What's Your Grief Podcast

How Do You Categorize Grief?

If you've ever wondered why our grief support isn't broken down by type of loss, today you'll find your answer. In this episode we talk about the question "what's your grief?". Specifically, we break down why, for us, this question has always had less to do with who died and more to do with the unique nature of your relationship with that person and the specific experiences and challenges of your grief.

If you like the podcast, you'll love WYG Grief Support Hub (it's our griever member community - think of it as our Patreon, but a zillion times better). Support the podcast and get TONS more grief support. You can learn more here.

Visit whatsyourgrief.com for hundreds of free articles we've written about all things grief and loss.

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

You can also make a donation here at any time to help us keep the lights on.

Get Lessons to Write On: A Guided Grief Journaling Intensive here. https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/products/lessons-to-write-on-grief-journaling

Pick up the What's Your Grief Book

What's Your Grief Podcast

enMarch 07, 2024

grief education

grief and bereavemeent

types of grief

The Many Complicated Feelings Around Final Goodbyes

In this episode, we address a question from a bereaved mom who didn't see her daughter after her daughter's death. She finds herself wondering if she should have fought harder to see her daughter. This brings up so many questions held by grievers no matter what decisions they made around a death -- often some variation of "should I have done something differently and would that have eased this pain?"

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The WYG Hub (it's our griever member community - think of it as our Patreon, but a zillion times better) is open for new members from now through March 1st! Support the podcast and get TONS more grief support! https://whatsyourgrief.com/online-grief-community/

Visit whatsyourgrief.com for hundreds of free articles we've written about all things grief and loss.

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

You can also make a donation here at any time to help us keep the lights on.

Get Lessons to Write On: A Guided Grief Journaling Intensive here. https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/products/lessons-to-write-on-grief-journaling

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll love our book! Available in print, ebook, or on audible.

What's Your Grief Podcast

enFebruary 29, 2024

Building Walls to Avoid Further Loss

This week we respond to a question from one of our Hub members. Grief anxiety is very real and, unfortunately, the very connections that can ease anxiety in grief can also be the source of that anxiety. We're chatting about that complicated experience after loss when you find yourself fearful of creating new relationships for fear of losing people while also wanting connection and fearing being alone. The thoughts and feeling are so complicated.

***

The WYG Hub (it's our griever member community - think of it as our Patreon, but a zillion times better) is open for new members from now through March 1st! Support the podcast and get TONS more grief support! https://whatsyourgrief.com/online-grief-community/

Sign up for our free February grief support webinar here.

Visit whatsyourgrief.com for hundreds of free articles we've written about all things grief and loss.

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

You can also make a donation here at any time to help us keep the lights on.

Get Lessons to Write On: A Guided Grief Journaling Intensive here. https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/products/lessons-to-write-on-grief-journaling

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll love our book! Available in print, ebook, or on audible.

What's Your Grief Podcast

enFebruary 22, 2024

Grief Comfort and Grief Criticism on Social Media

In this episode, we dive into the world of grief in the digital era. Specifically we talk about what it really means to express sorrow online and the frustrating misconceptions that grief posts are just for attention. Some people turn to social media for support during tough times and genuine empathy means looking past the many assumptions about what's behind these posts.

Sign up for our free February grief support webinar here.

Visit whatsyourgrief.com for hundreds of free articles we've written about all things grief and loss.

Join the WYG Hub (it's our griever member community - think of it as our Patreon, but a zillion times better). It opens for new members four times per year (next on March 1, 2024) and you can join the waitlist - https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/141b04f720

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

You can also make a donation here at any time to help us keep the lights on.

Get Lessons to Write On: A Guided Grief Journaling Intensive here. https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/products/lessons-to-write-on-grief-journaling

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll love our book! Available in print, ebook, or on audible.

What's Your Grief Podcast

enFebruary 15, 2024

grief on social media

grief and ai

digital grieving

Befriending Grief

In this episode, Litsa and Mary chat about what it means to 'befriend grief'. This includes plenty of thoughts about how modern western culture shapes our beliefs about death and grief, with a healthy dose of how we try to counteractive some of the pressures to pathologize grief.

In this episode, Mary mentions the follow books that have had a big impact on her grief lens:
The Wild Edge of Sorrow
The Smell of Rain on Dust

Visit whatsyourgrief.com for hundreds of free articles we've written about all things grief and loss.

