Grief Dreams Podcast

E242 - Kyle Kittleson - Facing the Grief We Try to Avoid

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 09:51:44 -0700

Kyle Kittleson is the engaging on-camera host for MedCircle, educating millions on the vital topic of mental health through compelling interviews and educational content with world-class mental health professionals. He is skilled at translating complex topics into accessible, engaging conversations. You can find more about Kyle at https://kylekittleson.com/

In this episode, we discuss the loss of his mother during childhood, how he used avoidance to cope, his work with the MedCircle Beyond Bereavement course, and the grief dreams he has had about his mother and his dog.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen to) and give a review. This improves its online visibility.

2) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. I appreciate any support that helps raise awareness of the topic.

3) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E241 - 2025 Grief Dream Recaps

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 11:42:23 -0800

In this episode, I recap some of the dream conversations I had with guests in 2025.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:
1) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen to) and give a review. This improves its online visibility.

2) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. I appreciate any support that helps raise awareness of the topic.

3) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)
https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E240 - Marney Thompson - Canadian Grief Alliance

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 08:09:30 -0800

Marney Thompson is the Director of Bereavement Services at Victoria Hospice and an executive member of the Canadian Grief Alliance. She is the recent recipient of the King Charles Coronation Medal in recognition of her contribution to the field of bereavement care. She is an experienced conference presenter, clinical co-lead of the BC Psychosocial ECHO project, and a counsellor in private practice. In addition to these roles, she is also co-author of the award-winning book, “Transitions in Dying and Bereavement,” and a number of peer-reviewed articles related to psychosocial palliative care, medical assistance in death, and prolonged grief. In 2012, she was part of the international “Train the Trainers” pilot project with the Center for Prolonged Grief at Columbia University and has continued to work and study in this area of grief.

In this episode, we discuss her journey into the field of bereavement care, the Canadian Grief Alliance’s “Next Steps Action Plan”, their new website aboutgrief.ca, AI and grief, and grief dreams in her practice.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen to) and give a review. This improves its online visibility.

2) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. I appreciate any support that helps raise awareness of the topic.

3) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E239 - Michael Mackenzie & Luke Lapas - Supporting People with Intellectual Disabilities

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 14:54:59 -0800

Michael Mackenzie has worked in Developmental Services, supporting people with intellectual disabilities, for more than 35 years. His areas of focus have included person-directed employment navigation, fundraising, staff training, advocacy and rights, decision making in health care, palliative and Hospice family support, and legacy work through storytelling. Michael is also a volunteer at Bereaved Families of Ontario (Toronto), where he facilitates peer grief groups for people with intellectual disabilities and another series for direct support workers who have experienced loss of those they have supported. He is joined today with Luke Lapas, who has co-facilitated the grief group with people who have intellectual disabilities.

In this episode, we discuss their grief, developing and running a grief program for people with intellectual disabilities, support staff grief, and the grief dreams they have had (grandparents, friend, and clients).

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves its online visibility.

2) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. I appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

3) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E238 - Julie Premo - The Code Word Is…

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 09:15:20 -0700

As the Operations Manager at ARCH Hospice, Julie Premo is responsible for Operations, Human Resources, Fundraising, Training, and Continuing Education. She is a passionate Healing Arts Practitioner, Reiki Teacher and Yoga Instructor owning a local business (Infinite Healing Arts). She also practices Dental Hygiene part-time and owns an independent Dental Hygiene Practice.

In this episode, we discuss working at a hospice, a precognitive dream of her mom’s death date, her mom‘s end-of-life journey at the hospice and choosing MAiD, her mom’s code word challenge, a grief dream of her mom, and grief in the workplace.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves its online visibility.

2) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. I appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

3) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E237 - Felicia Cardinal - Grief, Dreams, and Healing

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 07:35:21 -0700

Felicia Cardinal manages an Indigenous clothing store in Chilliwack, British Columbia called Section 35. She is originally from Saddle Lake Cree Nation. Saddle Lake Cree Nation is a Plains Cree, First Nations community, located in the "Beaver Hills" region of central Alberta, Canada. Felicia was born in Edmonton, Alberta and raised in and around there. She moved to Chilliwack in 2009 with her grandmother, who has since moved back to Alberta. Felicia likes to spend her free time at home with her 2 cats or connecting with close friends.

In this episode, we talk about her love of dreams, the death of her parents and friend, changes in how she has dealt with grief over the years, Indigenous culture, her journey with her grandmother’s dementia, dreams of her grandmother, and grief dreams of her mother, auntie, and friend.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves its online visibility.

2) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. I appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

3) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

4) Buy me a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

E236 - Earla Legault - Living With Sibling Grief

Fri, 30 May 2025 06:50:08 -0700

Earla Legault advocates for adult sibling grief peer support and using creativity to process grief. She co-wrote and illustrated the book Living With Sibling Grief: Imagining a Way Forward with her sibling grief buddy Monica Murphy. Earla is the 2024 recipient of The Compassionate Friends Karen Snepp Outstanding Sibling Award, given to those making significant contributions to fostering and furthering the philosophy of sibling programs. She currently co-hosts the monthly online Canada Sibling Sharing Circle, a peer grief support group for adult siblings. You can find more about Earla on Instagram @sibling.grief.buds or here

In this episode, we talk about her grief after the death of her sister, the importance of support for adult siblings, her new book, grief dreams she had of her sister and dad, and her niece’s grief dream.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves its online visibility.

2) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. I appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

3) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

4) Buy me a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

E235 - Lindsey Whissel Fenton - Guest Update

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 12:15:28 -0700

Lindsey Whissel Fenton is an Emmy award-winning filmmaker, international speaker, and grief educator. In her current role as a senior producer and director at PBS/NPR affiliate WPSU, Lindsey focuses on projects related to grief, trauma, and mental health. She is the creator of Speaking Grief and its sister-initiative, Learning Grief, and serves on the board of directors for the National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG). Lindsey is the founder of Empathic Media, a company that works with clients from non-profit organizations to provide thoughtful and compelling content creation services. She’s also the creator, producer, and host of The Apologies Podcast. You can find more about Lindsey on Instagram @lindseywhisselfenton or at https://lindseywhisselfenton.com/

In this update episode we talk about her new losses since being on the show over 4 years ago (episode 168), including the death of her dog. We discussed her relationship with her dog, her grief, and her grief dreams. We also chatted about the Learning Grief website.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves its online visibility.

2) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. I appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

3) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

4) Buy me a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

E234 - 2024 Grief Dream Recaps

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 09:41:29 -0800

In this episode, I recap some of the dream conversations I had with guests in 2024.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Website – www.griefdreams.ca
Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams
Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:
1) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen to) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.
2) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. I appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.
3) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)
https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E233 - Alison Garwood-Jones - I Miss My Mommy

Sat, 07 Dec 2024 08:37:24 -0800

Alison Garwood-Jones is an award-winning magazine writer and a former editor at Elle Canada. She now heads up Pen Jar Productions, an art shop and publishing imprint. She also teaches writing and digital strategy at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, where she won the 2021 Excellence in Teaching Award. Alison’s new picture book, titled “I MISS MY MOMMY: 150 Portraits of Orphaned Adults”. You can find more about Alison at https://alisongarwoodjones.com/.

In this episode, I talk with Alison about the death of her parents, her grief journey, her new picture book, and grief dreams of her parents.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Website – www.griefdreams.ca
Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams
Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

E232 - David Kessler - Finding Meaning and Remembering with Love

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 18:53:53 -0700

David Kessler is one of the world’s foremost experts on grief, loss, and navigating life’s changes. His advice has been featured by The New York Times, Unlocking Us with Brene Brown, TODAY Show, and GQ. He's written six bestselling books, including Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief. That book was a continuation of a book he co-authored with Dr. Elisabeth Kubler Ross called On Grief and Grieving which discussed her 5 stages for grief. His newest release which is out now is called Finding Meaning: Grief Workbook: Tools for Releasing Pain and Remembering with Love. He is the founder of www.grief.com and runs the Grief Educator Certification program. You can find his new grief workbook at Griefbook.com.

In this episode, I talk with David Kessler about my time in his Grief Educator Certification program, his new grief workbook, sitting with another’s grief, grieving the death of his son, the beautiful mysteries in life, and the grief dreams of his son.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)
https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

3) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E231 - Nina Rodriguez - 201 Dreams of Yosef

Sat, 31 Aug 2024 19:08:26 -0700

Nina Rodriguez is the founder and host of the Grief and Light Podcast, created after the unexpected loss of her only sibling, Yosef, as an authentic exploration of grief and life after loss. Beyond the podcast, Nina extends her heart-centered support through monthly circles, personalized mentorship, speaking engagements, active presence on social media, and forthcoming in-person retreats. She has also completed the Grief Care Professional Certificate Program. You can find more about Nina at https://www.griefandlight.com/

In this episode, I talk with Nina Rodriguez about the death of her brother from toxic drug poisoning, her journey in looking for answers and living without her only sibling, starting her podcast, and having 201 dreams of her brother.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

3) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E230 - Litsa Williams - What's Your Grief

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 17:10:13 -0700

Litsa Williams, MA, LCSW-C is the co-founder of the online grief organization What’s Your Grief. She’s a grief therapist with over 15 years of experience working with sudden, traumatic, and disenfranchised losses as well as ambiguous grief. Drawing on both personal and professional experience with grief, WYG was built as a resource offering concrete, accessible, and relatable support, founded on the values of psychoeducation and creative coping. It has grown to serve more than 3 million grievers each year. Litsa received her master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Maryland School of Social Work, as well as a master’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Warwick (UK). She co-authored the 2022 book What’s Your Grief: Lists to Help You Through Any Loss and has been interviewed as a grief expert for the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and the New York Times. You can find more about Litsa here - https://whatsyourgrief.com/

In this episode, I talk with Litsa Williams about her journey to becoming a grief therapist, co-founding the online grief organization What’s Your Grief, and creative ways of coping after loss. We also discuss the multiple losses in her life (e.g., the death of her stillborn brother, her best friend's mom, her dad, her sister’s partner, and her grandmother) and the grief dreams of her father, sister’s partner, and grandmother.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

3) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E229 - Dr. Saul Ebema - God Will Make A Way

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 11:42:43 -0700

Dr. Saul Ebema brings over 20 years of spiritual care experience to his role as President of Hospice Chaplaincy and Director of Bereavement Services for a leading home health and hospice provider in the United States. Ordained as a minister in South Africa, he served in various pastoral roles supporting congregations and outreach. Dr. Ebema completed his Doctor of Ministry focused on advancing hospice chaplaincy practices. He has over a decade of experience as a healthcare and hospice chaplain providing compassionate end-of-life support. Recognized as a leader in his field, Dr. Ebema’s mission is transforming care for diverse communities. In addition to patient services, he advocates for education and research on inclusive, meaningful end-of-life experiences. Through his podcast, online training, and publications, Dr. Ebema is helping prepare providers to foster healing for those coping with terminal illness, grief, and bereavement.

In this episode we talk with Dr. Ebema about the murder of his parents when he was a child, being kidnapped by rebels, the murder of his brother, nightmares throughout his healing journey, finding his faith, and working with those who are at end-of-life and bereaved.

You can find more about Dr. Ebema and The Hospice Chaplaincy Show at https://hospicechaplaincy.com/clinical-practice/

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

3) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E228 - Dr. Enrique Mundaca - Two Dreams to Say Goodbye and Open the Mind

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 19:43:26 -0700

Dr. Enrique A. Mundaca is a Biologist graduated from the University of Concepción (Chile), holds a Master of Science in Conservation Biology, and a PhD in Ecology from Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand). He has a wide range of research interests including taxonomy and ecology of insects; natural history of marine organisms; sustainability in agricultural ecosystems; agro-biodiversity as cultural heritage; human-nature relationship, and environmental education. On a personal level, he has studied classical and jazz percussion, and has participated as a guest drummer in numerous musical events and radio programmes specialised in jazz. After the passing of his lifetime best friend, Dr. Mundaca had two grief dreams that changed his life profoundly. This opened his mind into new perspectives about death and the process of dying, which has significantly expanded the horizons of his understanding of life.

In this episode we talk with Enrique about being an atheist, his friend’s battle with cancer, the grief after his death, dreams of his deceased friend, and how his dreams changed his grief and his belief about an afterlife.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

3) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E227 - 2023 Grief Dream Recaps

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 09:18:59 -0800

In this episode we recap some of the dream conversations we had with guests in 2023.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E226 - Roberta Kuriloff - Framing a Life

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 16:30:54 -0800

Roberta Kuriloff is a speaker, community activist, former attorney and the author of the new book “Framing a Life: Building the Space to be Me”. With humor and poignancy, her memoir takes readers along an inspiring journey of self-discovery. She is also a founding member of two domestic violence projects, as well as an elderly services organization, and was a hospice patient-volunteer and bereavement workshop facilitator. You can find more about Roberta at www.RobertaKuriloff.com.

In this episode we talk about the death of her mother when she was a child, her time in the orphanage, self-discovery, her new book, the death of her partner, and dreams of her deceased mother, partner, and father.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic

E225 - Nikki Wilson - Guest Update

Sat, 30 Sep 2023 18:43:52 -0700

Nikki Wilson is a model and the owner of Mira Denim. Mira Denim is a small batch, ethically made, sustainable fashion company. You can find more about Nikki on Instagram @nikkiwilso or at https://www.miradenim.com/

In this update episode we talk about her grief journey since joining us 4 years ago on the podcast (episode 128), building confidence, learning about her emotions, ambiguous loss of her birds, and dreams relating to her deceased uncle and of her birds.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to sup port the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic

E224 - Kathy Wagner - Here With You

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 12:10:29 -0700

Kathy Wagner is a writer, writing coach, and mother of three grown children including her son, Tristan, who died from fentanyl poisoning in 2017. Her personal essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Globe & Mail, and The Sun Magazine. She is the author of Here With You: A Memoir of Love, Family, and Addiction, to be published on September 9, 2023 in Canada with a US & global release date of Spring 2024. You can find more about Kathy at https://www.kwagnerwrites.com/

In this episode we talk about her son’s journey with addiction, parenting a child in addiction, her grief journey after his death, her new book and being of service, and dreams of her deceased son.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic

E223 - Colin Campbell - Finding the Words

Sat, 05 Aug 2023 10:51:23 -0700

Colin Campbell is a writer and director for theater and film. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Seraglio, a short film he wrote and directed with wife Gail Lerner. He has taught Theater and/or Filmmaking at Chapman University, Loyola Marymount University, Cal Poly Pomona University, and to incarcerated youth through The Unusual Suspects. His one person show titled, Grief: A One Man ShitShow, premiered at the Hollywood Fringe Festival where it won a Best of Broadwater Award. He recently wrote the book titled Finding the Words: Working Through Profound Loss with Hope and Purpose. You can find more about Colin at https://colincampbellauthor.com/

In this episode we talk about the death of his two teenage children, bereavement challenges in processing his grief (including anger), using the Jewish tradition to embrace grief, how his grief changed overtime, his one person show and new book, and grief dreams of his deceased children.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram, Threads, and X (formerly Twitter) - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E222 - Emily Bevan - The Diary of Losing Dad

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 10:29:39 -0700

Emily Bevan is a writer and actor, perhaps best known for her role as spirited zombie Amy Dyer in BAFTA winning series ‘In The Flesh’. She is soon to appear on Disney plus/Hulu in the hotly anticipated tv series of the much loved film, The Full Monty. Other credits include Funny woman, Doc Martin, Temple, GRANTCHESTER, Domina and many more. In the run up to her father’s untimely death in 2014, Emily kept a diary of thoughts, feelings, anecdotes and poems as a way of keeping sane. These diaries were published by Unbound in 2022 in the form of ‘The Diary of Losing Dad’ and releasing them to the world has been a hugely cathartic exercise. You can find more about Emily on Instagram and Twitter @EmilyGraceBevan.

In this episode we talk about her experiences of keeping a diary when her father was dying and some moments that occurred, writing her book ‘The Diary of Losing Dad’, her grief journey following his death, connecting with her father through the senses and activities, and grief dreams of her deceased father that she had, as well as ones that her husband and mother had.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic

E221 - Cathy Sosnowsky - Poems for Alex

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 21:17:32 -0700

After teaching poetry as an academic for over 20 years, Cathy Sosnowsky started writing poetry herself in response to the sudden death of her teenaged son. Two lines of poetry came to her in a dream on the very night he died. She had to get out of bed and write them down. From then on, in her grief journey, writing poetry saved her. Eventually, many of these poems were published in the book, Holding On: Poems for Alex. Cathy has since published two more books: Snapshots: A Story of Love, Loss, and Life, and, more recently, Finding Heartstone: A Taste of Wilderness. As a chapter leader of The Compassionate Friends, a support group for bereaved parents, Cathy often gives “Writing as Healing Workshops.” You can find more about Cathy at www.cathysosnowsky.com

In this episode we talk about the death of her 17-year-old son, how she used poetry to process her grief, poems she wrote, and a grief dream of her deceased son.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic

E220 - Krishma Arora - From Ash to Ashes

Sun, 21 May 2023 08:04:05 -0700

Krishma Arora immigrated to the United States from India when she was five years old, and grew up on Long Island and then attended New York University. She is a poet, writer, and public speaker. For a few years, she was the author of “Free Spirit,” a monthly column in her hometown magazine, Brookville Living. She has an MS in Education, as well as an MS in Marketing. She has also worked as a high school social studies teacher for 11 years. She lives in New York with her husband and four children. Krishma’s newest book is called “From Ash to Ashes”. She began writing From Ash to Ashes seventeen years ago, after the death of her first child. His loss was the inspiration for her book, and she has dedicated it to his memory. In addition to From Ash to Ashes, she is also writing a nonfiction book, titled Brown Girl’s Guide, a collection of essays on womanhood and motherhood as seen through the eyes of a woman of color. You can find more about Krishma at www.krishmatuliarora.com, Instagram and Twitter: @krishmawrites

In this episode we talk about her grief experience following the death of her first child, writing her new book, the challenges in coping with her grief, learning to surrender, challenging cultural norms through Sikhism, and dreams of her deceased child, grandmother, and friend.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E219 - Dr. Donna Stoneham - Catch Me When I Fall

Tue, 02 May 2023 23:04:34 -0700

Dr. Donna Stoneham is the author of The Thriver’s Edge: Seven Keys to Transform the Way You Live, Love, and Lead (SWP, 2015), and a contributor to the anthology, Art in the Time of Unbearable Crisis: Women Writer’s Respond to the Call (SWP, 2022), and the new book Catch Me When I Fall: Poems of Mother Loss and Healing (being released May 9, 2023). Additionally, over the span of her thirty-year career in leadership development, she has coached hundreds of leaders, teams, and executives, guiding them to live more fulfilling, authentic lives while expressing their gifts in the world. She has also worked for twelve years part-time as a chaplain and a hospice chaplain, providing spiritual and end-of-life care in nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. You can find more about Donna at https://donnastoneham.com/

In this episode we talk about her near-death experience after a suicide attempt at age 15, her relationship with her mother before and after her death, her new book, coping with her grief, honouring her mother on Mother’s Day, and dreams of her deceased mother.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E218 - Fiona Tinwei Lam - The Rainbow Rocket

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 08:08:03 -0700

Fiona Tinwei Lam has authored three poetry collections and a children's book. She has produced several award-winning poetry videos that have screened at festivals all over the world. Besides editing the anthology, The Bright Well: Contemporary Canadian Poems on Facing Cancer, she has co-edited two nonfiction anthologies. She has been shortlisted for the City of Vancouver Book Award and thrice selected for BC’s Poetry in Transit. Her work appears in over 40 anthologies, including the Best Canadian Poetry series. A former lawyer, she has an MFA in creative writing from UBC. She currently teaches at SFU's Continuing Studies and has been appointed Vancouver’s Poet Laureate for 2022-2024, which serves as a champion for poetry, language, and the arts. You can find more about her at www.fionalam.net

In the episode we talk with Fiona about the death of her father as a child, her mother having dementia, coping with the death of her mother and father, her child’s grief after her mother died, her children's book “The Rainbow Rocket”, Ching Ming Day, and a dream of her deceased father.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E217 - Suzanne Falter - Free Spirited - Guest Update

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 20:40:28 -0800

Suzanne Falter is a writer, podcaster and essayist whose work has been featured in SELF, O, More, Tiny Buddha and The New York Times. She’s the author of multiple self-help titles including The Extremely Busy Woman’s Guide to Self-Care (Sourcebooks). She is the host of The Self-Care for Extremely Busy Women podcast, and has been heard widely on podcasts and radio. You can find more about Suzanne at www.suzannefalter.com

In this guest update episode, we talk with Suzanne about the death of her daughter, learning about self-care, her new book ‘Free Spirited’, the unified field of love, and new dreams of her deceased daughter.

