her son, Michael, and then grieving the loss of his death. Candace shares several examples of what helped her work through her grief so that she no longer felt lost. Part of her process led to the writing and publishing of her book, Goodbye Again. If you’ve felt like you have lost someone twice, this interview is for you. Candace’s story is compelling and filled with hope for anyone feeling lost on their grief journey. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the Grief Refuge app for daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief.

Of the many descriptions for what grief feels like, a common one is “weight that holds you down.” This is hard and painful. No one really wants to feel this way. But it happens. And people struggle when they don’t know what to do when they feel this way. On today’s episode of the Grief Refuge podcast, Founder of Grief Refuge, Reid Peterson, shares some thoughts and reflections for what to do when grief weighs you down. The tips are simple and effective. Listen to the full episode to get guidance and help alleviate what is uncomfortable, hard, and painful.

Life’s curve balls can seem even more tumultuous when you’re grieving. Today, Shelley Knight shares her story about the loss of her stepfather, ‘Badger’, and how it impacted her to leave nursing, get back into education, and write a book for the grieving titled “Good Grief: The A to Z Approach of Modern Day Grief Healing”. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the Grief Refuge app for daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief (on iOS and Android).

There’s a risk in sharing grief and mourning on social media. The risk includes how vulnerable you feel and how that vulnerability is, or is not received. Negative comments may (and often do) happen, and when vulnerable, can cause a lot of pain and hurt. Is it helpful to share your grieving soul on social media? It’s a question that has a lot of different opinions and answers. On today's Grief Refuge podcast, Reid Peterson has a conversation with Dr. Serign Marong about his grief journey and how he took the risk to post parts of his grief journey on social media channels like Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube. This grief conversation is about as authentic as any grief conversation can be. Thanks to @serendipity.md (Dr. Serign's social medial handle) for articulating the ways in which his Soul had been broken and what he needed to do in order to put it back together again. If you need more grief support, download the Grief Refuge app for daily companionship, comfort, care, and compassionate suggestions for managing grief (on iOS and Android)

“Death is not a medical experience. It’s a human one.” That is a quote from Suzanne O’Brien, my guest for this Grief Refuge podcast episode. If you haven’t met Suzanne O’Brien, you’ll be glad you listened to this podcast episode. Suzanne is the Founder of Doulagivers, an organization that trains people who care for other people at the end of their life. Suzanne is a very passionate person who is here to help make the dying process more graceful. On this Grief Refuge podcast episode, Reid and Suzanne discuss many aspects of “bedside wisdom,” which are the qualities that help caregivers feel more aware, comfortable, and equipped to care for their dying loved ones. The conversation naturally flows from death to grief, helping you to gain more “grief wisdom.” I hope you enjoy the conversation and interview. Suzanne is filled with passion and sometimes just listening to someone like Suzanne is inspirational. If you need more grief support, download the Grief Refuge app for daily companionship, comfort, care, and compassionate suggestions for managing grief (on iOS and Android)

Long before I put my professional experience out on the air waves, I listened to the Grief Out Loud podcast. It’s hosted by Jana DeCristofaro and is produced at the Dougy Center. If you are not familiar with the Dougy Center, it is an organization in Portland, OR that provides support to grieving children, teens, and young adults. The Dougy Center is highly acclaimed for their work. In fact, many other organizations throughout the United States base their work off of the model provided by the Dougy Center. Today, I am proud to share my interview with Jana DeCristofaro from the Dougy Center. Our conversation entails Jana’s commitment to 20+ years of consistent efforts to de-stigmatize grief and grieving. I deeply respect Jana’s professional expertise. It was an honor to interview her. For more support and companionship on your grief journey, download the Grief Refuge app to get daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief (on iOS and Android).

Getting grief support can be a very difficult thing. You may find some available resources but they can come with strings attached. Often, people that are grieving feel like they have to be a certain way or they will be judged for what feels more authentic to them. Kind of like a “my grief must fit in this box in order to feel accepted in order to experience a sense of healing.” In order to heal and to re-integrate loss into life moving forward, grievers need to authentically express their emotions regarding their loss… And that includes all of the pains, confusions, and uncertainties just as much as the hopes, gratitudes, and rationalization to “move on.” On today’s Grief Refuge podcast, Reid has an authentic conversation with Marian Boyd, Co-Author of a six-book series for navigating loss and grief. Reid and Marian share their experiences and earned wisdom regarding what it means to be a grief companion. Grief companioning is special because it’s one of the few experiences that invites grievers to be their authentic selves. For more support and companionship on your grief journey, download the Grief Refuge app to get daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief (on iOS and Android).

Often in grief, the language used to support another is well intended but hard to receive. The language used to communicate is filled with cliches and platitudes that are painful to hear, not relatable at all, and frequently upsetting to people who are grieving. How can language be used to help grievers be more supported? And how do the supporters learn language that is authentic and helpful? On today’s Grief Refuge podcast, I interview and converse with Randi Wolfson, Author of the book Eddie's Brave Journey and writer of the popular social media page Grief and Grits. Randi shares more about her ways of navigating lifelong grief and how she writes to help both grievers and supporters of grieving persons. Randi is so kind and her writing is amazing. Please enjoy our conversation for it provides more support and deeper understanding for the grief experience. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the Grief Refuge app for daily comfort, care, and to feel soothed as you navigate your day-to-day living while experiencing grief (on iOS and Android)

As a parent, there are timelines that start long before your child is born. When you lose a child during pregnancy or infancy, the timelines often get dismissed and written off as “less than” losses by our society. TEARS is an amazing resource that provides financial and emotional support to families that want to honor their child and make sure they are never forgotten. On today’s Grief Refuge podcast episode, Reid interviews and converses with Kim Freeman, the AZ chapter leader for TEARS. Kim shares more about her personal story and the ways that TEARS helps families honor their child. This is a must listen to. Kim’s wisdom and compassion speak so eloquently. Please listen to our conversation for more support and deeper understanding. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the Grief Refuge app for daily comfort, care, and to feel soothed as you navigate your day-to-day living while experiencing grief (on iOS and Android).