kathi balasek

Tune in to hear:

- What life journey brought Kathi to a place where she focused on grief professionally?

- Why did Kathi experience guilt and shame around her lack of financial literacy in a moment of crisis?

- People often say very inappropriate things when they are struggling to address the grieving, even if well-intentioned. Why is this the case and what can be done about it?

- Why something as simple as asking a deceased person’s name can be so meaningful to their loved ones.

- What does it mean to be "grief literate?"

- What is it about the unique combination of loss and money that makes us so reticent to talk about it?

- What is "disenfranchised grief" and how can loved ones, advisors or others avoid falling prey to this phenomenon?

- How does Kathi work with advisors who are a bit hesitant to talk about grief and other intimate topics?

- What are some best practices / things to say when talking to someone who is actively grieving?

- How can we strike a good balance between sitting with someone in their grief and offering optimism? Is this hopeful perspective often more hurtful than it is helpful?

https://www.kathibalasek.com

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Cathy interviews Kathi Balasek, an educator, empathy and grief communication coach, university lecturer, speaker, and widow advocate. Kathi teaches financial professionals how to improve their grief literacy communication skills to best serve bereaved clients. She also hosts the One Well Widow podcast, helping widows process their grief and learn from one another.

[08:16] What people don’t always know about grieving families, and how they can talk about death better—especially with children.
[09:36] Kathi Balasek describes her work as a grief communications coach.
[12:37] What is grief literacy?
[16:00] Kathi Balasek explains why it’s so important for women to take an active role in their financial lives, even if their partner takes the lead.
[19:15] The current state of widowhood in the United States.
[22:33] Kathi Balasek shares an example of how she’d train a financial advisor to prepare their women clients for widowhood.
[29:54] The differences in how women and men communicate and why they matter for grief literacy.
[32:36] Alternative phrases to “I’m sorry for your loss.”
[34:22] How to respond when you learn about someone’s death indirectly, like through a Facebook post.
[40:24] Why food and practical gifts are better than flowers when someone dies.
[43:07] Kathi Balasek shares her tips when it comes to recommending other professionals to their widowed clients.
[46:05] The biggest mistake Kathi sees her clients make and the one thing she wishes people understood about grief.
[49:20] Recommended resources for widows and advisors of widows.

For more information and resources related to this episode, please visit the show notes. 

For more information and resources related to this episode, please visit the show notes.