You can listen to Suzanne’s first episode (episode 141) on our podcast here - https://www.griefdreams.ca/podcast/141 and her friend’s (Debi) podcast episode here - https://www.griefdreams.ca/podcast/142

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E216 - Dr. Kathy Belicki - A Love of Dreams

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 12:53:32 -0800

Dr. Kathy Belicki is a Professor Emerita of Psychology at Brock University. She trained originally as a clinical psychologist, but soon found out that teaching and conducting research brought her the most joy. For much of her career she studied dreams looking at such questions as differences in dream recall, the causes and treatment of nightmares, the relation of personality to dreaming, and, at the end of her research career, the nature of dreams of the deceased. At various times she also studied forgiveness, and the impact of childhood trauma and abuse on one’s emotional well-being and physical health as an adult. At present she has just completed writing a memoir about her experiences in the Memory Wars of the 1990s—a period of intense conflict over what to make of recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse.

You can find more about Kathy at https://brocku.ca/social-sciences/psychology/people/kathryn-belicki/

In this episode we talk about her early research on nightmares, how dreams lack volume control, researching dreams of the deceased, bereavement experiences while awake, and dreams of her deceased cats and grandmother.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E215 - 2022 Grief Dream Recaps

Mon, 02 Jan 2023 08:57:42 -0800

In this episode we recap some of the dream conversations we had with guests in 2022.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E214 - Rebecca Soffer – Grieving Through the Holidays

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 19:57:16 -0800

Rebecca Soffer, co-founder of the Modern Loss Community, started becoming an expert in grief the moment she learned that her mother Shelby was killed in a car crash. Her expertise expanded when four years later, her father Ray died of a heart attack while traveling. As a single woman in her early thirties, Rebecca needed to talk about her grief, and she really needed to hear others talk about theirs. It was this longing for an ongoing conversation that led her, along with co-founder Gabi Birkner, to start the Modern Loss Community. Nine years later, Rebecca just published her second book - The Modern Loss Handbook: An Interactive Guide to Moving Through Grief and Building Your Resilience. It's the kind of book that many people are looking for in their grief - filled with prompts for writing, drawing, and movement practices to help people stay connected to themselves, their people who died, and the world around them.

You can find more about Rebecca and Modern Loss at modernloss.com

In this episode we talk about her new book, grief dreams after her mother, father, and grandmother died, and tips for grievers and those supporting a person who is grieving over the holidays.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E213 - Addison Brasil - Joining the Grief Club

Fri, 25 Nov 2022 21:56:37 -0800

Addison Brasil is a speaker and the Author of the book First Year of Grief Club: A Gift From A Friend Who Gets It. He shows up in the world as an active and committed mental health advocate after finding himself Just to the Left of Death three times during his twenties. Losing his brother to an inoperable brain tumor, finding his father after suicide, and surviving a fatal accident that killed a dear friend and left him relearning to walk. Attributing his ability to not only survive but thrive with PTSD and compounded grief to the value of community and connection. You can find more about Addison at mygriefclub.com

In this episode we talk about his three major losses when he was in his 20’s, the importance of honesty in grief, living in the grey space, bringing humor back into his life, his new podcast, and grief dreams of his brother, father, and friend.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E212 - Parvati Markus - Whisper in the Heart

Sat, 29 Oct 2022 10:44:35 -0700

Parvati Markus is the author of Whisper in the Heart: The Ongoing Presence of Neem Karoli Baba (Mandala, released this year 2022) and Love Everyone: The Transcendent Wisdom of Neem Karoli Baba Told Through the Stories of the Westerners Whose Lives He Transformed (HarperOne, 2015). With Radha Baum, she is the co-author of a children’s book, Isabella Castaspella: The Happy Little Witch and Her Friends (SitaRam Press, 2022). Parvati has been “midwifing” spiritually-oriented nonfiction books and memoirs as a developmental editor/writer since her first efforts with Ram Dass’s classic Be Here Now. She has also helped with spiritual organizations (as past president of the board of the Neem Karoli Baba Ashram and Hanuman Temple in Taos, NM), and events (as a development consultant for the Global Peace Initiative of Women.) She is on the Advisory Board of the Love Serve Remember Foundation. You can find more about her at parvatimarkus.com

In this episode we talk about how she first met Neem Karoli Baba, her grief when he died, the power of stories (sharing and hearing) in processing grief, her new book Whisper in the Heart that shares stories on the ongoing presence of Neem Karoli Baba through grief dreams and other experiences, and the hosts grief dreams of him.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E211 - Dr. Raymond Moody - Near-Death Experiences

Sat, 15 Oct 2022 20:32:43 -0700

Raymond Moody, M.D., Ph.D. is a world-renowned author, lecturer, and psychiatrist whose seminal work, Life After Life, changed the way we view death and dying. He is widely acknowledged as the world’s leading expert on near-death experiences. Visit Dr. Moody online at www.lifeafterlife.com

In this episode we talk about his research on near-death experiences (NDEs), similarities of NDEs to grief dreams and end-of-life dreams and visions, his grief after the death of his mom and friends, taking on the characteristics of his deceased friend, and his grief dreams of his grandmother and friend.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E210 - Update with Joshua and Jade

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 21:00:02 -0700

In this episode we talk about our rebrand, changes to the team, Joshua moving to British Columbia, and our excitement to begin interviewing guests again.

You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

Looking for ways to support the podcast?

You can help support the Grief Dreams Podcast in a few ways:

1) Become a Patreon supporter (monthly financial support)

https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

2) Buy us a Coffee (one-time financial support)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/griefdreams

3) Subscribe to the podcast (on the platform you listen) and give a review. This improves our online visibility.

4) Support the topic by sharing the podcast or website. We appreciate any support that contributes to raising awareness on the topic.

E209 - 2021 Grief Dream Recaps - Part 2

Sat, 22 Jan 2022 09:09:50 -0800

In this episode (Part 2), we recap some of the dream conversations we had with guests in 2021.

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E208 - 2021 Grief Dream Recaps - Part 1

Sat, 15 Jan 2022 17:33:58 -0800

In this episode (Part 1), we recap some of the dream conversations we had with guests in 2021.

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E207 - Jenn K. Lee - Grieving in Dreams

Sat, 18 Dec 2021 14:59:05 -0800

Jenn K. Lee is a writer and mixed media artist who lives in Hawaii with her husband and two children. Her book, Grieving in Dreams: Finding Peace After Losing My Sister, explores how her first year of dreaming about her late sister, who passed away in 2019, helped her process her grief and guided her toward a path that ultimately led to peace.

In this episode we talk about her relationship with her sister, her sister’s journey with cancer, the many grief dreams of her sister, and writing her new book.

You can find more about Jenn on Instagram @grievingindreams

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E206 - Dr. Karen Wyatt - These Roads Can Be Tricky Sometimes

Sun, 12 Dec 2021 17:14:09 -0800

Dr. Karen Wyatt is the bestselling author of the book 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying, which contains stories of patients she cared for as a hospice doctor and the spiritual lessons she learned from them at the end of their lives. Dr. Wyatt also hosts End-of-Life University Podcast, which features conversations with experts who work in all aspects of end-of-life care. She is widely regarded as a thought-leader in the effort to transform the way we care for our dying in the U.S. In addition, she is valued for her application of spiritual principles to illness and healthcare.

In this episode we talk about her podcast, working as a hospice doctor, the death of her father by suicide, difficulties processing the death, and grief dreams of her father.

You can find more about Karen at www.eoluniversity.com and on Instagram @kwyattmd

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E205 - Zachary Steele - The Weight of Ashes

Sun, 17 Oct 2021 14:12:04 -0700

Zachary Steele is the Broadleaf Writers Association Founder & Executive Director, and has been featured by NPR, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Publishers Weekly, Baby Got Books, Shelf Awareness, Writer Magazine and was nominated for the Sidewise Award for Alternate Fiction. His recent novel, The Weight of Ashes is his third novel.

In this episode we talk about getting started being a writer, grief in fictional stories, his new novel “The Weight of Ashes”, how writing facilitated processing his own grief, the death of his best friend as a child, working through the anger over his friend's suicide, and the death and grief dreams of his cat.

You can find more about Zachary at http://zacharysteele.com/

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E204 - Autumn Toelle-Jackson - Boldly into the Darkness

Sat, 02 Oct 2021 12:49:20 -0700

Autumn Toelle-Jackson is a wife, widow, mother, and survivor. The loss of a husband, a beloved cousin and mentor, her daughter, and miscarriages have left scars on her soul and memorial tattoos on her body, but Autumn learned to grow through it all. She wrote Boldly into the Darkness: Living with Loss, Growing with Grief & Holding onto Happiness to share her story and let others who are grieving know they aren't alone, and even with loss there is hope. Autumn and her family created Growing with Grief to provide those who are grieving with a place to find community, resources, and help.

In this episode we talk about her miscarriages, the death of her daughter and husband, memorial tattoos, learning to feel her grief, her book, and grief dreams of her husband.

You can find more about Autumn at www.growingwithgrief.com and on Instagram @growingwithgrief

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E203 - Heike Mertins - Grief is...

Sat, 18 Sep 2021 12:48:27 -0700

Heike Mertins is an author, blogger and speaker. She is the author of “Grief is...Thoughts on loss, struggle and new beginnings” (2017), which chronicles her journey through the bizarre, frustrating and at times humorous world of incomprehensible loss. Following the death of her brother and husband, Heike began to document the process of loss, emotion and healing that accompanies a momentous life change.

In this episode we talk about the death of her brother, husband, and mother, the little things in grief that are not talked about, her book about grief, sleep changes and triggers after loss, humorous aspects in grief, and grief dreams of her husband.

You can find more about Heike at https://heikemertins.com/

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E202 - Callsuma Ali - Bereavement Room

Sat, 28 Aug 2021 09:54:55 -0700

Callsuma Ali is a British Bangladeshi podcaster. She is the host of Bereavement Room, a British born podcast about life, death, grief and Identity from the perspective of black and brown voices across the diaspora. The podcast was launched in November 2019 following poor experiences Callsuma went through when accessing bereavement support and therapy.

In this episode we talk about her relationship with her mother and brother, being a caregiver for her brother who had autism, the death of her mother and then brother, having difficulties finding suitable grief support, starting her own podcast ‘Bereavement Room’, and grief dreams of her mother.

You can find more about Callsuma on Instagram and Twitter @bereavementroom

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E201 - Guest Update - Heather Stang

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 20:10:14 -0700

In this guest update episode, we talk with Heather Stang from Episode 119. Heather is the author of Mindfulness & Grief and the now released guided journal, From Grief To Peace. She is the founder of the Mindfulness & Grief Institute, where she facilitates Awaken, a mindfulness-based online group, offers individual sessions, and hosts the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast. Heather holds a master’s degree in Thanatology from Hood College and is a Certified Yoga Therapist.

In this episode we talk about the death of her dog (Monster) and estranged grandmother, the power of animals in our lives, continuing bonds and finding new meaning after pet loss, adopting her new dog, her grief dream of Monster, and her new guided journal.

You can find more about Heather at mindfulnessandgrief.com

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

Rerelease: E119 - Heather Stang - Mindfulness & Grief

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 19:55:28 -0700

We rereleased this episode (E119) as our next episode features an update on the guest.

Heather Stang, MA, C-IAYT is the author of Mindfulness & Grief, now in its second edition, and the host of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast. She has a Master’s Degree in Thanatology and is a certified yoga therapist and meditation instructor. Heather is on the Advisory Board for the highly regarded military family survivor organization Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and is the founder of the Mindfulness & Grief Training Institute.

In this episode we talk about how she got into yoga and meditation, benefits of it during grief, grief related insomnia, loss of her uncle as a child and other losses, and her grief dream of her grandmother.

You can find more about Heather here https://mindfulnessandgrief.com/

E200 - Dr. Roger Ivar Lohmann - Cultural Dream Theories

Fri, 09 Jul 2021 13:14:03 -0700

Dr. Roger Ivar Lohmann is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Trent University. He has published extensively about the relationship between dreaming and culture, including Dream Travelers: Sleep Experiences and Culture in the Western Pacific. An ethnographer of the Asabano people of Papua New Guinea, he has served as editor-in-chief of the journal Reviews in Anthropology, chair of the Association for Social Anthropology in Oceania, and president of the Green Party of Ontario.

In this episode we talk about Anthropology, his interest in dreams, the importance of dreams in culture, different cultural dream theories, dreams during the grief process, studying the Asabano people, the death of his sister, and grief dreams of his sister.

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E199 - Caitlin Garvey - The Mourning Report

Fri, 18 Jun 2021 19:46:52 -0700

Caitlin Garvey is a writer and English professor in Chicago. She has an MFA in creative writing from Northwestern University and an MA in English Literature from DePaul University. Her work has been published in Post Road Magazine, Little Fiction: Big Truths, The Baltimore Review, The Tishman Review, and others. Her debut memoir, The Mourning Report, is about losing her mother to cancer and collecting the stories of the people who played a role in her mother's care.

In this episode we talk about her relationship with her mother, navigating through university while grieving, attempting suicide, finding purpose and direction, her new book ‘The Mourning Report’, interviewing others about her mother, and grief dreams of her mother.

You can find more about Caitlin at https://www.caitlinhogangarvey.com/

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E198 - Saje Dyer - The Knowing

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 11:36:57 -0700

Saje Dyer is a 31 year-old woman from New York City. Saje grew up in Boca Raton, FL and moved to New York where she graduated from NYU with a master's degree in psychology. She is the co-author of the new book, The Knowing, which explores how she was able to return to the teachings of her father, Dr. Wayne Dyer after he passed away. She has published a children’s book titled “Goodbye Bumps!” that tells the true story of how she was able to heal herself as a child through the power of the mind. Saje often traveled with her Dad, to speak to his audiences and she recently appeared on his PBS special. Saje is a mother to her little boy Julian and she enjoys traveling, learning, and spending time with loved ones. Being the youngest of 8 children, family is and always has been an important part of her life.

In this episode we talk about being the youngest of 8 children, going with the flow of life, using love to heal her bumps as a child, the death of her father, feeling empowered in her grief journey, co-authoring her new book 'The Knowing' with her sister, and grief dreams of her father.

You can find more about Saje at Sajedyer.com and on Instragram @sajedyer

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E197 - Jessica Clontz - A Grandmother’s Love

Tue, 25 May 2021 16:42:35 -0700

Jessica Clontz is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State University, DuBois campus, where she teaches courses on the helping professions, gerontology, addictions counseling, and grief and loss. Jess is a trained end of life doula through the International End of Life Doula Association and works to promote conversations surrounding death and dying in her local community. When she's not teaching, you can find her hiking with her family in the Pennsylvania Wilds, reading a good book, tending to her plants, or traveling to new places. She lives in beautiful Pennsylvania with her husband and German Shepherd.

In this episode we talk about teaching a course on grief and loss, student reactions to the course, her relationship with her grandmother, her death during the pandemic and maintaining a bond, the grief dream of her grandmother, and the power of sharing dreams with others.

You can find more about Jessica on Instagram @jessclontz104

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E196 - Gabrielle Mirabile - The Spirit of Zingara

Sun, 16 May 2021 19:33:41 -0700

Gabrielle Mirabile (also known as Zingara) is a 22-year-old music producer from Maryland. Ever since she was little, she has been connected to the spirit world. Dealing with the loss of a loved one has always been different with her because she has still been able to communicate with them. Whether she asks for a specific sign and sees it, or has a visitation dream, her loved ones continue to find ways to show her they are still here. She strives to connect her music with spirituality and teaches her audience about the constant presence of spirit around us.

In this episode we talk about producing music, connecting her music with spirituality, making the music video called ‘The 12th Density’, her connection with spirit, Ram Dass, and grief dreams of her grandmother, grandfather, and best friend.

You can find more about Gabrielle at: https://linktr.ee/zingaramusic

Link to ‘The 12th Density’ music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gewcLY87c2w

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E195 - Julie Potter - Harnessing the Power of Grief

Sun, 09 May 2021 06:31:42 -0700

Julie Potter is a certified social worker who has experience in home care, hospice, nursing homes and hospitals. For 20 years, she turned her expertise toward coordinating a spousal bereavement program, as well as a hospital-based wellness program for people 60 and over. She has recently released the book “Harnessing the Power of Grief”.

In this podcast we talk about being a social worker, burnout in the field, starting a spousal bereavement program, the death of her parents, her book, and grief dreams of her parents.

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E194 - Holly Truhlar - The Search for What’s Just and Holy

Sat, 01 May 2021 19:18:49 -0700

Holly Truhlar (she/her) is a grief therapist, community organizer, and lawyer. In her search for what's just and holy, she earned a Doctorate in Law and Masters in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology. Yet, she found more Soul, more of what mattered, in witnessing grief and spending time with animal-kin. Now, she integrates her training and experience to create justice-based, transformative relationships between people, groups, and the more-than-human world. She’s currently practicing and researching social technologies, such as ritual, Deep Democracy work, and interspecies communication, that foster collective nervous system regulation.

In this episode we talk about the death of her brother when she was 10, grieving while in school, being run over by a drunk driver, the death of her sister, animals in her life, the death of her horse, animal’s grief, and grief dreams of her brother and sister.

You can find more about Holly here: www.hollytruhlar.com

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You can find more about Grief Dreams here:

Our website – www.griefdreams.ca - where you can find links to the podcast.

Instagram and Twitter - @Griefdreams

Clubhouse - @Griefdreams (Note: we have 2 clubs you can join - Grief Dreams and Grief Café)

Facebook – Grief Dreams Podcast Page and Grief Dreams Group

To support the podcast on Pateron visit https://www.patreon.com/griefdreamspodcast

E193 - Sabrina Palazzo - Finding A New Mindset

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 16:46:21 -0700

Sabrina Palazzo is a mindset + energy coach, and certified breathwork facilitator. In 2020, Sabrina lost her father-in-law and her dad to cancer within one month of each other, which became the catalyst for her own personal development journey. Using the methods she teaches today, she evolved from unmotivated & depressed, to starting her own business and practicing daily tactics that rewired her subconscious, elevated her energy, and manifested the life she has always wanted to live. It is Sabrina's mission to educate women on the power of their minds & energy so they can take full control of their lives, shift out of their pain and into their power, and make great changes that actually last.

In this episode we talk about her mindset in life prior to her father’s death, her relationship with her father, his death and grieving during the pandemic, suffering job loss after his death, finding a new mindset and career direction, signs after loss, and grief dreams of her father-in-law and father.

You can find more about Sabina here www.selfhealingwithsabs.com

E192 - Mike Bernhardt - Voices of the Grieving Heart

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 17:16:53 -0700

When Mike Bernhardt’s wife died in 1991, he turned to writing poetry as a tool of healing. He later solicited the poetry of other people whose loved ones had died, receiving hundreds of submissions from around the world. The result was Voices of the Grieving Heart, first published in 1994. The new, expanded edition contains over 160 selected poems, essays, and images by 83 contributors who share their journeys through loss, grief, and transformation. After retiring in 2016 from a career in IT, he began to write a travel blog and essays. His award-winning work has appeared in Deep Travel: Souvenirs from the Inner Journey, DIVER Magazine, and many other print and online publications.

In this episode we talk about meeting this first wife, her death, his grieving process, dating after loss, writing his book, grief dreams in the book, and his grief dreams of his wife.

You can find more about Mike here: https://mikebernhardt.net

E191 - Guest Update - Pennie Hunt

Sat, 10 Apr 2021 08:49:14 -0700

In this guest update episode, we talk with Pennie Hunt from Episode 102. Pennie is an Author/Columnist/Speaker. She just released her new book, “Love Your Life - No Matter What - 76 Tips to Journey Through Grief and Loss.”

In this episode we talk about her new book and any new grief dreams she has had.

You can find more about Pennie here: www.PennieHunt.com

Rerelease: E102 - Pennie Hunt - Green Love & Gratitude

Sat, 10 Apr 2021 08:43:12 -0700

We rereleased this episode (E102) as our next episode features an update on the guest.