Join the WYG Hub (it's our griever member community - think of it as our Patreon, but a zillion times better). It opens for new members four times per year (next on March 1, 2024) and you can join the waitlist - https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/141b04f720

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

You can also make a donation here at any time to help us keep the lights on.

Get Lessons to Write On: A Guided Grief Journaling Intensive here. https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/products/lessons-to-write-on-grief-journaling

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll love our book! Available in print, ebook, or on audible.

What's Your Grief Podcast

enFebruary 08, 2024

Relief in Grief

In this episode respond to a question about feeling relief after a death. But first, we talk about the recent Vox article The Race to Optimize Grief and the wild wild west of how AI is changing the way people mourn.

Visit whatsyourgrief.com for hundreds of free articles we've written about all things grief and loss. You can read more about relief in grief here.

Join the WYG Hub (it's our griever member community - think of it as our Patreon, but a zillion times better). It opens for new members four times per year (next on March 1, 2024) and you can join the waitlist - https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/141b04f720

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

You can also make a donation here at any time to help us keep the lights on.

Get Lessons to Write On: A Guided Grief Journaling Intensive here. https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/products/lessons-to-write-on-grief-journaling

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll love our book! Available in print, ebook, or on audible.

What's Your Grief Podcast

enJanuary 31, 2024

The Grief of Anticipated-Sudden Deaths

In this episode we talk about a new article on the website that Litsa wrote about a concept she's termed "paradoxical grief". It's the often-confusing experience of grieving a loss that is both anticipated but also sudden and shocking. We talk about this experience that is both incredibly common and yet also rarely talked about in grief, in part because it can feel difficult to explain.

You can check out the article here: https://whatsyourgrief.com/the-paradoxical-grief-of-anticipated-sudden-death/

Visit whatsyourgrief.com for hundreds of free articles we've written about all things grief and loss. You can read more about anticipatory grief here. You can read more about traumatic and unexpected loss here.

Join the WYG Hub (it's our griever member community - think of it as our Patreon, but a zillion times better). It opens for new members four times per year (next on March 1, 2024) and you can join the waitlist - https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/141b04f720

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

You can also make a donation here at any time to help us keep the lights on.

Get Lessons to Write On: A Guided Grief Journaling Intensive here. https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/products/lessons-to-write-on-grief-journaling

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll love our book! Available in print, ebook, or on audible.

What's Your Grief Podcast

enJanuary 26, 2024

From Grief Literacy to Grief Humility

We kick off this episode with our review of the new Dan Levy Netflix film "Good Grief". If you haven't watched it and don't want any spoilers, jump into the episode closer to minute 27. In the rest of the episode we address a common question that comes up for grievers: with so much information out there about grief, why aren't people more grief-literate? Which of course begs the question, what is grief literacy? Should that be what we strive for? We're not so sure.

The documentary Litsa mentioned about finding out secrets after a death is called Stories We Tell. You can find the trailer here: https://youtu.be/A_8BnZ471GY?si=WvIYzclvFaS_Sj-K

Visit whatsyourgrief.com for hundreds of free articles we've written about all things grief and loss. If you liked this episode, these are some articles you might appreciate:
Learning a Secret After a Death
64 Ways to Meet Grieving People Where They're At
How to Help a Grieving Friend: Beyond the Basics
WYG's Definition of Grief

Join the WYG Hub (it's our griever member community - think of it as our Patreon, but a zillion times better). It opens for new members four times per year (next on March 1, 2024) and you can join the waitlist - https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/141b04f720

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

You can also make a donation here at any time to help us keep the lights on.

Get Lessons to Write On: A Guided Grief Journaling Intensive here. https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/products/lessons-to-write-on-grief-journaling

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll love our book! Availaable in print, ebook, or on audible.

What's Your Grief Podcast

enJanuary 18, 2024

Moving Forward Challenges (in the New Year and Beyond)

Come to the free Grieving in the New Year Webinar with Litsa this Sunday - sign up here -- https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/432a2df1e7

This week we're talking about all the surprising challenges of facing the new year in grief. Everything from the passage of time to a Hub member question about what it means to 'live your best life' without fear of forgetting.

The book Litsa mentioned in the episode is Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retrea in Difficult Times (though she hasn't read it, so don't think of this as an endorsement. It's just a book she wants to read!)

Visit whatsyourgrief.com for hundreds of free articles we've written about all things grief and loss. If you liked this episode, this is a good place to start. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-and-the-fear-of-letting-go/

Join the WYG Hub (it's our griever member community - think of it as our Patreon, but a zillion times better). Opens for new members four times per year (next on March 1, 202) but you can join the waitlist now - https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/141b04f720

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

You can also make a donation here at any time to help us keep the lights on.