Pennie Hunt is a speaker, author, and the President and founder of Journey Through, LLC. Her book is titled “Love Your Life-No Matter What - 76 Tips to Live Life with Love and Gratitude.” She also writes a weekly blog called “Writings From The Corner of Spirit & Brave.”

In this episode we talk about a series of life changing events (including the death of her son and dog), her weekly blog, getting a memorial tattoo, and grief dreams of her son and dog.

You can find more information on Pennie at www.PennieHunt.com

E190 - Jill Campbell - SEAT 20D

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 15:47:49 -0700

Jill Campbell began her career running lines with Morgan Freeman at the Public Theatre. Since 2005, Jill has worked as a producer, director and writer on many different films that have had worldwide distribution and screened on Netflix, Amazon, Kanopy, BBC, Urban Movie Channel and Sky TV. Jill’s newest film released in 2020, SEAT 20D, premiered at Hampton’s Doc Fest and Canada’s prestigious Art Fifa (The International Festival of Films on Art). This documentary explores the grief journey of those after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 101 in 1988 and Suse Lowenstein monumental sculpture titled "Dark Elegy".

In this episode we talk about how she became a documentarian, her filming process, her newest documentary SEAT 20D, Dark Elegy by Suse Lowenstein, Jill’s father’s death, filming her father’s last days, the death of her dog, and grief dreams of her dog and father.

You can find more information on SEAT 20D at www.seat20d.com. Links to watching the documentary can be found on the website and it is now showing at Le Fifa - https://lefifa.com/en/catalog/seat-20d

You can watch the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/368323602

E189 - A. Olivia Nelson - Learning About Grief

Sat, 27 Mar 2021 07:29:53 -0700

A. Olivia Nelson is a two-time widow in her twenties who, in the span of five years, said goodbye to family and friends alongside major non-death losses. Having to face grief in a variety of situations, she gained deep insight into our broken grief culture: grieving people lack support and those who want to help don't know how. To heal this gap, Nelson formed Learning About Grief, a website on which she shares personal stories, coping resources, and a virtual grief group for the bereaved and their supporters. Her vision is to change how we perceive grief.

In this episode we talked about being a two-time widow, the challenges in both deaths, coping with her grief while moving, dating after loss, texting the deceased, her desire to educate others about grief, and grief dreams of both of her deceased partners.

You can find more about A. Olivia Nelson on Instagram @LearningAboutGrief, Twitter @LearnAboutGrief, or learningaboutgrief.com.

E188 - Krista Brenner - Soul Circle

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 11:45:06 -0700

Krista Brenner is a Thanadoula / End-of-Life Doula, Grief & Bereavement Coach, Funeral Celebrant, Indian Head Massage Facilitator, Recreation Therapist, Reiki Master-Teacher, and Crystal Therapist. She is educated in Thanatology, Funeral Pre-Planning, and Funeral Services. From the experience and education she has obtained, she created Soul Circle, a company focusing on these disciplines. Krista is also the Kitchener-Waterloo Co-Representative for the Bereavement Ontario Network.

In this episode we talk about her journey to become an end-of-life doula, her business, her relationship with her brother and grandmother, the death of both of them, and grief dreams of her brother and grandmother.

You can find more about Krista here: www.thesoulcircle.ca

E187 - Tara K. Michaud - 8 Years of Precognitive Dreams

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 20:44:29 -0800

Tara K. Michaud is a high school English teacher and a New Hampshire native. Tara’s brother, Tory, was murdered while at work in December of 2006. For eight years prior to his death, she dreamt of his death.

In this episode we talk about being a high school teacher during the pandemic, her relationship with her brother, dreaming of her brother's death, the events of his death, her grief journey, and a dream she had of her brother after his death.

E186 - Update with Darwyn Dave

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 15:16:29 -0800

In this episode we talk with Darwyn Dave about his challenges in 2020, the love shown from his podcast listeners, a co-worker's death and GoFundMe page, and the amount of deaths during the pandemic.

To find more about Darwyn visit http://www.dealingwithmygrief.com/

You can find Freddy Davila’s GoFundMe Page here https://gofund.me/b34762c5

E185 - Update with Joshua, Shawn, and Jade

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 17:06:42 -0800

In this episode we talk about the challenges and successes in 2020, the ‘Calling of the Heart’ short film, our new online courses, and 2021.

You can find the Calling of the Heart short film at https://www.callingoftheheart.ca/

You can find our online courses at https://www.griefdreams.ca/online-courses . Type in the coupon code 21OFF at the checkout to get 21% off. This offer ends March 1, 2021.

E184 - 2020 Grief Dream Recaps - Part 2

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 16:04:38 -0800

In this episode (Part 2), we recap some of the dream conversations we had with guests in 2020.

E183 - 2020 Grief Dream Recaps - Part 1

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:06:12 -0800

In this episode (Part 1), we recap some of the dream conversations we had with guests in 2020.

E182 - Bailee Rainwater - Christmastime

Sat, 19 Dec 2020 14:38:43 -0800

Bailee Rainwater is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter who graduated from Belmont University with a degree in songwriting and music business. Before the pandemic, she was playing shows in Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. While she hopes to return to performing after Covid, she is currently focusing on writing full-time, running her small bed and breakfast and becoming a certified pilates instructor. Her new song “Christmastime” is now streaming on music platforms everywhere.

In this episode we talk about being a singer-songwriter, having the courage to pursue your dreams, creativity, her new song “Christmastime”, the multiple losses in her life, and grief dreams.

You can find more about Bailee on Instagram @baileerainwater

E181 - Dr. Leslie Ellis - Dream Talk

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 16:21:23 -0800

Dr. Leslie Ellis is a teacher, author, and psychotherapist. She is currently offering online dream work instruction based on her book, A Clinician’s Guide to Dream Therapy (published in 2019). She also offers individual dream work sessions and training in somatic approaches to psychotherapy. Leslie has a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and a Masters from Pacific Graduate Institute. She is vice president and a Certifying Coordinator with The International Focusing Institute.

In this episode we talk about her interest in dreams, the benefits of dream work, how dreams reflect waking life, pandemic dreams, grief dreams, possible dreams over the holidays, pet loss, her ambiguous loss with the disappearance of her cat, and the dreams she had of him afterwards.

You can find more about Dr. Ellis here https://drleslieellis.com/

Her blog post of grief dreams can be found here https://drleslieellis.com/how-your-dreams-help-you-grieve-2/

E180 - FAVVKES - Black Dove

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 18:42:47 -0800

FAVVKES (pronounced "fox") is a Canadian artist and songwriter. FAVVKES brings you 90s nostalgia with a 2020 attitude. Her alternative, rock-pop style is reminiscent of artists like Courtney Love and Garbage, while bringing charisma and fresh fashion like Gwen Stefani. FAVVKES is preparing her solo debut, and she unapologetically touches on sensitive subject matter surrounding mental health. Her songs deliver strong messages on what it means to deal with social anxiety, depression, acceptance and inclusivity. Through her music and platform, FAVVKES' goal is to become a strong advocate for mental health and the LBGTQ+ community, while she takes on the world with her magnetic and meaningful music. Her new song "Black Dove" is now out.

In this episode we talk about finding her love for music, using music as a way to cope, mental health challenges and self-care over the holidays, her new song Black Dove, living your truth, the multiple deaths in her life, and grief dreams of her grandmother.

You can find more about FAVVKES at http://favvkes.com/ and her new music video for Black Dove can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4m4feler_s

E179 - Allison Gilbert - Grief During the Holidays

Sat, 05 Dec 2020 09:11:32 -0800

Allison Gilbert is an Emmy award-winning journalist, author, workshop leader, and keynote speaker. She is the author of Passed and Present: Keeping Memories of Loved Ones Alive, and the critically acclaimed books Parentless Parents: How the Loss of Our Mothers and Fathers Impacts the Way We Raise Our Children, and Always Too Soon: Voices of Support for Those Who Have Lost Both Parents. She is also co-editor of Covering Catastrophe, the definitive historical record of how broadcast journalists covered 9/11. Allison’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, and on NPR, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, CBS, and ABC. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Alliance for Grieving Children and the Advisory Board for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, the preeminent national organization providing grief support to families of America’s fallen heroes.

In this episode we talk about grieving during the holidays during the pandemic, being supportive for a friend who is grieving, the importance of word choice, holiday activities for children to remember those who have died, her new online courses, the death of her mom and dad, and grief dreams.

You can learn more about Allison here: www.allisongilbert.com.

E178 - Holly Barker - Grief Anonymous

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 05:20:05 -0800

Holly Barker is the founder of Grief Anonymous, an online and group support organization developed to support those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Her husband of 14 years and the father of her son died in 2014 at the age of 41 after an eight-year battle with malignant melanoma skin cancer. Holly’s mission is to continue to see Grief Anonymous be a national support organization.

In this episode we talk about being a caregiver for her husband while he had cancer, the dreams she started to have, writing about her experience, the death of her husband, establishing Grief Anonymous, the death of her grandmother, and grief dreams of her deceased husband and grandmother.

You can find more about Holly here:

https://www.griefanonymous.com/

E177 - Matthew Bocchi - Sway

Sat, 21 Nov 2020 06:37:52 -0800

At the age of nine, Matthew Bocchi’s father died in 2001 on 9/11 in the World Trade Center. He began an obsessive quest to find out exactly how he died. Now, twenty-eight and sober, he teaches a clear and intricate lesson: no matter how far you fall, you can always rise again. No matter how far you stray, you can always find your way home. And no matter how wide you sway, you can always pick up the pieces and stand tall. His new book "Sway" is a unique story full of heartbreak and despair, grief and uncertainty, but most importantly, happiness.

In this episode we talk about the death of his father on 9/11, issues trying to process the death as a child (e.g., trying to figure the cause of death at the same time being a victim of sexual abuse), using drugs to cope, the experience of overcoming his addictions, finding happiness again, writing his new book "Sway", and grief dreams of his father.

You can find this podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Podbean.com (https://griefdreamspodcast.podbean.com), and many other podcasting platforms.

E176 - Sherrie Dunlevy - How Can I Help?

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 14:16:33 -0800

Sherrie Dunlevy is a best selling author, speaker, podcaster, inspirationinsta, and grieving mom. Her best selling book is called “How Can I Help?: Your go-to guide for helping loved ones through life’s difficulties.” Sherrie is the host of the “Graduating Grief” podcast. Sherrie has also designed a Graduating Grief program and community for women.

In this episode we talk about her career as a TV news anchor, the death of her 29 day old child, the difficulties reporting the news while grieving, her secondary losses after his death (e.g., friendships ending), why she wanted to write the book “How Can I Help?”, how we can help others after a loss, and grief dreams.

You can find more about Sherrie here: www.SherrieDunlevy.com

E175 - Tamsin Grainger - Shiatsu and Grief

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 18:56:43 -0700

Tamsin Grainger is a touch therapist based in Edinburgh, Scotland, and has worked in this area for 30 years. She specializes in Shiatsu, a Japanese acupressure massage modality. In 2000, Tamsin opened The Shiatsu School Edinburgh (training professional and post graduate practitioners, and beginners). She was the Chair and a board member for the Shiatsu Society (UK) and is a member of the Complementary and Natural healthcare Council (UK). Additionally, she teaches Shiatsu internationally. Tamsin just released her first book, Working with Death and Loss in Shiatsu Practice, a guide to holistic bodywork in palliative care.

In this episode we talk about her journey into Shiatsu, grief and Shiatsu, giving Shiatsu to her father before he died, her new book, her miscarriage experiences, the continuing bond with her father and challenges with forgiveness, and grief dreams of her father and unborn children.

You can find more about Tamsin here:

Website: http://shiatsu.ryoho.co.uk/

Blog: https://shiatsu690.com/

Facebook: TamsinShiatsu

LinkedIn: Tamsin Grainger

Twitter: @tamsinshiatsu

Pinterest: Tamsin Grainger

You can find a qualified Shiatsu practitioner here:

Canada - http://www.shiatsupractor.org/aboutshiatsu.html and https://www.shiatsutherapy.ca/

USA - https://aobta.org/

UK - https://www.shiatsusociety.org/

E174 - Gregor Collins - The Accidental Caregiver

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 17:50:23 -0700

Gregor Collins is an author, speaker, actor and contributor living in New York. He started his career in Los Angeles producing reality TV before shifting gears to acting, performing on stage, on television and in independent feature films. His writing and acting have been featured in “The Los Angeles Times,” “The Guardian,” “Huffington Post,” “Publishers Weekly,” “Cinema Editor Magazine” and others, as well as on Off-Broadway stages across New York. Collins travels the globe with his memoir ”The Accidental Caregiver: How I Met, Loved and Lost Legendary Holocaust Refugee Maria Altmann,” sharing with audiences his experience caring for Altmann, who was portrayed by Helen Mirren in the movie ”Woman in Gold.” (2015). His newest book released this year is The accidental caregiver Part 2: Saying YES to a world without Altmann. Collins also created and curates ”Humans in My Phone,” an ongoing micro-documentary series featuring the humans in his phone.

In this episode we talk about how he became a caregiver, caregiving for Maria Altmann, developing a memorable bond with her, grieving her loss, travelling to Austria in her memory, writing his two books, finding hope again after loss, and grief dreams of her.

You can find more about Gregor at www.gregorcollins.com or follow him on Instagram (@gregorgcollins)

E173 - Dr. Kimberly Mascaro - Announcing Dreams

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 09:10:32 -0700

Dr. Kimberly R. Mascaro wears many hats, in addition to her role as a psychologist. Dr. Mascaro has worked in the fields of mental/behavioral health (having supervised outpatient clinics and other therapeutic programs), as well as higher education, for over 20 years. She holds a license to practice psychotherapy in the state of California. Her primary focus is on women’s issues – in particular, navigating life’s big transitions, as well as treating trauma, anxiety, and grief/loss. She integrates many areas of her training and experience, including traditional talk therapies with art, dreamwork, hypnotherapy, meditation (such as yoga nidra), and somatic approaches. As for research and writing, Dr. Mascaro’s most recent publication is Extraordinary Dreams: Visions, Announcements and Premonitions Across time and Place (2018, McFarland). Dr. Mascaro gives presentations and leads workshops nationally and internationally.

In this episode we talk about announcing dreams, the power of dreams, how she started valuing dreams, hosting and speaking at the Dreamwork Summit (Oct. 13-16, 2020), and grief dreams of her relatives and Anthony Bourdain.

To find more about Kimberly, you can visit www.consciouschimera.com

To register for the Dreamwork Summit visit https://thedreamworksummit.com/

E172 - Guest Update - Shelby Forsythia

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 18:25:04 -0700

In this guest update episode we talk with Shelby Forsythia from episodes 52 and 130. Shelby is the author of Your Grief, Your Way and Permission to Grieve and podcast host of Coming Back: Conversations on Life After Loss. After the unexpected death of her mother in 2013, she became a “student of grief” and set out on a lifetime mission to explore the oft-misunderstood human experience of loss. Through her books, podcast, and live events, she helps grieving people reclaim their power and peace of mind after devastating loss. Shelby is also a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, Reiki Level II Practitioner, and Intuitive Grief Guide. Her work has been featured on Huffington Post, Bustle, and The Oprah Magazine.

In this episode we talk about her new book “Your Grief, Your Way”, the process of writing it during the pandemic, specific entries in the book, and the topic of grief dreams.

You can find more about Shelby at https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/

E171 - Patricia de Picciotto - Neshama Journey

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 16:53:18 -0700

Patricia de Picciotto was born in Hong Kong from Lebanese parents, and raised in Geneva, Switzerland until she graduated from college with a BA in Marketing and Communication. She then spent a couple of years in London to study for her GIA (graduate gemologist) and worked in Jewelry. Patricia then lived in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for ten years, where she met her husband, had three kids and founded a jewelry line, Pasha Joias. She moved to New York over five years ago, where she became an art guide in the City. Since her mother’s passing after a two year battle with pancreatic cancer, she is dedicated to normalize grief and raise grief consciousness through her @neshamajourney project on Instagram and beyond.

In this episode we talk about living in multiple places, being in Brazil with her mother, her love of art history, her mother and stepfather getting sick, the death of her stepfather and mother, the Jewish funeral and mourning process, grief dreams of her mother, and her Instagram account.

E170 - Jason Wendroff-Rawnicki - The Power of Smell

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 07:55:41 -0700

Jason Wendroff-Rawnicki is a certified yoga educator and dōTERRA Essential Oil specialist, who has a MA in psychology. He co-founded Shine Yoga Center in New Jersey and travels nationally & internationally leading classes, workshops, retreats and educating about the benefits and powers of essential oils. In June of 1998, his sister Lauren died in a car accident. Knowing that he needed more than talk therapy to deal with his grief, Jason turned toward a body-centered approach. Yoga, meditation, mindfulness, healthy lifestyle and essential oils became that path towards recovery.

In this episode we talk about essential oils, the power of smell after loss, the death of his sister, volunteering with compassionate friends, and grief dreams of his sister.

You can find more on Jason here:

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/jason.wendroffrawnicki

FaceBook: Sibling Support - https://www.facebook.com/groups/tcfsibs/?ref=share

Website: https://www.mydoterra.com/shineyogacenter/

Instagram: OilmanJason

Twitter: @ShineYogaNJ

Email: jason@shineyogacenter.com

E169 - Barron Steffen - The Final Gift

Fri, 04 Sep 2020 11:36:14 -0700

Barron Steffen is a longtime student on the spiritual path of Siddha Yoga, a big band crooner, and a widower. He has been a big wave surfer, a 1980s Italian pop singer, and an award-winning elementary school teacher. Steffen has now fully transitioned from the elementary school classroom to his company, The Yoga of Mindset, where he teaches children and adults how to use their thoughts so they're not used by them. Barron recently published the book The Final Gift of the Beloved: Her Disappearance-13 Days

In this episode we talk about his interest in Siddha Yoga, the death of his wife, the 13 days after, finding meaning after the loss, his book, and grief dreams of his wife.

You can find more about Barron here https://www.barronsteffen.com/

E168 - Lindsey Whissel Fenton - Speaking Grief

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 20:04:34 -0700

Lindsey Whissel Fenton is a senior producer at WPSU, the PBS/NPR affiliate station in Central Pennsylvania. She’s an Emmy award-winning storyteller who is passionate about using public media to build empathy. Lindsey produced, directed, and wrote the documentary Speaking Grief and continues to produce content for the initiative’s website and social media presence.

In this episode we talk about Shotokan karate, how karate relates to grief, the Speaking Grief documentary, learning to speak grief, holding space for grief, grief dreams mentioned within the documentary interviews, and her own grief.

To view the Speaking Grief documentary (starting August 30, 2020) visit https://speakinggrief.org/

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook: @wpsugrief

Instagram: @wpsugrief

E167 - Julie Rennie - A Conversation With Dr. Black's Mother

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 11:07:47 -0700

Julie Rennie has done Accounting and Income Tax for most of her career primarily as a self-employed individual and currently runs a law practice as a Licensed Paralegal out of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Julie married Mark Black (Dr. Joshua Black’s father) in 1977 spending the next few decades as Julie Black. The positive blessings and outcomes from this marriage were building her faith in God and being a mother to her 4 children: Rebecca, Nathaniel, Joshua and Rachel. The marriage suffered challenges based on Mark’s excessive consumption of alcohol and poor coping skills. After the marriage ended, Julie remarried John Rennie.

In this episode we talk about the death of her grandmother, meeting Mark, their relationship, her health issues, being more open about her struggles, processing her emotions, and Mark's death.

You can find more about Julie’s paralegal practice at http://julierennieparalegal.com/

E166 - Dr. T.J. Wray - Grief Dreams and the Bible

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 16:45:30 -0700

Dr. T.J. Wray is a Professor of Religious Studies at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island where she teaches a diverse array of classes, ranging from grief and loss to women of the Bible. A prolific writer, Dr. Wray is the author of many articles and books, including the best-selling “Surviving the Death of a Sibling: Living Through Grief When an Adult Brother or Sister Dies” and “Grief Dreams: How They Help Heal Us After the Death of a Loved One”. A popular biblical scholar, she has also written: "The Birth of Satan: Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots; "Good Girls, Bad Girls: The Enduring Lessons of Twelve Women of the Old Testament"; "Good Girls, Bad Girls of the New Testament"; "What the Bible Really Tells Us: The Essential Guide for Biblical Literacy". Dr. Wray has appeared on National Public Radio, several documentaries on the History Channel, and various other television and radio programs across the country and abroad. An intrepid traveler, she has lead tours to biblical lands, studied at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem and participated in archaeological excavations in Israel.