Get Lessons to Write On: A Guided Grief Journaling Intensive here. https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/products/lessons-to-write-on-grief-journaling

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll love our book! Availaable in print, ebook, or on audible.

What's Your Grief Podcast

enJanuary 09, 2024

The Griefy-est Time of the Year

We're back with an episode about - you guessed it - grief at the holidays! Sure, we've talked about this basically every year here on the podcast. Yes, we have approximately a zillion articles about it on the website. AND we still have more to say on the topic! Because there is simply so much that the holidays bring up when it comes to loss. Other holiday grief support: For a lot more practical and creative support, watch our free webinar on coping with grief at the holidays here. Find tons of articles about coping with grief at the holidays here. If you're looking for a last minute gift for someone grieving in your life, Bookshop.org (where you can support your local independent bookstore!) Barnes & Noble Amazon Books A Million Indiebound Hudson Booksellers Powell's Come hang out and get some grief support! Learn more and join the waitlist for our Griever Hub here. If you're a grief professional, join our grief professionals learning and networking community here.

What's Your Grief Podcast

enDecember 20, 2023

Grief Meets Existential Dread

In this episode we're going deep, talking about a very common but rarely discussed issue in grief: existential dread. Loss can make us face big questions about life and purpose. It makes us face our own mortality. This week we talk about what it's like to gaze long into the abyss. We reflect on our own discomfort with death (and our comfort with that discomfort).

We don't have ads or a patreon. What helps us most is if you join the WYG hub for grief learning and connection. Open for summer cohort through May 31, 2023 and will then reopen in the autumn. It is only $8.33/month if you join annually and it is a big part of what keeps the podcast going - https://whatsyourgrief.com/online-grief-community/

You can also make a donation here any time to help us keep the lights on.

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll like the book! And you can get it in print ebook or audible.

What's Your Grief Podcast

enMay 31, 2023

Mother's Day & Father's Day Grief

May is here and that means the looming grief triggers of Mother's Day and Father's Day are upon us. In this episode we cover all the basics - why it's hard, who is impacted (spoiler alert: it isn't just bereaved parents and bereaved children), and some suggestions for coping.

We have tons of Mother's Day and Father's Day articles and support over on What's Your Grief. Start with some of our favorites.

Other mentions from the episode: Honest Obituaries site.

We don't have ads or a patreon. What helps us most is if you join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accountability, a grief book club & more. It is only $8.33/month if you join annually and it is a big part of what keeps the podcast going - https://whatsyourgrief.com/online-grief-community/

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll like the book! And you can get it in print ebook or audible.

What's Your Grief Podcast

enMay 09, 2023

When Grief Meets Anxiety

Anxiety is one of those grief experiences that is incredibly common and yet often catches people off guard. If you experienced difficult levels of anxiety before a loss, it can feel worse than ever as you navigate grief. And even if you never struggled with managing anxiety before, your loss can bring it up. In this episode we talk about the relationship between grief and anxiety, some common reasons for it, and offer some suggestions on how to manage it.

Here are the two of the anxiety workbooks we mentioned:
Anxiety and Phobia Workbook
Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life

We don't have ads or a patreon. What helps us most is if you join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accountability, a grief book club & more. It is only $8.33/month if you join annually and it is a big part of what keeps the podcast going - https://whatsyourgrief.com/online-grief-community/

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll like the book! And you can get it in print ebook or audible.

What's Your Grief Podcast

enApril 12, 2023

What Are You Doing Here?

This week we're reflecting on what's were doing here. Not in the existential sense (though we're certainly always angsting about that on some level). But in the sense that we're curious what you want to hear more of. We hope you'll give a listen and then answer these 3 (very simple) questions to help guide our future episodes. https://form.jotform.com/230677758851066

We don't have ads or a patreon. What helps us most is if you join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accountability, a grief book club & more. It is only $8.33/month if you join annually and it is a big part of what keeps the podcast going - https://whatsyourgrief.com/online-grief-community/

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll like the book! And you can get it in print ebook or audible.

What's Your Grief Podcast

enMarch 12, 2023

Decades On, Grief Still Surprises Us

Though there have been significant losses in our lives in the decades since, each of us looks back to the deaths of a parent early in life as formative to our lives and specifically our work in grief. In this episode, we reflect on the ways those remote personal losses still surprise us - even now.