In this episode we talk about becoming a biblical scholar, dreams and grief in the Bible, the birth of the Devil in the Bible, the death of her brother, grief after the death of an adult sibling, and grief dreams of her brother.

You can find more information about Dr. T.J. Wray at

www.tjwrayauthor.com and www.thegrievingsibling.com

Here is the Next Avenue article we discussed on the podcast: What Are Grief Dreams? https://www.nextavenue.org/what-are-grief-dreams/

E165 - Flora Baker - The Adult Orphan Club

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 11:04:39 -0700

Flora Baker is a travel writer and author from London, UK. Flora was 20 years old when her mum died suddenly of breast cancer, and 29 when her dad died of fibrosis. After a decade of grieving, Flora now uses her personal narrative writing and her online presence to engage with the global grief community and help others through their own experiences of loss. Flora’s new book, ‘The Adult Orphan Club’, is a part memoir, part guide to grief which aims to be a companion to those coping with bereavement.

In this episode we talk about her love of travelling around the world, the death of her parents, her grief journey, traveling to cope after loss, her new book ‘The Adult Orphan Club’, her Instagram video, and grief dreams of her parents.

You can read more from Flora at www.floratheexplorer.com, follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @FloraBaker, and find ‘The Adult Orphan Club’ on Amazon.

E164 - Philip Goldberg - Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 16:03:09 -0700

Philip Goldberg is the author or co-author of some 25 books published in more than a dozen languages; a public speaker and workshop leader; a spiritual counselor, meditation teacher and ordained Interfaith Minister. A Los Angeles resident, he cohosts the Spirit Matters podcast, leads American Veda Tours and blogs regularly on Elephant Journal and Spirituality & Health. His book American Veda was named by Huffington Post and Library Journal as one of the Top 10 Religion Books of 2010; it was followed in 2018 by the popular biography The Life of Yogananda. His newest book Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times, is set to be released on August 4th

In this episode we talk about his newest book Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times, becoming a writer, Paramahansa Yogananda, grief dreams of Yogananda, the love and loss of Philip’s mother, grief dreams of his mother, father, and friends.

You can find more about Philip here:

http://www.PhilipGoldberg.com

http://www.spiritmatterstalk.com

https://www.facebook.com/PhilipGoldbergAuthor/

E163 - Jane Edberg - The Fine Art of Grieving

Sun, 19 Jul 2020 05:59:38 -0700

Jane Edberg is a published writer working in poetry, flash non-fiction and memoir. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Arts. She is a retired art professor who taught Art Appreciation, Photography and Design at various Universities and spent twenty years full-time at Gavilan College. She is currently working on a hybrid memoir of images and prose called “The Fine Art of Grieving” and authors a blog and Facebook page by the same title.

In this episode we talk about appreciating art, feeling “the big self”, using art during the pandemic, the death of her son, writing her book The Fine Art of Grieving, finding a new perspective, creative ways we grieve through art, and grief dreams before and after the death of her son.

You can find more about Jane here:

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

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

Website: https://www.thefineartofgrieving.com/

E162 - Alexa Norton - Grief Shine

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 18:46:17 -0700

Alexa Norton recently graduated from Utah Valley University in Public Relations. Alexa suffered the death of her Dad, Daryl Gene Norton, over 3 years ago in a skiing accident at Snowbird Ski Resort. She has recently started an Instagram account that focuses on the grief journey @griefshine

In this episode we talk about the relationship with her dad, seeing her dad as a person, her dad’s reaction to her dating, her dad’s death, the local news reporting on his death, having her wedding 3 months after his death, her grief journey, starting her Instagram Account @griefshine, and grief dreams of her dad.

E161 - Gary Alan Shockley - My Heart Sings A Sad Song

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 18:23:00 -0700

Gary Alan Shockley is an award winner artist, author and grief counselor living in Boiling Springs Pennsylvania. He has two master’s degrees, one in theology and another in Spiritual Formation and Counseling. Gary has served as a pastor and a professional Healthcare Chaplain aligned with two Inpatient Hospice Units in North Carolina where he worked with dying patients and their families. From decades of walking alongside people in their journeys of dying and of death, and supporting children in their grief, Gary published his most recent children’s book, My Heart Sings a Sad Song. Gary has also authored three books focused on leadership and spiritual development and 5 other children’s books.

In this episode we talk about being drawn to helping others, what those at end-of-life talk about, challenges for those at end-of-life and their family during the pandemic, children’s grief, his first experience of death as a child, his new children’s book “My Heart Sings a Sad Song”, a grief dream from a past client, and grief dreams he had of his best friend, child (from a miscarriage), and other family members who have died.

You can find more about Gary here:

www.hopespring.biz

www.sandartistry.com

https://www.facebook.com/gary.a.shockley

IG @Gary.a.shockley

E160 - John Dietsch - Graced By Waters

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 19:01:54 -0700

John Dietsch is an award-winning writer, producer, director, talent, and consultant on hundreds of film and television shows focusing on the outdoors, travel, and fly fishing. As a life coach, teacher, TV personality, Aspen Colorado guide, and host of fly fishing trips across the globe, John helps his clients and students follow their passion by connecting with nature. He is perhaps best known in fly fishing circles for his supervision, doubling, and stunt work on the fly fishing scenes for the Oscar-winning film A River Runs Through It. His TV and film productions have garnered more than twenty-three awards, including a Telly for the primetime TV series "Adventure Guides: Fly Fishing Edition" that John hosted on Outdoor Channel and NBC Sports. His newest book, Graced by Waters, is his first collection of stories to celebrate and explore our spiritual connection to waters and the natural world.

In this episode we talk about fly fishing, his connection with the movie A River Runs Through It, the connection he has to nature, his newest book Graced by Waters, a dream he recently had of fly fishing, the death of his brothers, and grief dreams.

You can find more about John here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.dietsch.332

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

E159 - Erica Buist - This Party's Dead

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 16:15:40 -0700

Erica Buist is a journalist from London, England and writes mostly for the Guardian. February 2021 will see the publication of her first book, This Party's Dead, in which she investigates death anxiety by travelling to seven death festivals following the sudden loss of her father-in-law.

In this episode we talk about the death of her father-in-law, her agoraphobia following the loss, visiting 7 death festivals around the world, her book, and grief dreams.

You can find more about Erica here:

Website: thisisnotajourney.com

Facebook page: facebook.com/ericabuistwriter

IG: @ericabuist and @thispartysdead

Her book can be found here: https://unbound.com/books/this-partys-dead/

E158 - Chelsea Rushton - The Other Side of Chelshotel

Sat, 30 May 2020 08:25:11 -0700

Chelsea Rushton holds a BFA in Creative Writing and an MFA in Visual Art. Her art practice integrates somatics, ritual, and spirituality to explore how creative process can document and facilitate personal and collective growth and evolution. She works as a Technical Writer in the Department of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. Her parents both died suddenly, within eight months of each other, in 2018, when they were 69 and 71.

In this episode we talk with Chelsea about her passion for creative writing and visual art, the death of both her parents, the challenges of grieving multiple losses, her art series called The Other Side, and grief dreams of her parents.

You can find more on Chelsea at www.chelshotel.com or on IG @chelshotel

A video link to know more about Hilma af Klint (the person Chelsea wants to dream about) https://youtu.be/CHdud9km7bQ

E157 - Dr. Virginia Marsico - From Bruiser to Wall-E

Sat, 23 May 2020 07:53:51 -0700

Dr. Virginia Marsico is a Chiropractic Physician currently practicing in central Florida. After treating patients with conventional chiropractic care, she realized that many of the obstacles preventing her patients from achieving optimal health were not physical in origin. She now focuses on helping patients become their best by focusing on the mind-body-gut connection through functional medicine, addressing underlying issues involving emotional and physiological imbalances in the body.

In this episode we talk about moving to Los Angeles by herself, getting her first dog there, finding her now husband, chiropractic care, facing fears, the death of her dog, getting a new pet, and a grief dream of her dog.

You can find more of Dr. Marsico on IG @drmarsico

E156 - Guest Update - Rebecca MacDonald

Sun, 17 May 2020 05:54:27 -0700

In this guest update episode we talk with Rebecca MacDonald from episode 109. Rebecca is a self-taught keepsake artist working and living in Ontario with her husband and dog. Since immigrating to Canada in 2009, Rebecca has experienced loss many times. The passing of her grandfather in 2014 meant the loss of a loved one and a source of inspiration in her life. His courage and compassion continue to drive her to help others with their grief. Through the creation of custom jewellery and keepsakes, Rebecca seeks to provide comfort and connection to those experiencing loss.

In this episode we talk about changing her business name since being on the podcast, changing residence because of the pandemic, self-care during the pandemic, the recent death anniversary of her grandfather, and a new grief dream of her grandfather.

Rebecca's work can be found on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook

@comfortconnects or on www.comfortconnects.com

Rerelease: E109 - Rebecca MacDonald - Even in Sadness, There is Beauty

Sun, 17 May 2020 05:47:18 -0700

We rereleased this episode (E109) as our next episode features an update on the guest.

Rebecca MacDonald is a self-taught memorial jewelry artist working and living in Ontario with her husband and dog. Since immigrating to Canada 10 years ago, Rebecca has experienced loss many times as she moved throughout the country. Her grandfather has been a huge inspiration in her life and dealing with his passing from the other side of the Atlantic ocean has been one of her biggest struggles so far. By fostering connections with animals, she has also been able to connect with others. Through her work, she is learning how to manage her grief while helping others with their loss through her jewelry making.

In this episode we talk about her immigration from Ireland, her love of pets, starting her business making memorial jewelry, the death of her dog and grandfather, and a grief dream of her grandfather.

Rebecca’s work can be found on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook @comfortconnects or on www.comfortconnects.com

E155 - Lisa Keefauver - Reimagining Grief

Wed, 13 May 2020 18:09:35 -0700

Lisa Keefauver spent the past 2 decades as a clinical social worker and narrative therapist. She witnessed first hand the unnecessary suffering of so many individuals because their families, communities, and culture weren’t supporting them in their grief. And then, it happened to her too. At 40, Lisa became a widow. In 2011, her husband Eric died in her arms, leaving her a single mother to their 7 year-old daughter. Just a few years later, she was by the bedside of a close friend when he succumbed to the ravages of Muscular Dystrophy. Lisa is the Founder & CEO of Reimagining Grief and host of the podcast, Grief is a Sneaky B!tch.

In this episode we talk about collective grief during the pandemic, reframing the concept of productivity, sitting with your emotions, the death of her husband and friend, and grief dreams of them.

You can find more about Lisa at https://reimagininggrief.com/

E154 - Dr. Sharon Prentice - Becoming Starlight

Sat, 02 May 2020 06:35:20 -0700

Dr. Sharon Prentice is a psychotherapist and spiritual counselor whose work focuses on helping patients process the grief of losing a loved one. Becoming Starlight is her memoir of healing from the devastating loss of her daughter and husband. She experienced a unique spiritual experience, known as a Shared Death Experience (SDE), which gave her a peek into foreverness and a sense of peace that was otherworldly.

In this episode we talk about meeting her husband, her pregnancy with her daughter, the death of both of them, her Shared Death Experience, and grief dreams of her daughter and husband.

For more information on Sharon, please visit https://sharonprentice.com

E153 - Lisa Bonneville - People Need People

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 19:58:33 -0700

Lisa Bonneville has been volunteering and working in palliative care for about 7 years and her current work life includes a hospice, a funeral home, and caring for palliative Catholic Nuns. She currently holds certificates in Thanatology, as a Death Doula, and as a personal support worker.

In this episode we talk about life during the pandemic, changing her life path, the death of her grandma, uncle, and friend, funerals and grieving during the pandemic, her grief dreams, and her mother’s and uncle’s grief dreams.

You can find her Facebook Group here: Loss and Grief During COVID-19

E152 - Guest Update - Molly Schultz

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 18:11:55 -0700

In this guest update episode we talk with Molly Schultz from Episode 82. Molly is a stay at home mom of 6 kids all under the age of 8 (she added one since her last episode). Additionally, she blogs about her journey at www.triedandtruemama.com and through her Instagram @triedandtruemama.

In this episode we talk about her newest child (Bowie), her grief from the death of her father since last coming on, grief dreams before and after the birth of Bowie, and caring for children during the pandemic.

Rerelease: E82 - Molly Schultz - Tried and True Mama

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 18:07:08 -0700

We rereleased this episode (E82) as our next episode features an update on the guest.

Molly Schultz is a stay at home mom of 5 kids under the age of 6. Molly’s dad was diagnosed with pancreatic just a few months after her twins were born. Before he died, he signed over custody of his son (Molly’s half-brother) Easton to her. Molly recently started a blog this summer to document the grief journey she walks through with her kids, as well as the everyday life of her young family. In this episode we talk about raising 5 kids, the death of her father, her grief journey, and her 2 grief dreams.

Here is a link to the blog post Molly wrote on her Grief Dreams https://www.triedandtruemama.com/blog/grief-dreams

You can find her blog at www.triedandtruemama.com and follow along with her at @triedandtruemama on Instagram and Facebook.

E151 - Becky Aud-Jennison - The Death Dialogues Project

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 08:35:19 -0700

Becky Aud-Jennison had a lengthy career in human services, starting as a nurses aide, then nurse, then clinical mental health professional and mind-body practitioner. In 2018 Becky created The Death Dialogues Project with an aim of getting conversations surrounding dying, death, grief and the aftermath out of the closet.

In this episode we talk about cultural differences between USA and New Zealand, the death of her brother, having a good death, creating The Death Dialogues Project, continuing bonds with her brother and mother, grief dreams of her father, mom, brother, and Ram Dass.

You can find more about The Death Dialogues Project at www.deathdialolgues.net and on Instagram and Facebook.

E150 - Andrea Wilson Woods - Being a Mother for Her Sister

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 06:24:13 -0700

Andrea Wilson Woods is a writer who loves to tell stories, and a patient advocate who founded the nonprofit Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association. Andrea is the CEO and co-founder of Cancer University, a for-profit, social-benefit, digital health company. With Cancer U, Andrea synergizes her talents of coaching, writing, teaching, and advocacy. Andrea obtained her master’s degree in professional writing from the University of Southern California; her nonfiction writing has won national awards. Her newest book is a medical memoir titled Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days.

In this episode we talk about her life as a sister/legal guardian, her sister/daughter’s depression and cancer journey, her new book, giving her loved one a good death, meeting a stranger at her loved one's gravesite, and grief dreams of her.

You can find more about Andrea here: betteroffbald.com, bluefaery.org, cancer.university

If you use the promo code: GRIEFDREAMS at cancer.university, you will receive a free lifetime membership to Cancer University

E149 - Janna Lopez - Midlife Identity Loss and Grief

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 17:48:43 -0700

Janna Lopez has over 25 years in media, communications, and editorial endeavors. She has spent the last ten years as owner, publisher and editor of several regional magazines. As a word enthusiast, she's helped multi-million dollar companies craft their stories, and currently leads workshops and coaches clients about midlife identity loss and grief. She is the author of the new book, Me, My Selfie, & Eye: A Midlife Conversation about Lost Identity, Grief, and Seeing Who You Are.

In this episode we talk about midlife identify loss and grief, her midlife issues (grandmother loss, divorce, and job loss), reflecting on her own mortality, who are we beyond roles, her new book, a grief dream of her grandmother, and a dream during her midlife issues.

To know more about Janna visit www.jannalopez.com

E148 - Dr. Sarah Neustadter - Surviving the Suicide of a Beloved

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 06:58:10 -0800

Dr. Sarah Neustadter is a licensed psychologist based in Los Angeles, specializing in suicide prevention, loss, and grief, including those grieving the suicide of a loved one. She has over a decade of professional experience identifying and treating those at risk of suicide, especially teenagers. She holds a PhD in clinical and transpersonal psychology from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, California. She is the author of the Love You Like the Sky: Surviving the Suicide of a Beloved.

In this episode we talk about the suicide of her boyfriend while in grad school, grieving his death, her book, suicide prevention, and grief dreams.

You can learn more about Sarah here: https://sarahneustadter.com/

E147 - Guest Update - Dr. Christopher Kerr

Sun, 09 Feb 2020 17:44:28 -0800

Dr. Christopher Kerr is the CEO and chief medical officer at Hospice Buffalo. Born and raised in Toronto, Kerr earned his MD as well as a PhD in neurobiology and completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Rochester. His research has received international attention and has been featured in The New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, and the BBC. His new book called Death Is But a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning at Life's End is being released February 11, 2020.

In this episode we talk about his new book being released, his research at Hospice Buffalo on end-of-life dreams and visions, his documentary, giving a voice to the dying and the bereaved, end-of-life dreams and visions of horses?, and grief dreams.

You can find more about his new book here: https://www.drchristopherkerr.com/

Here is the link to his TEDx Talk “I See Dead People: Dreams and Visions of the Dying?” https://youtu.be/rbnBe-vXGQM

Link to the research page at Hospice Buffalo: https://www.hospicebuffalo.com/healthcare-providers/research/

Rerelease: E73 - Dr. Christopher Kerr - End-Of-Life Dreams and Visions

Sun, 09 Feb 2020 17:34:41 -0800

We rereleased this episode (E73) as our next episode features an update on the guest.

Dr. Christopher Kerr is the Chief Executive Officer & Chief Medical Officer for Hospice Buffalo. Dr. Kerr’s research examines patient’s dreams and visions at the end of life. The results of his studies generated enormous response in the non-medical community, both nationally and internationally. Dr. Kerr has overseen the integration and expansion of palliative care into local hospitals and developed one of the nation’s largest home-based palliative care programs, Home Connections, and Essential Care for Children. In this episode we talk about his journey becoming a doctor, dreams and visions at the end of life, the death of his father, and a dream he would like to have.

Here is the link to his TEDx Talk “I See Dead People: Dreams and Visions of the Dying?” https://youtu.be/rbnBe-vXGQM

This link is to Hospice Buffalo https://www.hospicebuffalo.com

E146 - Kay Makavel - Believe in Yourself

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 04:43:44 -0800

Kay Makavel is a recording artist from the Bronx who raps and sings. Her music is raw, real, and lyrical. She speaks her truth through her music and speaks for those who don’t have a voice. In 2019 she graduated Buffalo State College, released her second mixtape called “The Minute Mixtape Reloaded”, had several music videos released, and was featured in the show Rhythm & Flow on Netflix which is a hip-hop competition show judged by T. I., Cardi B, and Chance the Rapper. During the competition she also preformed in front of Jadakiss, who was one of her brother’s favorite rappers before he died when she was 13.

In this episode we talk about believing in yourself, being authentic, putting yourself first, being on Rhythm & Flow, majoring in Sociology, her grief journey, and grief dreams of her brother before and after his death.

You can follow Kay on Instagram @KayMakavel

Her mixtapes and other music can be found here: https://linktr.ee/KayMakavel

E145 - 2019 Grief Dream Recaps - Part 2

Sat, 18 Jan 2020 23:27:15 -0800

In this episode (Part 2) we recap some of the dream conversations we had with guests in 2019.

E144 - 2019 Grief Dream Recaps - Part 1

Sun, 12 Jan 2020 16:52:41 -0800

In this episode (Part 1) we recap some of the dream conversations we had with guests in 2019.

Rerelease: 2018 Grief Dream Recaps - Part 3

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 14:45:55 -0800

We have decided to rerelease our past Grief Dream Recap episodes as we make our 2019 ones. In this episode we recap some of the dream conversations we have had with guests in 2018 (originally episode 101).

Rerelease: 2018 Grief Dream Recaps - Part 2

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 14:43:40 -0800

Rerelease: 2018 Grief Dream Recaps - Part 1

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 14:42:19 -0800

Rerelease: 2017 Grief Dream Recaps - Part 2

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 07:35:27 -0800

As 2020 is fast approaching, we have decided to rerelease our past Grief Dream Recap episodes as we make our 2019 ones. In this episode we recap some of the dream conversations we have had with guests in 2017 (originally episode 56).

Rerelease: 2017 Grief Dream Recaps - Part 1

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 07:33:20 -0800

E143 - Liz Diaz - Heart of Mercy Design

Mon, 23 Dec 2019 06:40:13 -0800

Liz Diaz is the Graphic & Hand Lettering Artist behind Heart of Mercy Design which she began after losing her Mother (Mercy) 3 years ago. In this space, Liz is using her art to build community and provide comfort after loss. Liz has had the opportunity to collaborate with organizations such as Stand Up To Cancer, Stupid Cancer, & Susan G. Komen to help raise awareness in the grief and cancer communities through her art, and is currently producing content for her series, The ABC's of Grief on Instagram (@HeartOfMercyDesign) where each letter of the alphabet represents a word associated with grief.

In this episode we talk about the death of her mother, starting Heart of Mercy Design, using art and words to work through loss, ABC’s of Grief, grieving over the holidays, and grief dreams of her mother.

E142 - Debi Wobbe - Life After Organ Donation

Sun, 15 Dec 2019 15:09:54 -0800

Debi Wobbe recently retired from 35 years as a Dental Assistant in Northern California. She currently speaks about her experience as the mother of a heart and kidney transplant recipient, and as a survivor of the wildfire destruction of her home and her town, Paradise.

In this episode we talked about waiting for organs for her daughter, the realization of getting organs through a death, meeting the mother of the donor, her house and town burning down, dreams of her old home, and grief dreams of her parents and the organ donor.

E141 - Suzanne Falter - My Daughter The Healer

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 16:39:11 -0800

Suzanne Falter is an author, speaker, blogger and podcaster who has published both fiction and non-fiction, as well as essays. Her essays have appeared in O Magazine, The New York Times, Elephant Journal, Tiny Buddha and Thrive Global among others. Her newest book is titled The Extremely Busy Women’s Guide to Self-Care. Suzanne speaks about self-care and the transformational healing of crisis, especially in her own life after the death of her daughter (Teal).

In this episode we talk about life before and after the death of her daughter, her daughter, learning to slow down and be patient, donating Teal’s organs, the importance of self-care over the holidays, and her multiple grief dreams of her daughter.

You can find more about Suzanne at www.suzannefalter.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.

E140 - Marlie Rowell - 'Night School' After A Suicide

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 14:56:33 -0800

Marlie Rowell is a sassy word/mixed media artist, author, & lecturer. Her life changed after she became a suicide widow. She is now the self-proclaimed queen of suicide widow etiquette reformation.

In this episode we talk about her life with her husband, her husband’s depression, the stigma around mental illness, her husband’s suicide, the stigma around suicide, finding proper support, and her multiple grief dreams during 'night school'.

You can find more about Marlie here: www.suicidewidowetiquette.com

E139 - Ryan Weaver - Military Aviator to Country Music Artist

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 06:47:42 -0800

Ryan Weaver is an All-American, rockin’ country music artist who proudly served as an active duty Black Hawk Helicopter Aviator in the United States Army. Weaver began his music career in 2005 while still on active duty, playing the club and festival circuit throughout the southeast. In 2017, Ryan signed on with the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) replacing Steven Tyler as the headlining act for the PBR World Finals at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. His music and speaking engagements are highly influenced by his journey through grief. Ryan has suffered the death of his brother (Aaron) and his brother-in-law (Randy) while they were on active duty. Both of his brothers’ ultimate sacrifices continue to fuel Ryan’s fire to accomplish his dreams in music.

We talk about being in the military, the death of his brother and brother-in-law, starting his music career, using his music to honor their memories, his song “what you think of me”, challenges after military loss (e.g., survivors remorse), and grief dreams of his brother.

You can find more about Ryan and his latest EP (Celebrate America) at

https://weavercountry.com/ and on IG @ryanweavercountry

Check out his two songs on loss

Never forgotten - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQs8khhWsro

What you think of me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sua3nWfR4LE

E138 - Samantha Pasut - MonaLisa Healing

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 17:57:47 -0700

Samantha Pasut is Authentic, Living Magnetism in a powerful package. She is an accomplished artist and art historian, a spirit guide, chakra healing clairvoyant, and an Abundant Love and Courage Facilitator. A healer and an empath, Samantha is Canada’s youngest Reiki Master. She is also one of the leading CBD educators in the country and part owner of the Hemp derived CBD Company called MonaLisa Healing.

In this episode we talk about being authentic, creating boundaries, loving yourself, CBD, MonaLisa Healing, the death of her grandfather, and a grief dream of him before he died.

You can find more about Samantha at IG @daughterofpicasso

You can find more about MonaLisa Healing at monalisahealing.com, IG and Twitter @monalisahealing

E137 - Dave Marteau - The English Book of the Dead

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 14:17:45 -0700

Dave Marteau is a mental health professional and a writer who has worked for 30 years with and for those close to death in hospital, rehab, prison and hospice settings. Between 2000 and 2012 he was clinical drug adviser to the UK government, and more recently he has worked for the European Union and the United Nations. Dave is the author of The English Book of the Dead, a personal and scientific exploration of mortality. Dave's sister Elizabeth took her own life at 31, and his son Jack was killed crossing the road aged 21, hit by a speeding driver.

In this episode we talk about working in the mental health field, mental health issues of his sister, the death of his sister and son, issues faced after both types of loss, grief dreams of his sister and son, his wife’s grief dream of their son, and his new book.

You can find more about Dave at www.englishbookofthedead.com

E136 - Mirabai Bush - A Loving Rock

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 14:34:08 -0700

Mirabai Bush teaches, practices, and develops programs through the application of contemplative principles and values to organizational life. She is a cofounder of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, founding board member of the Seva Foundation, and authored many books. Her most recent book (coauthored with Ram Dass) is called “Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying”.

In this episode we talk about her new book, moments with Ram Dass, being a loving rock for the dying and bereaved, the death of her guru (Neem Karoli Baba) and her friend (Bokara), and a grief dream of Neem Karoli Baba

You can find more about Mirabai at www.mirabaibush.com

E135 - Lindsay Ciulla - Peaks and Valleys

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 11:09:30 -0700

Lindsay Ciulla is an artist and musician who grew up in Medina, Ohio. Her father was her high school band director and also one of her very best friends. Also known as DJ laChewla, Lindsay hosts her own radio show on WGRN 94.1LPFM in Columbus, Ohio. She is also involved in activism through her volunteer work at the community radio station and with Vegan Shift.

In this episode we talk about being a musician, her radio show, her life with her father, his death, and her many grief dreams.

Her show, Peaks and Valleys streams live every Sunday night at 9pm EST on www.wgrn.org.

Here is her father conducting his jazz band the Stardusters on his last band trip to Disney World in 2015 ( https://youtu.be/VqYReDOU5A8 ) and this is footage from his last year as the marching band director ( https://youtu.be/01SVXxRVoF8 ).

E134 - Lauren Kane-Lysak - Precious Creature

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 09:57:50 -0700

Lauren Kane-Lysak is an Pet Taxidermist, Mortician, artist, and animal lover. After high school, she worked in a funeral home where she found that the corporate nature and lack of creative opportunity left her drained. She became interested in taxidermy after meeting a bird taxidermist in real life while volunteering at the San Bernardino County Museum. Lauren has made it her goal to work with pets, and preserve their tangible memory for eternity.

In this episode we talk about her journey into pet taxidermy, all things pet taxidermy, the death of her pet rat and grandmother, and grief dreams of her grandmother.

You can find more about Lauren here:

Website: www.preciouscreaturetaxidermy.com

Instagram:@preciouscreature

E133 - Mahoganie Hines - The Art of Dying

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 13:00:01 -0700

Mahoganie is an active and ardent member of the Palliative Care community. She currently volunteers her time to act as the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario’s Policy and Political Action ENO for both the Niagara Chapter and Palliative Care Nurse’s Interest Group for the past 3+ years. She has also sits on the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Nursing Group as Secretary/Treasurer. She currently works as a Registered Nurse at McNally House Hospice in a casual capacity, as well as, working full time as a Palliative Pain and Symptom Management Consultant (PPSMC) throughout the Niagara Region. Additionally, Mahoganie writes a blog called “The Art of Dying” and is a roller derby referee.

In this episode we talk about roller derby, finding direction in life, working in the palliative care field, the death of her first patient, uncle, and family dog, and grief dreams.

You can find more about her at:

Blog: “The Art of Dying” dyingdreads.wordpress.com

LinkedIn: Mahoganie Hines

Instagram: nurse_stax

Twitter: @nursestax

She will be the closing speaker at the CHPCA – CHPC NG “Inspiring Nursing Leadership” Satellite discussion on Thursday Sept. 18th, 2019 at 8:30am - 12:30pm in Newbridge.

Find more about PPSC at www.pccnetwork.ca/what-is-a-ppsmc/

E132 - Ophelia Rigault - Conversations From The Heart

Mon, 02 Sep 2019 18:05:19 -0700

Ophelia Rigault is a grief educator, speaker, TV host and creator of Conversations from the Heart. Conversations from the Heart is a bi-weekly TV show that airs in local Cogeco Cable in Kingston, ON. The focus is on bringing inspirational guests to share their story of hope and resiliency, for the purpose of inspiring the audience to feel “if they can do it – so can I”.

In this episode we talk about her life with her mother, her death, grief dreams before and after loss, her TV show and upcoming radio show.

You can find more about Ophelia at www.getgriefreliefnow.com or www.vopheliarigault.com

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

Instagram: @opheliarigault

E131 - Jonathon Aslay - Self-Love and Dating

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 12:01:45 -0700

Jonathon Aslay is a Midlife Dating & Relationship Coach. He helps women recognize and distinguish the difference between men who are emotionally unavailable from those who are truly ready for love. He is also the author of 4 books. His newest book is titled What The Heck Is Self-Love Anyway?

In this episode we talk about his humbling events (divorce and job loss), becoming a dating coach, dating, self-love, his new book, the death of his son, and a grief dream of him.

You can find more about Jonathon's book at http://www.jonathonaslay.com/love/

E130 - Guest Update Episode - Shelby Forsythia

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 08:12:09 -0700

In this update episode we talk with Shelby Forsythia (host of the podcast Coming Back: Conversations on life after loss) from episode 52. In this episode we talk about the experience of having someone else share a grief dream of her mom with her, and a couple new grief dreams she has had of her deceased mom.

You can find more about Shelby at http://www.shelbyforsythia.com/ and on Instagram @shelbyforsythia

E129 - Marlene Rodgers - Baka’s Story

Sat, 10 Aug 2019 08:41:50 -0700

Marlene Rodgers works as a story editor on feature films and documentary television series, and makes short films driven by her personal passions. Her most recent film is a collaboration with her husband, Franco Pante. DREAMS OF THE DEAD tells the story of Marlene’s journey in the aftermath of the sudden and accidental death of her grandmother, Baka, and the vivid dreams that were intrinsic to navigating that loss. Visit the film’s website at www.dreamsofthedead.com to post your own memory of a loved one, and view the 18-minute film at www.nsi-canada.ca/2019/07/dreams-of-the-dead/.

In this episode we talk about how she got started working in film, her newest film ‘DREAMS OF THE DEAD’, the death of her grandmother, her grandmother's house, and grief dreams of her.

E128 - Nikki Wilson - A University Assignment

Sat, 03 Aug 2019 06:27:16 -0700

Nikki Wilson works full time at an electricity company whilst also studying full time at The University of Melbourne. She will be graduating with a Bachelor of Environments degree (currently in her final Semester). While in university she has been taking creative writing classes as elective subjects. This semester she has been writing for a non-fiction class and decided to write about Grief Dreams after having personal experiences with them.

In this episode we talk about her university assignment on grief dreams, her multiple deaths (friend, step sister, and uncle), her grief and grief dreams following each loss, and lessons learned from her grief process.

You can find her creative writing assignment on Grief Dreams at the bottom of this web page http://www.griefdreams.ca/pop-culture

E127 - Kayla Moryoussef - Good Death Doula

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 07:11:14 -0700

Kayla Moryoussef is a Community Worker/Registered Social Service Worker from Toronto who has been volunteering and working in end-of-life/palliative care for over seven years. She is a Death Educator, Death Doula candidate with Home Hospice Association, and project manager for all of their Death Cafés across southern Ontario. Kayla truly believes in the profound power of a ‘good death’ and its lasting effects on healthy individuals, families, and communities at-large. At the age of fifteen, Kayla’s life was profoundly changed by baring witness to the death of her grandmother, a primary parent and the one of the most formative figures in her life to this day.

In this episode we talk about getting becoming a death doula, the coming death boom in our culture, the death of her grandmother and dogs, her memorial tattoos, Death Cafés, and grief dreams of grandmother.

You can find more about Kayla at www.GoodDeath.ca or on Instagram and Facebook @GoodDeathDoula

E126 - Amy Vilela - Knock Down The House

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 19:00:42 -0700

Amy Vilela entered into politics after the death of her daughter, Shalynne's, needless death at the hands of the USA’s profit-driven healthcare system. Losing Shalynne became a defining moment in her life. The transformation out of grief and into a position of strength was a long journey. Although her life has been full of struggle – and, more recently, tragedy – her experiences have strengthened her resolve in the fight for justice. Her journey is shown in the 2019 documentary on Netflix “Knock Down The House”, which follows 4 female progressive candidates as they campaign against prominent incumbents in the 2018 midterm election.

In this episode we talk about her relationship with her daughter and the circumstances of her death, her journey into politics, and grief dreams of her daughter.

You can find more about Amy here https://amy4thepeople.com/

E125 - Karen Millsap - Making Lemonade

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 10:48:31 -0700

Karen Millsap is a TEDx speaker, Founder of The Groflo community and the CEO - which stands for "Chief Empathy Officer" of Egency. At only 29 years old, her life was suddenly flipped upside down... she became a widow when her husband, Richard, was tragically murdered. On the quest to rebuild her life, she discovered simple habits and lifestyle changes that helped her find her way back to a whole heart. Self-care essentially saved her life. This realization sparked a deep desire to share everything she has learned and spread light to anyone who needs help navigating tough situations.

In this episode we talked about her relationship with her husband, his murder, finding joy again, grieving in the work place, and grief dreams of her husband and uncle.

You can find more about Karen here https://www.karenmillsap.com/

E124 - Dr. Sherry Cormier - Sweet Sorrow

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 17:29:47 -0700

Dr. Sherry Cormier is a licensed psychologist and a professor emerita in the Department of Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling, and Counseling Psychology at West Virginia University. She is a certified bereavement trauma specialist, the author of two textbooks, and the producer of over 100 training videos for Cengage Learning. Her new book, Sweet Sorrow: Finding Enduring Wholeness After Loss and Grief was written by her in the decade following the loss of her husband, father, mother, dog, and only sibling.

In this episode we talk about how she became interested in the field of psychology, inspiring others on their journey, the power of acknowledgment and love, loneliness in life and after loss, her new book, her multiple losses, and grief dreams of her husband and others.

You can find more about Sherry here https://www.sherrycormierauthor.com/

E123 - Donald Knight - Spei Lumina

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 17:11:15 -0700

Donald Knight is an ordained independent catholic priest, dreamer, light worker, and podcaster (Spei Lumina - Lights of Hope). His grief journey began at the age of 10 when his father unexpectedly passed away. The event of his father’s death set him on a path of faith, spirituality and seeking the Divine.

In this episode we talk about his father, grieving as a child, understanding dreams, grief dreams of his dad and aunt, becoming religious, relics in the church, and his podcast.

You can find out more about Donald at www.angelsofthenativity.org, on Facebook at SpeiLumina and on Twitter @SpeiLumina.

E122 - A Father's Day Episode with Darwyn Dave

Sat, 15 Jun 2019 21:02:19 -0700

In this Father’s Day episode, Shawn Ram talks with Dr. Joshua Black and Darwyn Dave about the Toronto Raptors (NBA) and St. Louis Blues (NHL), players on those teams with a dead father, what it’s like not having a father here for important moments, and grief dreams we think the players would like to have of their deceased father.

To find more about Darwyn visit http://www.dealingwithmygrief.com/

E121 - Dr. Pei Grant - The Good Doctor

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 18:49:49 -0700

Dr. Pei Grant is the Research Director at Hospice Buffalo, one of the largest hospice and palliative care organizations in Western New York. Her research encompasses a diverse range of projects from programmatic studies to psychosocial research, to medical projects. Her work has been recognized nationally and internationally to be innovative and enhancing quality of care to new levels. She believes that while it is important to find ways to lead a meaningful life, she advocates for people to focus on what it takes to have a meaningful death.

In this episode we talk about how she got started working at Hospice Buffalo, her research on end-of-life dreams and visions, her research on the Photographs of Meaning Program in family caregivers, the death of her grandparents and baby through miscarriage, and a grief dream of her maternal grandmother.

You can find her on Twitter @Peigrant and IG @Peicgrant . Here is a link to Hospice Buffalo’s research page https://www.hospicebuffalo.com/healthcare-providers/research/

To hear more about Hospice Buffalo's research on end-of-life dreams and visions, just download Dr. Christopher Kerr's episode on this podcast (episode 73).

E120 - Tracy McCubbin - Decluttering After Loss

Fri, 31 May 2019 13:32:58 -0700

Tracy McCubbin is the author of Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Book On Decluttering You’ll Ever Need (releasing Tuesday June 4, 2019). While working for a major television director in Los Angeles, Tracy discovered she had the ability to see through any mess and clearly envision a clutter-free space. Before she knew it, dClutterfly was born. Ten years and thousands of clients later, dClutterfly is Los Angeles’ premier organizing and decluttering company. Tracy is a regularly featured expert on Hallmark's Home & Family, has a column on MindBodyGreen, and has regular declutter segments on Fox 5 and ABC Eyewitness News, KTLA Morning Show, KCAL9, and Good Day Sacramento.

In this episode we talk about getting into the decluttering business, her new book, clutter blocks, decluttering after a loss, her own losses, and grief dreams of her grandmother.

To find more about Tracy visit https://tracymccubbin.com/ or IG @tracymccubbin

E119 - Heather Stang - Mindfulness & Grief

Thu, 23 May 2019 10:39:49 -0700

You can find more about Heather here https://mindfulnessandgrief.com/

E118 - Shivy Galtere - Love Loss Light

Sat, 18 May 2019 17:58:17 -0700

Shavinder Galtere, commonly known to her friends and family as Shivy, is a Celebrity and VIP Relations Consultant to fashion and lifestyle brands. After the passing of her mother Davinder Kumaran, less than a year ago, Shivy started @lovelosslight, an Instagram account with the slogan 'let's try to understand, help + heal', with the purpose of helping others navigate through their process of grief.

In this episode we talk about the value of hard work, her love of fashion, her last time seeing her mom, the day her mom died, getting to the funeral in India, the funeral, her instagram account, and grief dreams of her mom (before and after the loss).

The Sat Nam prayer that was song at the funeral– https://youtu.be/GrzJAJhyeLQ

E117 - A Mother's Day Episode with Darwyn and Shelby

Sat, 11 May 2019 16:54:53 -0700

This is a special Mother’s Day episode where Dr. Joshua Black interviews Darwyn Dave and Shelby Forsythia. In this episode we talk about our moms, the experience of facing this day when your mom is dead, and tips for those grieving on Mother’s Day.

To find more about Darwyn visit http://www.dealingwithmygrief.com/

To find more about Shelby visit http://www.shelbyforsythia.com/

E116 - Brent and Tina Birkhoff - Heart Strings

Fri, 03 May 2019 14:38:54 -0700

Brent Birkhoff recently received his Master of Science from Marian University in Thanatology, and is Certified in Thanatology from the Association of Death Education and Counseling. He and his wife, Tina, recently started Heart Strings by Legacy Leaders, which is dedicated to ensuring that all individuals have their story told before death.

In this episode we talk about the 2019 International Death, Grief and Bereavement conference, starting Heart Stings, reflecting on legacy, their multiple losses, and Tina’s grief dream of her grandmother.

You can find more information at http://www.heartstringsmemories.com/

E115 - Medea Chechik - The Garden

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 07:27:09 -0700

Medea Bavarella Chechik is the Best Selling Author of “Facing Grief With Eyes Wide Open,” a Transformative Teacher, Transformational Facilitator and Leader, and a Master Coach. Medea is the Founder and Host of WeEvolve TV™, an online talk show, where she has interviewed many Luminaries in the field of Human Consciousness.

In this episode we talk about her search for meaning, transforming her life after the death of her son, writing poetry and her book, and a grief dream of her son.

You can find more about Medea here: http://www.masteringselftransformation.com

E114 - Judy Hinderer - A Series of Grief Dreams

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 08:00:27 -0700

Judy Hinderer is a wife and working mother. She has been fascinated and studied dreams for as long as she can remember. The dreams with her deceased father have been integral in her life and they came to her at very specific times. Even though she never had the chance to meet her father before he died, her dreams of him has connected them.

In this episode we talk about the death of her father, growing up without him, receiving his guitar, and a series of 5 grief dreams she had.

Episode 113 - Jacqui Pagobo - The A+ Student

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 08:32:20 -0700

Jacqui Pagobo has suffered great heartbreak over the years after her brother, John Joseph “JJ” Pagobo, unexpectedly passed away from a longboarding accident and medical malpractice. This April will be his 10 year death anniversary, which she will be honouring him with a memorial event. She hopes that her story can inspire others.

In this episode we talk about her brother and his death, grieving while in school, the memorial event, and grief dreams of her brother.

Episode 112 - Taz Ahmed - #GoodMuslimBadMuslim

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 10:53:21 -0700

Tanzila "Taz" Ahmed is an activist, storyteller, and politico based in Los Angeles. She currently is a Campaign Strategist at the Asian American new media organizing group 18MillionRising. She is cohost of The #GoodMuslimBadMuslim Podcast that has been featured in Oprah Magazine, Wired, and Buzzfeed as well as live shows recorded at South by Southwest and the White House.

In this episode we talk about being an activist for change, her podcast, ghosts, dreams, the death of her mother, and grief dreams of her mother.

You can find more about Taz at https://www.tazzystar.me or http://www.goodmuslimbadmuslim.com

Tickets to her LIVE Podcast on April 13, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario can be found here: https://agakhanmuseum.org/programs/comedy-from-the-other-side-of-fear-goodmuslimbadmuslim-live-podcast-taping

Episode 111 - Monica Meade - Forgiveness After Loss

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 20:49:10 -0700

Monica Meade is currently working in private practice as a clinical therapist with Whole Balance Health, specializing in Grief, and Trauma therapy utilizing EMDR (Eye Movement, Desensitization, and Reprocessing), in Colorado Springs, CO. Monica’s pursuit of becoming a grief counselor was born out of necessity. After the death of two immediate family members, she struggled to find hope for herself in the healing process. She has made it her goal to reach out to others during their grief journey to bring love and light to the healing process.

In this episode we talk about EMDR, the death of her daughter and niece, forgiveness, and grief dreams of her daughter and niece.

You can find more about Monica's private practice on Psychology Today. Additionally, here is a link to Monica's forgiveness speech https://youtu.be/JITIpN9WkKw

Episode 110 - Update with Jade Black

Sat, 30 Mar 2019 08:11:24 -0700

In this episode we talk about where she has been the last 4 months, the new podcast logo, reflections on reaching over 100 episodes, and new events we are hosting.

Episode 109 - Rebecca MacDonald - Even in Sadness, There is Beauty

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 12:13:29 -0700

Rebecca MacDonald is a self-taught memorial jewelry artist working and living in Ontario with her husband and dog. Since immigrating to Canada 10 years ago, Rebecca has experienced loss many times as she moved throughout the country. Her Grandpa has been a huge inspiration in her life and dealing with his passing from the other side of the Atlantic ocean has been one of her biggest struggles so far. By fostering connections with animals, she has also been able to connect with others. Through her work, she is learning how to manage her grief while helping others with their loss through her jewelry making.

In this episode we talk about her immigration from Ireland, her love of pets, starting her business making memorial jewelry, the death of her dog and grandpa, and a grief dream of her grandpa.

Rebecca’s work can be found on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook

@comfortconnects or on www.comfortconnects.com

Episode 108 - Kevin Toolis - The Irish Wake

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 19:59:04 -0700

Kevin Toolis is a BAFTA winning film maker and writer of the acclaimed death guide My Father’s Wake: How the Irish Teach Us to Live, Love and Die. Toolis has reported on famines, wars and plagues all over the world for The New York Times and The Guardian. As a documentary maker he has filmed in the middle east and directed the Emmy-nominated Cult of the Suicide Bomber television history series. He is also producer/ director of a compelling new stage work Wonders of the Wake that revives the lost art of Irish keening and celebrates the ancient rite of the Irish Wake.

In this episode we talk all about the Irish Wake, the death of his brother and father, grief dreams in the Irish culture, grief dreams in families of suicide bombers, and his own grief dreams of those he reports on.

You can find more about Kevin at www.myfatherswake.com or on Twitter @KevinToolis

Here is his BBC video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALT8zbjnjkY

Episode 107 - Rachel and Hannah - So Dreamy

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 16:56:18 -0800

Rachel Leoman and her cousin Hannah Brown created the podcast So Dreamy (Twitter/Insta: @SoDreamySnack) with the intent of creating a safe and fun space for dreamers to share, hear, and discuss dreams of all kinds. They both have been interested in dreams for as long as they can remember.

In this episode we talk about dreams in general, the So Dreamy Podcast, their losses (Rachel’s mom and Hannah’s brother, grandmother, and uncle), and Hannah’s dreams of her deceased grandmother.

Check out episode 14, 33, and 41 on the So Dreamy Podcast to hear them talk about specific grief dreams.

Episode 106 - Jay Perry - My Dad Got Sick

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 16:40:16 -0800

As a full-time photographer from Canada, Jay Perry has travelled the country and beyond to capture the moments and memories that matter. Following a photo trip to Haiti in 2010, Jay discovered his passion for helping others. He has since dedicated his time and talent to numerous charitable efforts, while founding his own establishment aptly named Friends With Hearts. Jay recently released his book “My Dad Got Sick” that talks about his experiences taking care of his dying father.

We talk about being in a band, becoming a photographer, starting Friends With Hearts, taking care of his dying father, writing his book, his grief, and dreams of his father.

For a closer glimpse into Jay’s life, check out www.jayperry.ca, www.friendswithhearts.com, www.mydadgotsick.com or his personal Instagram @jayperry

Episode 105 - Dr. Beth Allen (AKA Bif Naked) - Love All, Serve All

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 19:47:22 -0800

Dr. Beth Allen (AKA Bif Naked) is a prominent alternative artist, performer and songwriter. Throughout her remarkable career, Beth embarked on seemingly endless international tours, several feature films and multiple television roles, only to be struck down with breast cancer at the age of 37. She would discover her passion for advocacy, as a triumphant survivor and someone who helps others first. She wrote her biography in 2016 called “I, Bificus”.

In this episode we talk about her music career, breast cancer journey, palliative care volunteering, and death of her father, friend, and dogs.

Find more on her at Bifnaked.com, Facebook, instagram and twitter @bifnaked

Episode 104 - Heather Varner - Storms and Silver Linings

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 08:49:21 -0800

Heather Varner is an east-coast born and bred Canadian who moved to Ontario with her then-boyfriend (now-fiancé) after her mother died in 2014. In the 4.5 years since, Heather has dealt with her grief through therapy, faith, and plenty of writing. She has written pieces about grief and loss that have been published by Time, xoJane, and Elite Daily, and shares her grief journey through her Instagram account @stormsandsilverlinings. At the start of this calendar year she launched a blog called Storms and Silver Linings.

In this episode we talk about her love of reading and writing, her relationship with her mother, the death of her mother, writing her grief, and grief dreams of her mother.

Episode 103 - Aditi Loveridge - Pregnancy Loss Healing

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 10:57:36 -0800

Aditi Loveridge is a Certified Life Coach, Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, and owner of Pregnancy Loss Healing. Aditi supports mothers in their journeys after pregnancy or infant loss. Her work includes supporting mothers who have recently experienced loss, are trying to conceive after loss of any kind (pregnancy/infant loss, failed IVF, missed adoption), pregnant again after loss, and those still struggling after the birth of their baby. Aditi helps mothers who have experienced loss to reconnect with trust so that they can step beyond anxiety and fear.

In this episode we talk about her grief journey following 2 miscarriages, starting her business, issues people can face after pregnancy loss, tips for helping others through pregnancy loss, and a grief dream of her child.

You can find more about Aditi at www.pregnancylosshealing.com, on Facebook: @pregnancylosshealing, and on Instagram: @pregnancylosshealing

Episode 102 - Pennie Hunt - Green Love & Gratitude

Sun, 20 Jan 2019 15:21:57 -0800

In this episode we talk about a series of life changing events (including the death of her son and dog), her weekly blog, getting a memorial tattoo, and grief dreams of her son and dog.

You can find more information on Pennie at www.PennieHunt.com

Episode 101 - Grief Dream Recaps - E05

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 10:49:36 -0800

In this episode we recap some of the dream conversations we have had with guests since August 2018. This is episode 5.

Episode 100 - Update

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 17:58:18 -0800

In this update episode we (Joshua and Shawn) talk about reaching our 100th episode, Joshua getting his PhD, our new donation options, and plans for 2019.

An article by Brock University discussing Joshua’s research - https://brocku.ca/brock-news/2018/12/grief-dreams-can-provide-comfort-and-healing-during-holidays/

Episode 99 - Guest Update Episode - Darwyn Dave

Fri, 21 Dec 2018 18:14:24 -0800

This is our first Guest Grief Dream Update Episode with Darwyn Dave from Episode 18. In this episode we talk about his recent loss of his mother, his first grief dream of her, and preparing of the holidays.

You can find more about Darwyn at http://www.dealingwithmygrief.com

Episode 98 - Devan Christian - Grieving Over The Holidays

Mon, 17 Dec 2018 16:07:36 -0800

Devan Christian is a Registered Clinical Counsellor in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley. After experiencing many deaths in her own life, she pursued a career path in which she could support those who were experiencing their own grief and loss. Five year ago, she started working in the Hospice Child & Youth and Adult Bereavement Programs; now, she supports those in her surrounding communities with their grief, mental well-being, caregiver stress and life transitions through her private practice in Chilliwack, BC, as well as through her local Community Mental Health Centre.

In this episode we talk about her many losses, continuing bonds, starting her private practice, tips for grieving over the holidays, and her own grief dreams.

You can find more about Devan at http://www.devanceciliacounselling.com/

Blog Post - Getting Though The Holidays While Grieving http://www.devanceciliacounselling.com/blog/

Episode 97 - Joe Agostinelli - Ultimo Gifts

Sun, 16 Dec 2018 17:06:37 -0800

While sorting through his father’s belongings, Joe Agostinelli found a letter that was written to him from his father before his battle with leukemia came to an end. The letter had a profound impact on Joe, detailing his father’s love and pride, as well as his continued hopes and dreams for him. At the time of his father’s passing, Joe and his wife had just welcomed a son into the world. These two monumental events happening so close together put Joe on a path of self, societal, and (end of) life examination, inspiring him to create Ultimo Gifts, a service that allows you to keep giving gifts and heartfelt reminders after you have passed on.

In this episode we talk about his father’s illness and death, being a father himself, finding his father’s letter, Ultimo Gifts, and two dreams of his father.

You can find more about him at https://www.ultimogifts.com/, and on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @UltimoGifts

Episode 96 - Jan Warner - Grief Speaks Out

Sat, 08 Dec 2018 13:57:09 -0800

Jan Warner is the author of Grief Day by Day: Simple Practices and Daily Guidance for Living With Loss. When her beloved husband Artie died nine years ago, she felt as though she had died too. To give her life meaning after the loss she started the Grief Speaks Out Facebook page, that is a supportive worldwide community with over 2.5 million likes.

In this episode we talk about her relationship with her husband, his death and her grief, authoring her first book on grief, differences she has noticed in people’s grief, and her grief dreams of her husband.

Episode 95 - Jess Etchemendy - Leathersmith

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 18:24:00 -0800

Jess Etchemendy formed 174 Supply Company, which is a discussion of how grief can be transformed through creativity. After the death of his brother, Jess’s trade has become the vehicle he uses to transform his grief. 174 was the motorcycle numbers of his younger brother. Jess’s mission is for the world to look past my brother’s addiction to see a kid who passionately loved living and desired adventure.

In this episode we talk all about leather and being a Leathersmith, his brother’s life, addiction, how he continues a bond with his brother (e.g., riding, leathering, etc.), and grief dreams of his brother.

You can find more about Jess at https://www.174supplyco.com

Instagram: @174supplyco and @companioncollective

Episode 94 - Gary Andrews - Doodle A Day

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 06:36:38 -0800

Gary Andrews is an illustrator and animator who worked on Fireman Sam and for Disney. After his wife Joy died of Sepsis in 2017, he started to doodle his grief and share it on social media. His social media now has a world wide following. In this episode we talk about his love of art, his wife joy, her death, his and his children’s grief, doodle a day, and grief dreams he has had.

You can find more about Gary on Instagram and Twitter @garyscribbler

News article on him - https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-45893376

Video of his 2 minute animation of his life and loss - https://youtu.be/ViJw1vssKiU

Episode 93 - Rayne Benu - Orca Love Part 2

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 20:40:47 -0800

Rayne Benu is cinematographer of the award-winning documentary, The Hundred-Year-Old Whale and producer of Skaana- a podcast about orcas, oceans and the environment. A nationally published festival and theatre photographer, Rayne has a rich history creating digital and multimedia artworks, corporate design, interactive media and storytelling using metaphor, myths and symbolic languages, abstract/meditative painting and filmmaking (directing, editing, sound and video). She now lives on Vancouver Island, where she spends her free time filming local celebrities from J-Pod with her partner Mark (from Episode 92).

In this episode we discuss her love of animals, Orca filming and photography, developing a friendship with Granny (an Orca), grieving for Granny and her Pod, processing her grief through painting, her dream about Tahlequah (a grieving Orca), and a dream she wants to have of Granny and her grandmother.

You can find more about Rayne at:

The Hundred Year Old Whale:
1. on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thehundredyearoldwhale
2. Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thehundredyearoldwhale/?ref=br_rs
Skaana Podcast:

1. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mobydoll
2. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skaanapod
3. Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkaanaPod
4. Website: www.skaana.org
Personal:
1. On the Web: http://tavrayne.photos
2. Twitter: https://twitter.com/open2om
3. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tavrayne
4. Patreon film project: https://www.patreon.com/tavrayne

Episode 92 - Mark Leiren-Young - Orca Love Part 1

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 18:28:47 -0800

Mark Leiren-Young is a playwright, screenwriter, journalist, satirist, director and author. His latest book, The Killer Whale Who Changed The World, is a national bestseller. He hosts the popular podcast Skaana and wrote and directed the award-winning documentary, The Hundred-Year-Old Whale. He was described by The National Post as “Canada’s go to guy for dolphins, whales, and trees”.

In this episode we discuss everything Orca (how they live, communicate, mourn, etc.). We start off the show by talking about a mother Orca, called Tahlequah (J35), who carried her dead calf for 17 days in British Columbia this past Summer. Additionally, we talk about other Orca stories, the grandmother hypothesis, his latest Orca book and documentary, his grief when certain Orca’s have died, and a dream he wants to have of Granny (a deceased Orca).

You can find more about Mark at:

The Hundred Year Old Whale:
1. on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thehundredyearoldwhale
2. Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thehundredyearoldwhale/?ref=br_rs
Skaana Podcast:

1. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mobydoll
2. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skaanapod
3. Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkaanaPod
4. Website: www.skaana.org
Personal:

1. On the Web: http://www.leiren-young.com
2. Twitter and Instagram: @leirenyoung

Episode 91 - Haley Harris-Bloom

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 19:25:38 -0700

Haley Harris-Bloom works as a nurse in the emergency department. She enjoys the privilege of helping treat people during their most vulnerable times. After a series of close family and friends died Haley has devoted her time outside of work to researching grief. She realized a gap in grief resources for the bereaved during this process and is currently creating GriefGuide, the first interactive-self counseling app to help people navigate grief.

In this episode we talk about being a nurse, the death of 2 cousins and childhood best friend while she was in school, her Kickstarter campaign to develop the GriefGuide App, and 2 of her grief dreams.

Her Kickstarter campaign to develop the GriefGuide App can be found here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/griefguide/griefguide-the-interactive-self-counseling-app

Episode 90 - Sandra Roman

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 08:15:53 -0700

Sandra Roman is a Mother of 5 children, 1 of which is now an angel in heaven. Sandra has recently started a blog page called “Good Grief Relief” after losing her son Matthew, in 2016. In her blog she is offering support to other bereaved parents on their grief journey with child loss. She is currently working on her first book that details the tragic story of the loss of her son, Matthew and the renewed hope that she has discovered on her journey. Sandra has been involved in multiple women’s ministries in both USA and Mexico. Additionally, she is a member of International Cruise Victims, Inc. (a non-profit) in hopes of being a strong voice for awareness and lobbying congress for change.

In this episode we talk about the death of her son, rebuilding her faith, grief dreams about her son from her child and friend, her own grief dreams, and the international cruise victims organization.

You can find more about Sandra at www.goodgriefrelief.com and Instagram (@goodgriefrelief)

International Cruise Victims, Inc. - www.internationalcruisevictims.org

Episode 89 - Megan Devine

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 16:43:57 -0700

Megan Devine is a Pacific Northwest writer, speaker, and grief advocate. She is the founder of Refuge In Grief, a hub of grief education and outreach, where she leads people through some of the most devastating times of their lives. Megan is the author of the new book, It’s OK That You’re Not OK: Meeting Grief & Loss in a Culture That Doesn’t Understand. In this episode we talk about sitting with suffering, coping using the tango, the death of her husband, sleeping issues following the loss, and grief dreams of her husband.

To find more about Megan visit https://www.refugeingrief.com

Episode 88 - Barbara Morningstar

Thu, 04 Oct 2018 15:07:04 -0700

Barbara Morningstar began serving in the hospice field over twenty years ago. During that time she worked on staff at three different hospice societies within the province of British Columbia, Canada. Over her many years in the hospice field, Barbara has supported thousands of people during their tender life transition. She recently wrote a book titled “Honoring the Mystery; Uplifting Insights from the Language, Visions, and Dreams of the Dying.” In this episode we talked about how a grief dream of her friend shaped her life, experiences working in the hospice field, her new book, the death and grief dreams of her husband, and a grief dream she wants to have.

To find more about Barbara visit www.inautumnscocoon.com

Episode 87 - Joanne McCall

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 06:16:46 -0700

Joanne McCall runs Media Positioning Consultations, which helps people to become Media Darlings. Her secret sauce is helping authors, speakers, coaches and entrepreneurs position themselves and their books, deliver fantastic interviews, and capture media attention through the various media channels now available. In this episode we talk about becoming a media consultant, following your dreams, tips for getting your message out, the death of her sister, and grief dreams.

To find more about Joanne visit www.joannemccall.com

Episode 86 - Dr. Sameet Kumar

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 16:49:26 -0700

Dr. Sameet Kumar is a clinical psychologist who has worked with adults who have cancer as well as their caregivers and families for nearly 20 years. He specializes in palliative, end-of-life and bereavement care. His professional interests also include meditation, spiritual coping, resilience and well-being. He is the author of the bestselling Grieving Mindfully: A Compassionate and Spiritual Approach to Coping with Loss, The Mindful Path Through Worry and Ruminationand the workbook Mindfulness for Prolonged Grief. In this episode we talk about working with the dying and the bereaved, mindfulness, the death of his mother, and grief dreams of her.

You can find more about Dr. Sameet Kumar on twitter (@sameetkumar) and Facebook (Sameet Kumar, Ph.D.). He will be speaking next in Toronto at the International Death Symposium which goes on from Sept 21-23, 2018 (http://www.torontodeathsociety.org).

Episode 85 - Andy Zaremba

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 17:30:06 -0700

Andy Zaremba is a leader in the human consciousness and optimization communities. In 2013, Andy and his brother Mike, partnered to create the Float House franchise, Canada’s leading flotation therapy centres, which now have eight locations across Western Canada.In addition, Andy co-hosts (again with brother, Mike) the Vancouver Real podcast, a digital media leader in the human consciousness space. In this episode we talk about floating, his personal growth, the death of his grandmother, continuing bonds through ayahuasca, and a dream he wants to have of his grandmother.

You can find more about Andy here:

https://www.andyzaremba.com/

Instagram @andyzaremba

You can find more about Floating here:

https://floathouse.ca

https://floatationlocations.com

What is floating? YouTube video - https://youtu.be/kPgTiYZXGtY

Episode 84 - Orley Culverhouse

Mon, 03 Sep 2018 16:24:09 -0700

Orley Culverhouse is an accredited music therapist (MTA) and children's program coordinator working in a hospice setting. Her work includes supporting children/youth and their families facing a terminal illness or death of a loved one, as well residents of hospice and their families. In this episode we talk about music therapy, the death of her friend, and 2 grief dreams of her friend.

Two songs that remind Orley of her friend are Taylor Swift (I Knew You Were Trouble) https://youtu.be/vNoKguSdy4Y and Aqua (Dr. Jones) https://youtu.be/HKsuK3s0kcI

You can find the video version of this podcast on YouTube https://youtu.be/KCV3vta45t0

Episode 83 - Sheaya Biddle

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 20:40:18 -0700

Sheaya Biddle is a Spiritual Grief Coach, who helps grievers discover what they believe the afterlife to be, and teaches grievers how to connect with their loved ones in a way that feels calming and peaceful for them. After the sudden death of her mom, Sheaya re-routed her entire path and quit her job as a Human Resource professional after having a grief dream where her mom showed up. In this episode we talk about memories of her mom, the death of her mom, her spiritual journey, being a Spiritual Grief Coach, and 2 grief dreams of her mom.

You can find out more about Sheaya at www.sheayabiddle.com or join Grief Resilience Facebook support group at www.facebook.com/groups/griefresilience/

Episode 82 - Molly Schultz

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 16:32:13 -0700

Here is a link to the blog post Molly wrote on her Grief Dreams https://www.triedandtruemama.com/blog/grief-dreams

You can find her blog at www.triedandtruemama.com and follow along with her at @triedandtruemama on Instagram and Facebook.

Episode 81 - Isaac Taitz

Sat, 18 Aug 2018 10:55:09 -0700

Isaac Taitz is a graduate student in clinical psychology at Palo Alto University. Isaac conducted a study on the cultural differences of grief dreams. In 2012, Isaac won the Student Research Award from IASD on his honours thesis on lucid dreams in depression. Since undergraduate, he’s become interested in researching clinical applications of dreaming. In this episode we talk about lucid dreaming, his research study on grief dreams, and his dreams of the deceased.

Episode 80 - Chelsey Gallant

Thu, 09 Aug 2018 16:46:47 -0700

Chelsey Gallant is a mother of 3 children. In 2013, both her father and best friend died. In this episode we talk about her grief and spiritual journey, sobriety, and dreams of her father and best friend.

Episode 79 - Update

Tue, 31 Jul 2018 09:12:08 -0700

In this update episode we (Joshua and Shawn) talk about Shawn's first grief dream of his uncle, Paul McCartney's grief dream he shared on The Late Late Show with James Corden, our new IG TV channel, YouTube page, and website layout.

YouTube video of this podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqeI6MHUs9Y&t=38s

Paul McCartney's grief dream (go to the 5 min mark)

https://youtu.be/QjvzCTqkBDQ

Episode 78 - Grief Dream Recaps - E04

Wed, 18 Jul 2018 17:37:20 -0700

In this episode we recap some of the dream conversations we have had with guests since April 2018. This is Episode 4.

Episode 77 - Grief Dream Recaps - E03

Fri, 06 Jul 2018 06:04:56 -0700

In this episode we recap some of the dream conversations we have had with guests since January 2018. This is Episode 3.

Episode 76 - Serena Dyer

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 09:24:03 -0700

Serena Dyer has co-authored a book with her father, Dr. Wayne Dyer, titled Don’t Die With Your Music Still In You, and she is a contributor to Huffington Post, Mind Body Green, and Positively Positive. She regularly appeared on stage with her father at Hay House events and is a featured speaker at spiritual, motivational and wellness events around the United States. Her subject matter covers a wide range of topics, but she always seeks to share her personal spiritual perspective in a way that encourages introspection and personal growth. It was only 9 months ago that her stepson (Mason) died and put her on a path of self-discovery. In this episode we talk about her life with Mason, his death, her grief journey, the 3 dreams she had of him, and a dream she wants to have.

To read her blog post on her grief dreams - http://serenadyer.com/be-careful-with-your-thoughts/

Website: www.serenadyer.com

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

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

Episode 75 - Reflections of Dad: Past, Present, and Future - With Darwyn Dave

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 04:11:22 -0700

This is a special Father's Day episode where Shawn Ram interviews Joshua Black and Darwyn Dave.

Episode 74 - Sebastian Slovin

Sat, 09 Jun 2018 17:33:04 -0700

Sebastian Slovin grew up in the beach community of La Jolla, California, and spent much of his childhood in and around the ocean. As a young adult, he had the opportunity to travel extensively and experience many of the world’s great surf spots as a professional bodyboarder. He is the author of The Adventures of Enu and Ashes in the Ocean. Sebastian is also co-founder of Nature Unplugged, which focuses on cultivating healthy relationships with technology and reconnecting to nature. In this episode we talk about bodyboarding, the death of his father by suicide, his grief journey, dreams of his father, and a dream he wants to have of him.

Links:

Website: https://www.sebastianslovin.com

Book Trailer: https://vimeo.com/256088154

Nature Unplugged Website: https://www.natureunplugged.com

Social Media:

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

Instagram: @sebastianslovin

Episode 73 - Dr. Christopher Kerr

Fri, 01 Jun 2018 17:38:48 -0700

Here is the link to his TEDx Talk “I See Dead People: Dreams and Visions of the Dying?” https://youtu.be/rbnBe-vXGQM

This link to the film he is making called “Death Is But A Dream”. http://deathisbutadreamfilm.com

This link is to Hospice Buffalo https://www.hospicebuffalo.com

Episode 72 - Rev. Andrew Vitale

Wed, 23 May 2018 04:33:32 -0700

Rev. Andrew Vitale is the Bereavement Coordinator - Spiritual Counselor for Northern Illinois Hospice. He has been working in spiritual and bereavement care for over 30 years. Additionally, Andrew is on the planning committee for International Conference on Death, Grief and Bereavement at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. The conference this year is on June 3-6, 2018. In this episode we talk about the conference, his journey being a bereavement coordinator, the death of his father and friend, and a dream he wants to have. You can find more information about the conference here https://www.uwlax.edu/conted/dgb/

Episode 71 - Dallas Shirley

Sun, 20 May 2018 16:28:18 -0700

Dallas Shirley is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and BC Registered Play Therapist who provides Child, Youth, and Family Counselling for non-profit organizations and through her online private practice. She has worked at Chilliwack Hospice Society, Abbotsford Hospice Society, and Kamloops Hospice Association, and was a Grief Specialist for the Abbotsford School District. She also volunteered for 10 years at Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. Dallas is also the author of a book series called Woodland Wisdom Books, which are guides for parents, caregivers, educators, counsellors, and other adults who help to support children dealing with difficult issues. In this episode, we talk about her journey into helping bereaved children, children’s grief and their grief dreams, her grief journey, and a dream she wants to have.

You can find more about Dallas and access her blog on Supporting Children with Grief and Loss at https://dallasshirley.com/

Episode 70 - Skye Dyer

Mon, 07 May 2018 12:54:15 -0700

Skye Dyer a singer/songwriter who released her first album in 2014 called “Letting Go”. She has spent years touring on her own and with her father. The death of her father in 2015 changed her life immensely, not only in losing him as her father but also losing her stage partner. She has begun to write articles for The Reset and has recently became a mom. In this episode we talk about her journey being a new mom, her grief, continuing bonds, and dreams of her father.

You can find more about Skye at https://www.skyedyer.com, https://thereset.com/?s=Skye+Dyer, and on Instagram @skyedyer

Episode 69 - Rami Shami

Fri, 27 Apr 2018 23:21:15 -0700

Rami Shami has been serving within Hospice Palliative Care for close to thirty years. He is currently involved in an innovative and exciting project with Journey Home Hospice, that will increase accessibility of Hospice Palliative Care services to individuals who are homeless (or vulnerably housed) and living with a life limiting illness. In this episode we talk about Hospice Palliative Care, Journey Home Hospice, dreams of the deceased, and a dream he wants to have.

To find out more about Rami and Journey Home Hospice please visit:

https://www.ramishami.com

https://www.thecourseatthecentre.com

https://journeyhomehospice.ca

Episode 68 - Natalie Proulx

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 19:42:54 -0700

Natalie Proulx is a licensed funeral director, who owns and operates Facing The Sun – Funeral Celebrant, Bereavement Support and Wedding Officiant services. She is on the board of directors for Bereavement Ontario Network and has completed multiple certifications within Traumatic Loss, Child & Infant Loss, and Disenfranchised Grief. In this episode we talk about her journey into being a funeral director, pregnancy and infant loss, her own miscarriage, dreams of miscarriage, and a dream she wants to have.

To know more about Natalie please visit http://facingthesun.life/

Episode 67 - Daniella Grsic

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 12:50:37 -0700

Daniella Grsic is a children’s author and Registered Early Childhood Educator with the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board. Daniella has published two children’s books entitled Deep Down Inside and Lucky Stars. In this episode we talk about her books, the death of two family members and two dogs, dreams of them, and a dream she wants to have.

To learn more about Daniella please visit www.DaniellaGrsic.ca

Episode 66 - Christine Bergsma

Sat, 14 Apr 2018 17:33:25 -0700

Christine Bergsma is an award-winning screenwriter and course developer. In partnership with professionals in the fields of psychology and medicine, Bergsma created Journaling Through, a collection of Guided Self-Help Journals designed to help others navigate their respective “rollercoaster” life experiences. In this episode we talk about life in South Africa, the benefits of journaling, the death and dream of her aunt, and a dream she wants to have.

To know more about Christine, please visit https://www.journalingthrough.ca

Episode 65 - Rabbi Daniel Cohen

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 18:05:50 -0700

Rabbi Daniel Cohen has served in the rabbinate for over twenty years and currently serves as senior Rabbi at Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford, CT, the largest modern orthodox synagogue in New England. He is also co-host with Reverend Greg Doll of the nationally syndicated radio show "The Rabbi and the Reverend" Sunday mornings at 11 AM and evenings at 9 PM. He speaks frequently on leading a life of legacy, and is the author of the new book, What Will They Say About You When You're Gone: Creating a Life of Legacy. In this episode we talk his journey being a rabbi, legacy, courage, the death of his mother, and a dream he wants to have of her.

To know more about Rabbi Daniel Cohen you can visit https://www.rabbidanielcohen.com/

Episode 64 - Annah Elizabeth

Mon, 02 Apr 2018 17:43:32 -0700

Annah Elizabeth is The Five Facets founder and creator of The Five Facets Philosophy on Healing™. She is a guest lecturer, workshop facilitator, Continuing Ed instructor, published author, speaker, personal coach, and a dually-certified energy healer and instructor. In this episode we talk about The Five Facets, the death of her son, the dream that saved her life, and a dream she wants to have.

To find more about Annah you can visit her Website: ‪thefivefacetsofhealing.com, Facebook: @annahelizabethhealgrief, IG: @thefivefacetsofhealing, Twitter: @thefivefacets, or LinkedIn: Annah Elizabeth

Episode 63 - Barbara Gaughen-Muller

Tue, 27 Mar 2018 06:51:30 -0700

Barbara Gaughen-Muller, President of the United Nations Association (Santa Barbara Tri-County chapter), speaker, and co-author of Revolutionary Conversations. Barbara experienced unstoppable fires that raged for weeks throughout her community, only to be shortly followed by a wave of deadly mudslides. Something unexpected emerged from this horrible situation: peace. In this episode we talk about her journey into being part of the UN, the fires and floods, finding peace, death of her husband, dreams she had of him, and a dream she wants to have.

Check out these links to find more about Barbara:

https://www.thriveglobal.com/authors/7554-barbara-gaughen-muller

http://www.revolutionaryconversations.net

https://www.unasb.org

Episode 62 - Christopher Hall

Sat, 17 Mar 2018 10:33:45 -0700

Christopher Hall is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement. He is a psychologist who has developed a specialization in the field of grief and bereavement over the past 25 years. Chris has trained many health and education professionals in grief theory and interventions both in Australia and internationally. In this episode we discuss his journey into the field, the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement, the death and dreams of his father, and a dream he wants to have. You can find Chris on Twitter @cwhall or at the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement (www.grief.org.au).

Episode 61 - Mary Jo Heyen

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 16:27:37 -0700

Mary Jo Heyen, M.Ed., is a Natural Dreamwork practitioner and meditation practitioner. A most precious and humble part of Mary Jo’s dream practice is as a hospice volunteer, a dream specialist, exploring the dreams and visions of those dying in hospice, their families and grief groups. In this episode we talk about her journey with dreams, dreams of the dying and the bereaved, the death of her father, a grief dream she had, and a dream she would like to have with her father. For more information on Mary Jo please visit https://maryjoheyen.com

Episode 60 - Matthew Kocel

Sat, 24 Feb 2018 20:37:14 -0800

Matthew Kocel is a throat singer, sound healer, multi-instrumentalist, composer and recording artist with over 3 decades experience as a performer and multi-disciplinary healing arts practitioner. Accompanied by humble acoustic instruments and ancient technology, Matthew's live performances have impacted people from all walks of life internationally from Canada & USA to Central and South America. His music defies conventional labels and truly must be experienced to understand. For more information on Matthew please visit his website: OmShaman.com , Facebook: Matthew Kocel Cosmic Throat Singer, Twitter: @matthewkocel, or Instagram: @matthew_sound_healing

In this episode we talk about his journey into throat singing, being with his father as he was dying from cancer, a grief dream of his father and dogs, and a dream he wants to have of his mother.

Episode 59 - Justina Gioia

Mon, 12 Feb 2018 20:40:11 -0800

Justina Gioia is a Sex, Love & Relationship Coach and law of attraction expert. She works with both men and women who are experiencing issues in the realm of sex, love and relationships. In this episode we talk about her journey into her field, Valentine’s Day, the death of her dog and grandmother, a dream of her grandmother, and a party grief dream she wants to have.

To see resources we talked about in this episode (e.g. meditation, photos of the jewelry box, etc.) please visit http://www.justinagioia.com/griefdreams

Episode 58 - Melissa Lyons

Sat, 03 Feb 2018 17:46:02 -0800

Melissa Lyons is the author of the picture book “I will Always Love You”. Melissa is passionate about comforting, healing, and cultivating a mindset that allows us to get the most out of our experiences. Her mission is to share the joy and freedom that is created when we live in the moment and consciously choose our thoughts and reactions. In this episode we talk about her journey into writing, the death of her pets, and a dream she wants to have of her deceased grandparents.

To know more about Melissa please visit www.ChooseToChoose.Today

Episode 57 - Eileen Doyon

Sat, 13 Jan 2018 18:39:17 -0800

Eileen Doyon is an author. Her book series is called Unforgettable Faces and Stories. She has released seven books to date with her most recent being “Starting Over, Stories of New Beginnings”. In this episode we talk about her writing career, the power of writing your own story, the death of her parents and brother, and dreams she had of them.

For more information you can visit her website www.UnforgettableFacesandStories.com, join her Facebook page Unforgettable Faces And Stories, or follow her on Twitter @FacesandStories

Episode 56 - Grief Dream Recaps - E02

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 12:19:53 -0800

In this episode we recap some of the dreams guests have shared of their deceased loved ones. This is Episode 2.

Episode 55 - Grief Dream Recaps - E01

Sat, 23 Dec 2017 15:23:36 -0800

In this episode we recap some of the dreams guests have shared of their deceased loved ones. This is Episode 1.

Episode 54 - Update and Contest

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 19:40:55 -0800

In this update episode we (Shawn, Joshua, and Jade) talk about the journey this last year with the podcast, Joshua’s love for dreams, our next episodes, the contest, and what dream of the deceased we want to have this Christmas.

Contest Details: Jade Karling Black will be giving away one free Coaching Package ($500 value). This package includes 4 one-on-one coaching sessions (in person, Skype, or via phone) and 4 written reports (for details see her website at Jadekarlingcoaching.com). To be entered into the contest please email Jade (Jadekarlingcoaching@outlook.com) about your favorite Grief Dreams Podcast episode and what benefit this package will have on your life. This contest ends on Jan 14th, 2018.

Episode 53 - Steve Leder

Sat, 25 Nov 2017 18:31:21 -0800

Steve Leder is the Senior Rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles and the author of such critically acclaimed books as The Extraordinary Nature of Ordinary Things and More Money Than God: Living a Rich Life without Losing Your Soul. He has just published his new book titled More Beautiful Than Before. In this episode we talk about how he found his calling to be a Rabbi, his own pain and depression, how suffering can transform, forgiveness, grief dreams, his father’s Alzheimer’s, dreams he has of his father now, and a dream he would want to have.

Here is a link to his sermon titled "What I have learned about death" that he discusses on the podcast http://jewishjournal.com/culture/religion/yom_kippur/225598/what-have-i-learned-about-death/

Episode 52 - Shelby Forsythia

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 10:11:28 -0800

Shelby Forsythia is an Intuitive Grief Guide and host of the podcast Coming Back: Conversations on life after loss. After her mom’s death in 2013, she became what she calls a “student of grief” and now writes, speaks, and teaches others about the transformational power of grief and loss. Shelby is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist® and Reiki Practitioner. In this episode we talk about her journey with grief, her podcast, dreams of her mom, and a dream she wants to have of her.

For more of her work and to listen to her podcast visit http://www.shelbyforsythia.com/

Episode 51 - Brian Lehmann

Thu, 09 Nov 2017 07:05:34 -0800

Brian Lehmann's photography career has taken him to over 30 countries around the world. Brian’s excitement and energy toward photography are displayed in the speaking engagements and workshops he teaches. Although most proud of his Fulbright scholarship, he’s been published worldwide in newspapers and magazines. He first appeared in National Geographic Magazine in April 2015 after documenting a unique death culture in Indonesia. In this episode we talk about his photography career, his series called ‘The Living Dead’, dreams of two influential photo editors and his grandmother, and a dream he wants to have.

To find more about Brian and see his photography visit http://www.brianlehmann.com or on Instagram @brianlehmannphotography

Episode 50 - Anna Seewald

Thu, 02 Nov 2017 10:21:43 -0700

Anna Seewald is the founder of Authentic Parenting®. She is a speaker, author and a parent educator. As a child she survived through a severe earthquake, but her young mom died (among others). She has been through trauma, pain, and a lot suffering. With a strong passion helping children, Anna dedicated her life working with abused, neglected, orphaned, institutionalized children and juvenile delinquents. After nearly 20 years she realized that it is through helping parents she can help children. In this episode we talk about her life after the earthquake, her grief journey, authentic parenting, grief dreams, and a dream she wants to have of her mom.

You can find more about Anna at www.authenticparenting.com

Episode 49 - Steve Morrison

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 14:17:05 -0700

Steve Morrison is an ordained minister and has officiated over 1200 funerals. In 2016 Steve launched his own business called Oh My Grief which provides information and resources to individuals, as well as education and training for professional organizations. He is presently working on his Doctor of Ministry where he is considering the relationship between faith and grief. In this episode we talk about funerals, Oh My Grief, his PhD topic, dreams in the Bible, powerful dreams in his life, the death of his friends, a grief dream of one of them, and a dream he would like to have.

For more information about Steve visit www.ohmygrief.com

Episode 48 - Diane Murphy

Thu, 05 Oct 2017 09:43:13 -0700

Diane is a Family Support Coordinator for DonateLife Queensland in Australia. She is an accredited Mental Health Social Worker with almost forty years of experience in counselling, employee relations practitioner, consultant, and mediator operating within the public and private sectors including as a guest specialist lecturer at Australian Catholic University. Diane has provided bereavement counselling for families of DonateLife over seventeen years and has extensive knowledge of the issues relevant to families on the grief journey. She works from a strengths-based and values-aware position in her counselling and coordination role. In this episode Diane talks about her journey working with the bereaved, grief dreams in her practice, the death of her parents and her baby (through miscarriage), and her dreams of her parents.

Episode 47 - Robin Chodak

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 18:39:07 -0700

Robin Chodak is a Certified Grief, Life, and Spiritual Coach, a Certified Master NLP Practitioner and a Reiki Practitioner. Robin left her job as a computer software systems analyst for over 20 years after the suicide of her husband in 2005. Her journey led to her transformation. She discovered new passions, to write, to teach, to encourage and to coach others. In this episode we talk about the death of her husband, the struggles of dealing with a death by suicide, a dream she had of him, and a dream she wants to have.

For more information about Robin go to: http://www.robinchodak.com

Episode 46 - Mary Howe

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 17:38:17 -0700

Mary Howe is the Founder and Director of the not-for-profit business SonFlower Stables. Her success is focused on her ability to intuitively connect with the horses, and empathically connect with each participant of the various programs in an effort to heal mental and psychological trauma. In this episode Mary talks about how horses saved her life, her non-profit organization, death of her horse, a dream she had of it, and a dream she wants to have.

For more information http://sonflowerstables.com

Episode 45 - Dr. Tim Murphy

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 09:22:51 -0700

Dr. Tim Murphy is an associate professor of Psychology at Brock University; however, his path was not exactly straight. He was heavily involved as a drummer in competitive pipe bands and even won a world championship in 1987. After his math degree he drove a truck for 7 years during which time, he met Wendy, a wonderful woman he would eventually marry. She convinced him to return to university and they completed M.A. degrees in Psychology at Brock University and had just begun their PhDs when Wendy passed away. In 1997 he created a scholarship in Wendy’s name (https://brocku.ca/social-sciences/departments-and-centres/psychology/graduate-programs/current-students/wendy-murphy ) and continues to raise funds to support it by running a golf tournament each fall (this year it is on Sept 9th, 2017).

To know more about Tim please see (https://brocku.ca/psychology/people/murphy.htm )

Episode 44 - Allen Klein

Fri, 18 Aug 2017 06:58:03 -0700

Allen Klein is an award winning professional speaker and best-selling author of 25 books. A couple book titles include: The Healing Power of Humor, Learning to Laugh When You Feel Like Crying, and You Can’t Ruin My Day. In this episode we talk about his journey into being a writer and public speaker, the death of his wife, the dreams he had with her, and a dream he wants to have.

You can find more about him at www.allenklein.com

60 Seconds of Happy BLOG: http://bottomlineinc.com/blogs/60-seconds-of-happy

TEDx talk: https://youtu.be/rqPu52vWpJA

Episode 43 - Cheryl Jones

Wed, 09 Aug 2017 17:43:27 -0700

Cheryl Jones is Manager of Professional Education at the Women’s Cancer Resource Center (Oakland, CA), where she developed, manages and teaches in their Continuing Education program. Also, Cheryl is the host of the radio show Good Grief, a grief counselor, and cancer educator. In this episode we talk about her journey with her dying wife, her grief, her radio show, dreams she has had of her, and a dream she wants to have. You can find more about Cheryl at www.weatheringgrief.com

Episode 42 - Bonnie Tompkins

Sun, 30 Jul 2017 08:01:41 -0700

Bonnie Tompkins holds a Bachelor of Public Health with a specializing in Palliative Care. She currently works with Pallium Canada as the Compassionate Communities National Lead, which has her focusing on mobilizing compassionate communities across Canada. She has also lead two compassionate community (CC) initiative in Burlington and Niagara West Ontario. We talked about her work with compassionate communities, her journey with her dying husband, her grief journey, dreams of him, and a dream she wants to have of him.

You can follow Bonnie on Twitter @ph4pc

Episode 41 - Justin Wren

Thu, 20 Jul 2017 05:33:01 -0700

Justin Wren left a promising mixed martial arts career to live as one with the Mbuti Pygmies in the Congo. Through his foundation, Fight for the Forgotten, and other benefactors, Wren helped the Pygmies secure their own land and drill wells to support their community. Now with a new motivation for competing, Justin currently fights in Bellator MMA and with every opportunity tells the story of his Pygmy family in the Congo. Defend the weak, love the unloved, empower the voiceless. In this episode, we get to hear Justin's story, find out what motivates him, talk loss, and Justin tells us about some power visions and dreams that have guided him in his journey.

You can get involved here: http://www.water4.org/fightfortheforgotten/ with Fight for the Forgotten

Get involved with the Lacor, Uganda campaign (DIG DEEPER): www.water4.org/digdeeper

Watch a video from Justin:

Justin Wren's Facebook Video

Get Justin's Book Here

Episode 40 - Jeannette Thompson

Tue, 11 Jul 2017 07:40:47 -0700

Jeannette Thompson works as a spiritual grief counselor and a workshop facilitator. Her life forcefully changed direction after the death of her son. During the next few years her search for answers turned into furthering her education. She trained as a Grief Counsellor at Mohawk College, and trained as a volunteer Crisis worker for the Sexual Assault Centre and the Distress Centre. She then became certified as a Spiritual Psychotherapist and Spiritual Director through the Transformational Arts College of Spiritual and Holistic Training. To find more information on Jeannette please visit her website: http://spiritual-counselling.com In this episode she talks about her life as a mom, the death of her son, how she coped, the dreams that helped her prepare for his death, and a dream she wants to have of him.

Episode 39 - Rachel Gebler Greenberg

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 08:36:39 -0700

Rachel Gebler Greenberg is a writer, storyteller and Ambassador with One Legacy, the Southern California chapter for organ donation where she speaks frequently about death, grief and finding hope after loss. In 1999 she met and married the love of her life, Glenn and then in 2013 he passed away suddenly and unexpectedly from a brain hemorrhage. After the sudden passing of her husband Rachel was thrown into this thing called “grief.” She’s spent the last four years studying what happens to us when we die and has started a foundation, “Connections of Hope,” where she helps others with their grief and finding hope after loss. Rachel talks about her life as a Park Ranger’s daughter, the death of her husband, and 3 dreams she had of him.

Episode 38 - Nicole Meredith

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 11:09:49 -0700

After graduating from Canada’s National Ballet School, Nicole Meredith went on to complete both her B.A. and M.A. in English at the University of Toronto. Nicole currently works full-time in communications and marketing, and is a freelance editor and writer. Her two published booked Waiting to Happen: Accidental Injuries in Canada and Outsights: Social Inequalities in Canada can be found here https://www.amazon.com/Nicole-Meredith/e/B01NHAB27G In this episode we talk about her journey into ballet and writing, the death of her grandfather, and what dream she would want to have of him.

Episode 37 - Father's Day Podcast with Darwyn Dave

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 05:27:00 -0700

Episode 37 is a special Father's Day Podcast with Darwyn Dave. In this episode we catch up with Darwyn, get the scoop on a conference Joshua attended in La Crosse, Wisconsin (The International Death, Grief and Bereavement Conference), and Joshua and Darwyn talk Father's Day. Both Joshua and Darwyn's fathers' have passed away so we get their perspective of this holiday, and we build some dreams for both in honour of their fathers'. This podcast is dedicated to them, as well as all father's alive and passed away.

Episode 36 - Caitlyn Gallant

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 17:29:18 -0700

Caitlyn Gallant is currently working towards her Master of Arts in Psychology (Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience) at Brock University. The overarching goal of Caitlyn’s research is to aid in the prevention of mild head injuries and educate others about their behavioural, cognitive, and social consequences. Currently, her research focuses on concussive and subconcussive injuries in sports and how they can affect socioemotional functions, such as theory of mind and empathy. Here is Caitlyn's Research Article. In this episode we talk about her research, the death of her grandfather, dreams she had of him, and want dream she wants to have.

Episode 35 - Mellie Fricker

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:50:16 -0700

In Episode 35 (with guest host Jade Black), we had the pleasure to talk with Mellie Fricker. After losing her grandmother in the summer of 2015, Mellie began exploring her grief. She has become passionate about living life to the fullest, which she believes to be her grandmother's legacy. In this episode we talk about her studying Transpersonal Counselling Psychology, the death of her grandmother, how she continues the bond, a dream she had of her, and what dream she would want to have.

Episode 34 - Jana DeCristofaro

Mon, 29 May 2017 18:32:20 -0700

Jana DeCristofaro (a Licensed Clinical Social Worker), is the Coordinator of Children's Grief Services at The Dougy Center for Grieving Children & Families in Portland, Oregon. She is also the host of the Dear Dougy podcast which focuses on opening up the often avoided conversation about grief. You can find the The Dougy Center podcast at https://www.dougy.org/grief-resources/podcasts/. In this episode we talk about her journey as a social worker, the many deaths she has experienced, and a dream she wants to have.

Episode 33 - Patrick Beedling

Sun, 21 May 2017 16:37:11 -0700

Patrick Beedling works as a psychotherapist (with people who are recovering from motor vehicle accidents) and is the singer-songwriter in the indie rock project named Barbarosa (www.barbarosa.ca). In this episode we talk about our days in high school, his journey into music, the death of his friend, and a dream he wants to have. At the end of the episode you can hear his song "These Lanes".

Episode 32 - Sharon Ehlers

Thu, 11 May 2017 08:12:53 -0700

In Episode 32 (with guest host Jade Black), we had the pleasure to talk with Sharon Ehlers. Sharon is the founding member of Grief Reiki® LCC. She is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist® with the Grief Recovery Institute®, a Reiki Master Teacher, and an author. In this episode we talk about her journey into Grief Reiki, the loss of her multiple losses (friends, former fiance, and father), and the dreams she had of them. You can find more about Sharon at www.grief-reiki.com

Episode 31 - Sabrina Must

Wed, 03 May 2017 20:22:58 -0700

Sabrina Must uses the written word to inspire others to be authentic and raw. She is the author of "Must Girls Love", a memoir, and "Living Witnesses", a Holocaust survivor series. In this episode we talk about her journey into writing, the death of her sister, grief after suicide, forgiveness, and a dream about her sister. You can find more about Sabrina at www.SabrinaMust.com

Episode 30 - J. Wesley

Sun, 30 Apr 2017 07:56:21 -0700

In Episode 30 (with guest host Jade Black), we had the pleasure to talk with J. Wesley (a prose poet). Much of his work aims to inspire while focusing on relationships from a male perspective. In this episode we talk about his journey into writing, his first book "From Heartbreak to Love Notes", the death of his grandmother and friends, and a dream of his friends. His work can be found on www.writehiswrongs.com.

Episode 29 - Katie Faust

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 15:22:20 -0700

Katie Faust is a second year student in the MA program in Applied Health Sciences (Health and Physical Education) at Brock University. Her research explores the culture of grief in sport. In this episode we talk about her love for rugby, the death of her teammate, and her research.

Episode 28 - Tania Joy Antonio

Sat, 22 Apr 2017 07:28:08 -0700

In Episode 28 (with guest host Jade Black), we had the pleasure to speak with Tania Joy Antonio. Tania is the Author of “THE AFFIRMATION STATION”. In this episode we talk about her book, affirmations, the loss of her father, and the dreams of him. For more information about her and her book visit www.taniaantonio.com

Episode 27 - Jessica Leung

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 08:35:33 -0700

Jessica Leung is a Chinese-Canadian singer-songwriter from Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. She talks about singing the national anthem at the Toronto Raptors basketball games, her musical journey, and the loss of her grandparents. At the end of the episode you can hear Jessica’s song “Thank You, I Love You”. You can find more about Jessica on SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/jessleungmusic).

Episode 26 - Update

Fri, 14 Apr 2017 18:40:07 -0700

Episode 26 is a quick update podcast with Joshua and Shawn. We talk about our goal to start releasing 2 episodes a week, our next update podcast (Q & A), and Shawn's management style at work.

Episode 25 - Dr. Mari Dias

Sun, 09 Apr 2017 08:16:08 -0700

Dr. Mari Dias is a full professor in Counseling at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and a Master’s degree in Counseling. Mari is a nationally certified counselor and holds certifications in both grief counseling (Institute of Health Care Professionals), and complicated grief (from Columbia University). In addition, Mari holds a fellowship in Thanatology (from Association for Death Education and Counseling), is a volunteer for hospice with both end of life and bereavement support, Director of GracePointe Grief Center and talk show host of “Journeys with GracePointe Grief (www.gracepointegrief.com). She is currently working on her first novel “Life of Sighs” which focuses on loss and grief. Mari talks about her life journey, loss of her grandmother and father, and a dream of her father.

Episode 24 - Megan Brain

Fri, 31 Mar 2017 19:42:47 -0700

Megan Brain specializes in paper sculpture designs and has been primarily creating work for the Walt Disney Imagineering division. She has exhibited her work in galleries and her paper sculptures have been featured in children’s television shows (e.g. Tangled Before Ever After in 2017), TV commercials (e.g. Toujeo in 2015), and film (e.g. end credits for Dreamworks "Madagascar 2" in 2008, and paper character designs for Laika’s “Kubo and the Two Strings” in 2016). Megan talks about her mother's dementia, her death, and the dream of her. You can find more information about Megan on her website (www.meganbrain.com) or on Instagram (@mb_papersculpt).

Episode 23 - Dr. Corrine Seeley

Sun, 26 Mar 2017 09:44:51 -0700

In Episode 23 (with guest host Jade Black), we had the pleasure to talk with Dr. Corrine Seeley. Corrine is a pediatric sleep specialist and sleep educator at Rebirth Wellness Centre and founder of Baby Sleep Solutions by Dr Seeley (www.sleepbydrseeley.com). After 10 years in the sleep research (Ph.D. in Sleep Neuroscience) and becoming a mom herself, she has dedicated her professional life to sharing her expertise with families and helping parents achieve great sleep for their babies. Corrine shares about the death of her grandmother.

Episode 22 - Manolo Orellana

Sat, 18 Mar 2017 06:32:13 -0700

In Episode 22 (with guest co-host Jade Black), we had the pleasure to talk with Manolo Orellana (a member of the Grief Dreams Facebook Group). Along his journey he has lost many loved ones and has faced a considerable amount of obstacles. He has managed to keep his sanity and with that, hopes to help anyone listening to find their light. He talks about the death of his father, brother, friend, and dogs. He shares a couple dreams that he had of his brother. Manolo would like to give his respects to Mynor, Botts, Colin, Kilo, and Jermain, who were all good friends that he didn’t mention on air “RIP My Brothers”.

Episode 21 - Ashley-Ann Pereira

Fri, 10 Mar 2017 18:58:25 -0800

By day Ashley-Ann Pereira works for the Canadian Red Cross and by night is the Co-Founder of Dreams Inc. (www.dreamsincorporated.today). She is a Social Service Worker graduate from Sheridan College who loves working with youth. Giving back and empowering youth is her purpose in life. Ashley-Ann talks about her loss and dreams of her grandmother.

Episode 20 - Brian Boye

Sat, 04 Mar 2017 07:21:49 -0800

Brian Boye has been making independent films for over 15 years. He has to wrote, directed, and produced several award-winning films across a variety of genres. In 2011, Brian began work on his feature-length documentary “Famous Last Words,” spending four years seeking out compelling stories and carefully crafting them together. The film explores what happens when you say goodbye to a loved one for the last time, what was said, and how you grow from the lessons you learned throughout the grief process (www.famouslastwordsfilm.com). Brian talks about dreams he has had of his deceased friend (Bill).

Episode 19 - Dr. Malvina Skorska

Sat, 25 Feb 2017 10:16:48 -0800

Dr. Malvina Skorska recently received her PhD in Psychology from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario. The focus of her research is on the development of sexual orientation with a focus on more biological explanations. She is currently continuing this work in a postdoctoral fellowship at Brock University working with Dr. Anthony Bogaert. On the podcast she shares about her loss and dreams about her dog (Max). Here is Malvina's ReasechGate page https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Malvina_Skorska

Episode 18 - Darwyn Dave

Sat, 18 Feb 2017 12:58:19 -0800

Darwyn Dave is an IT consultant by day and a photographer by night who resides in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. In January of 2016 he started the “Dealing with My Grief” podcast as a way of chronicling his personal grief recovery process. To listen to his podcast please visit www.dealingwithmygrief.com

Episode 17 - Jenn Trussell

Sat, 11 Feb 2017 17:39:43 -0800

In Episode 17 (with guest co-host Jade Black) we had the pleasure to talk with Jen Trussell. Jen is a 5th generation Funeral Director. She became licensed as a Funeral Director in 2004 and currently holds a valid license. In 2012 she completed her Yoga Teaching Training and developed a Holistic Grief Yoga Program. Her website is www.heartshealing.me

Episode 16 - Update with Jade Black

Sat, 04 Feb 2017 12:59:35 -0800

In episode 16 we introduce our new guest co-host Jade Karling Black (from episode 3). We talk about a new grief dreams she had, the Koala Bear Challenge, and a dream Joshua received from a mother who lost her son.

Episode 15 - Caroline Drolet

Fri, 27 Jan 2017 07:17:23 -0800

Caroline Drolet is in the PhD program at Brock University with research interests in belief in a just world, victim blaming, hypocrisy induction paradigm, in/out-group biases, human rights, and prejudice. You can find her published research on researchgate (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Caroline_Drolet).

Episode 14 - Kimberly Ryan

Sat, 14 Jan 2017 13:59:09 -0800

Kimberly Ryan works for Bereaved Families of Ontario in Hamilton (Ontario) as the Manager of Programs and Volunteer Services. Additionally, she holds weekend wellness retreats to bereaved moms (www.bereavedmothersretreat.com) and runs a festival called Angelfest. Kimberly talks about the sudden death of her 27 year old son and the dreams she had of him.

Episode 13 - Richard Hutton

Sat, 24 Dec 2016 09:05:51 -0800

Richard Hutton is a Reporter-Photographer for Niagara this Week, covering Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Richard has won a pair of Ontario Community Newspaper Awards for his work and has been recognized for his long-time commitment to the industry with the OCNA's Silver Quill Award. Richard discusses the loss of his father and pet cat.

Episode 12 - Mark Gowland

Wed, 07 Dec 2016 16:22:58 -0800

Mark Gowland is the founder of the largest colour festival in Canada called A MidSummers Dream (http://www.midsummersdream.ca). It is a day of music, yoga, meditation, colour, and festivities.

Episode 11 - Update

Wed, 30 Nov 2016 12:59:00 -0800

In episode 11 we (Joshua Black and Shawn Ram) review the journey so far since starting the Grief Dreams Podcast. Shawn's cousin (Justin Ram) sits in on the conversation.

Episode 10 - Dr. Kerri Michalica

Tue, 22 Nov 2016 14:02:19 -0800

In episode 10 we had the pleasure to discuss breath work with Dr. Kerri Michalica.

Episode 9 - Travis Hodges

Fri, 04 Nov 2016 19:34:00 -0700

Travis Hodges is in the PhD program at Brock University investigating stress in rats and the impact it has on the brain. You can find his published research on google scholar (https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=at1OhXYAAAAJ&hl=en).

Episode 8 - Marybeth Haines

Wed, 19 Oct 2016 20:54:08 -0700

Marybeth Haines is an author, speaker, and educator on pet loss (www.powerofpets365.com).

Episode 7 - Firoz Alam

Tue, 20 Sep 2016 05:19:56 -0700

Firoz Alam is the founder and president of We Foundation Bangladesh (www.wefoundationbd.org) that provides education to 400 under privileged children of Bangladesh. He is currently at Brock University studying Social Justice and Equity Studies for his Master's.

Episode 6 - Dr. Joan Olinger/Ruth Edgett

Tue, 16 Aug 2016 20:04:52 -0700

In episode 6 we had the pleasure to talk with Dr. Joan Olinger and Ruth Edgett who are writing a book called The Meaning Of Forever. They are currently looking for submissions of personal stories that showcase the soul living on after death (deadline is Sept 1, 2016). To learn more about the book and how to submit your story please visit

www.meaningofforever.wordpress.com

Episode 5 - Christina Walton

Sun, 24 Jul 2016 17:52:52 -0700

Christina Walton is a registered marriage and family therapist, funeral director, and the clinical director at Camp Erin Hamilton. You can find more information about her at www.christinawalton.ca

Episode 4 - Mojan Naisani

Sun, 03 Jul 2016 06:47:45 -0700

Mojan Naisani is in the MA program at Brock University investigating the effects that mindfulness has on well-being.

Episode 3 - Jade Black

Sat, 30 Apr 2016 18:14:28 -0700

In episode 3 of the Grief Dreams Posdcast we had the please to talk with Jade Karling Black (the editor of the Grief Dreams Website newsletter and co-author of 2 grief dream academic articles).
Jade has authored her own book entitled Quiet Mind, Open Heart. You can also find out more about her on the grief dreams website http://www.griefdreams.ca/grief-dreams-team/

Episode 2 - Ola Kiermacz/Chloe Rabideau

Mon, 11 Apr 2016 15:55:51 -0700

Note: This podcast was a last minute blessing so the audio quality is not the best due to ambient noise. We interview musicians Ola Kiermacz and Chloe Rabideau at Ola's family chocolate store, located in St.Catharines Ontario.

Episode 1 - Introductions

Sun, 20 Mar 2016 19:52:54 -0700

In this introduction to the Grief Dreams Podcast, duo Joshua Black and Shawn Ram embark on their quest to provide comfort and fresh insight into the ambiguous world of death and dreaming about our loved ones, the grieving process and finding meaning (or not) and peace.