We don't have ads or a patreon. What helps us most is if you join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accountability, a grief book club & more. It is only $8.33/month if you join annually and it is a big part of what keeps the podcast going - https://whatsyourgrief.com/online-grief-community/

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll like the book! And you can get it in print or on audible, for those of youOur book is available anywhere you buy books:

What's Your Grief Podcast

enFebruary 22, 2023

Ask Me Anything (about Grief)

Litsa's flying solo this week, answering questions about grief submitted on Instagram. Talking about supporting partners, siblings, navigating grief conversations with friends, plushies, and more!

We don't have ads or a patreon. What helps us most is if you join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accountability, a grief book club & more. It is only $8.33/month if you join annually and it is a big part of what keeps the podcast going - https://whatsyourgrief.com/online-grief-community/

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll like the book! And you can get it in print or on audible, for those of youOur book is available anywhere you buy books:

What's Your Grief Podcast

enJanuary 31, 2023

New Year, Same Me

We're two days into 2023 and the theme for us has been . . . meh. That 'new year, new me' rhetoric gets old fast. In this episode we're talking about why moving into a new year can feel hard, especially for grievers. That means musing about what happiness is (and isn't), the appeal (and risks) of a 'fresh start', and living a 'because of' life instead of an 'in spite of' life. Read Eleanor's article that we mention here.

Want to join our free webinar on coping with grief in the new year? Sign up here- https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/70975d2c57

About us: Eleanor Haley, MS and Litsa Williams, MA, LCSW-C are the co-founders of What's Your Grief, one of the largest online grief and bereavement support communities. Both are mental health professionals who have lived through significant death and non-death losses. Since late 2012 they have been growing WYG as a resource for grievers who are looking for something beyond the walls of traditional therapy and support groups.

We don't have ads or a patreon. What helps us most is if you join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accountability, a grief book club & more. It is only $12/month and it is a big part of what keeps the podcast going - https://whatsyourgrief.com/online-grief-community/

If you're a grief professional, we have a community for you too. https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-professionals-community/

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll like the book! And you can get it in print or on audible, for those of youOur book is available anywhere you buy books:

Social stuff:

What's Your Grief Podcast

enJanuary 14, 2023

Winter of Our Disconnection

Eleanor's been feeling pretty disconnected this holiday season. Though that might sound better than feeling terrible, it turns out that numbness and disconnection are their own version of unsettling. In this episode, we're tackling this common-but-difficult-to-describe experience in grief - feeling nothing and what to do about it.

2022 is winding down and we'd love your support to keep this podcast going in 2023. Please consider joining our What's Your Grief circle community - there are tons of great resources to help you in your grief. Your $12/month (or $100/year) is a huge part of keeping this podcast going.

Join the What's Your Grief grievers' circle community here!

Are you a grief or mental health professional? Join the grief and mental health professionals' circle here!

Buy our book - What's Your Grief: Lists to Help You Through Any Loss (available in print, audible and kindle)

Check out hundreds of articles on all things grief at https://whatsyourgrief.com/

What's Your Grief Podcast

enDecember 23, 2022

Feeling Relief in Grief

Relief is one of the more common grief emotions and yet it is one that people often feel ashamed to mention. So today we're talking about relief in grief - what it is, what it isn't, how to understand it, and personal experiences with it.

About us: Eleanor Haley, MS and Litsa Williams, MA, LCSW-C are the co-founders of What's Your Grief, one of the largest online grief and bereavement support communities. Both are mental health professionals who have lived through significant death and non-death losses. Since late 2012 they have been growing WYG as a resource for grievers who are looking for something beyond the walls of traditional therapy and support groups.

We don't have ads or a patreon. What helps us most is if you join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accountability, a grief book club & more. It is only $10/month and it is a big part of what keeps the podcast going - https://whats-your-grief-community.circle.so/

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll like the book! And you can get it in print or on audible, for those of youOur book is available anywhere you buy books:

Social stuff:

What's Your Grief Podcast

enDecember 12, 2022

Holiday Musings on Family & Impermanence

This week we were feeling the post-Thanksgiving emotional grief hangover. That means musings on family, holidays past and present, and the ways we grieve the things we assumed would always be part of our lives, but aren't.

We don't have ads or a patreon. What helps us most is if you join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accountability, a grief book club & more. It is only $10/month and it is a big part of what keeps the podcast going - https://whats-your-grief-community.circle.so/

Also, if you like the podcast we're pretty sure you'll like the book! And you can get it in print or on audible, for those of youOur book is available anywhere you buy books: