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What happens when everything in your life changes at once? For Angela Clement, retirement plans with her husband transformed into a cancer diagnosis, and then widowhood. Rather than remain stuck in her grief, Angela followed a calling toward energy healing that had fascinated her since witnessing a healer help her son years earlier.

The conversation reveals practical energy techniques, like "the triple warmer smoothie" that anyone can use during acute grief episodes. She explains how various modalities—Reiki, shamanic practices, sound healing, cranial sacral therapy—provide different pathways to release emotional blockages that grief creates.

Most powerfully, Angela reframes how we understand grief itself. Rather than seeing it as something to overcome, she views grief as "a God-given process that helps us through when we need to let go." This perspective recognizes grief as a natural companion to all of life's transitions. The emotions we typically resist during grief—anger, jealousy, guilt—become catalysts for healing when we learn to lean into rather than avoid them.

The discussion offers hope that grief work isn't just about surviving loss but potentially transforming through it. Angela describes how grief "bursts" that seem like setbacks might actually be communications from loved ones or opportunities for deeper healing.

Angela welcomes grievers to join her free support group , and shares information about her book "Awakening Through Grief." Her gentle approach demonstrates that while we can't eliminate grief, we can develop a healthier relationship with it through energy practices that honor our whole being—body, mind, and spirit.

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When the person who helps others through grief suddenly faces devastating loss themselves, what happens? Steve Moore, a licensed clinical professional counselor with 22 years of experience, joins us to share his powerful journey through grief after losing his wife MaryAnn in August 2024.

Steve brings a uniquely qualified perspective to grief counseling. He found himself navigating anticipatory grief when his wife developed a rare genetic condition, leading him to step away from his practice temporarily to become her full-time caregiver.

"The first rule of thumb for me as a counselor is take care of me first," Steve explains. This seemingly counterintuitive approach mirrors the airplane oxygen mask analogy - secure your own before helping others. Through seeking counseling himself and attending grief groups, Steve demonstrates how mental health professionals must practice the self-care they preach.

What makes this conversation particularly illuminating is Steve's willingness to discuss vulnerability in the therapeutic relationship. Rather than diminishing his effectiveness, he believes that appropriately sharing his grief journey with clients creates deeper empathetic connections and therapeutic bonds. His metaphor comparing finding the right therapist to trying on clothes ("you'll know when you feel like you've made a connection") offers practical wisdom for anyone seeking support.

Steve closes with a beautiful anonymous poem that captures the transformation of grief: "You never truly move on. You move with it." This episode reminds us that grief professionals aren't immune to loss - their human experiences often deepen their capacity to guide others through similar journeys.

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To Reach Steve:
Email: serenity_counseling_services@outlook.com

Credits:
Music by Kevin MacLeod

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Kathy welcomes Erin Whalen, founder of Compassionate Coaching, for a fascinating exploration of how innovative approaches to storytelling and communication can transform the caregiving experience. Drawing from her background in professional acting, Erin reveals how Playback Theater—a unique art form where actors immediately perform the personal stories shared by audience members—creates powerful moments of catharsis and perspective for those navigating grief.

"We play back not just for the sake of playing it back. It's really a way to get to the heart of the story," Erin explains, describing how this approach helps people process complex emotions by witnessing their experiences from new angles. The conversation delves into how these performances can become touchstones in a griever's journey, with moments that resonate years later.

Beyond theatrical approaches, the episode offers practical wisdom for anyone supporting those facing end-of-life situations. Erin shares insights from her work training healthcare professionals in communication skills, emphasizing the transformative power of silence when delivering difficult news. "I am the biggest fan in the world of exceedingly long pauses," she reveals, challenging listeners to resist the urge to fill uncomfortable silences and instead create space for authentic processing.

The conversation touches on anticipatory grief—the grief experienced before a death occurs—and how caregivers often struggle with these complex emotions while still providing care. Erin's forthcoming book on this topic promises to shed light on an under-discussed aspect of the caregiving journey. Whether you're a professional caregiver, supporting a loved one through illness, or simply want to better understand how to show up for those who grieve, this episode offers both practical communication strategies and innovative approaches to processing the complex emotions that accompany loss.

To contact Erin:

Website: Compassionate Coaching

Instagram: Erin Whalen (@erin_compassionatecoaching) • Instagram photos and videos

LinkedIn: LinkedIn

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Rebecca Schaper's journey through grief has led her to become a powerful storyteller, filmmaker, and author who transforms pain into purpose. Growing up with alcoholic parents and a brother struggling with schizophrenia, Rebecca's early life was marked by trauma that many would find impossible to overcome. Yet she describes these experiences as blessings that shaped her ability to help others navigate their own grief journeys.

When Rebecca's brother disappeared for twenty years, she never lost faith he was alive. Their eventual reunion sparked what she calls a "soul calling" to create the documentary "A Sister's Call," despite having no filmmaking experience. This leap of faith began a fourteen-year project that would become the backbone of her healing and the foundation for her books, including "The Light in His Soul: Lessons from my Brother's Schizophrenia."

Rebecca's most recent work, "Roses to Rainbows: My Dog Gus in the Afterlife," explores her devastating grief after losing her beloved dog unexpectedly at age six. With disarming honesty, she admits this loss affected her more profoundly than her parents' deaths by suicide. The book details her experiences communicating with Gus through a pet communicator, offering hope to those grieving animal companions.

Perhaps most powerful is Rebecca's message about legacy through storytelling. We all have stories within us—memories of love, loss, and transformation that deserve to be preserved. Whether through journaling, dictation, or other creative expressions, these stories become gifts for future generations seeking to understand who we were and how we loved.

Have you considered writing down your grief journey? Your story might become someone else's lifeline in their darkest moments. As Rebecca demonstrates, you don't need to be a professional writer—you just need to be willing to share your truth.

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To Reach Rebecca:
Email: author@rebeccaschaper.com
Website: www.rebeccaschaper.com

Credits:
Music by Kevin MacLeod

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What happens when you combine profound grief experiences with deep expertise in human relationships? Jonathan, a dating and relationship coach specializing in midlife relationships, shares how developing what he calls "emotional scaffolding" through self-love became his lifeline through multiple devastating losses.

Seven years ago, Jonathan lost his 19-year-old son in an accident. But that wasn't his first encounter with grief. Years earlier, he experienced the triple blow of divorce, job loss, and financial collapse during the 2008 market crash. More recently, he weathered the end of a treasured relationship with someone he had hoped to marry. Through these experiences, he discovered a powerful approach to healing: "We can grieve with suffering or we can grieve with love."

This conversation takes us deep into what self-love truly means. Jonathan explains that we all have an "emotional six-year-old" within us that needs nurturing, especially during times of loss. Rather than bypassing difficult emotions like anger or sadness, he encourages listeners to experience their feelings fully—just as children naturally do. This emotional honesty builds the foundation for moving forward after loss without denying our past.

For those considering dating after loss, Jonathan offers invaluable guidance. Drawing from his professional experience coaching midlife women, he describes today's dating landscape as "The Hunger Games" and shares what to look for in potential partners. Most importantly, he suggests seeking someone capable of genuine empathy—not just sympathy—for your past losses. Can they hold space for the reality that previous relationships remain part of your emotional landscape?

Whether you're navigating grief, considering new relationships, or simply seeking to build emotional resilience, this conversation offers compassionate wisdom about honoring our feelings while nurturing ourselves through life's inevitable losses. By extending the same care to ourselves that we would offer a hurting child, we create the emotional foundation needed to embrace new possibilities while honoring our past.

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Credits:
Music by Kevin MacLeod

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What happens when grief intersects with identity? In this powerful episode, memoir writer Kelly Wilk takes us deep into her experience as a queer widow, revealing layers of complexity that many grievers never have to face. After losing her wife Kara when she was just 34, Kelly found herself navigating not only overwhelming grief but also shifting social dynamics and questions about who she was without her partner. She shares candidly about how being part of the queer community adds unique dimensions to grief.

Through her writing, Kelly created "Captain Grief" – a character who embodied her anger and gave her someone to blame when there was no one to blame. This creative approach to processing loss eventually led to a profound transformation she compares to a butterfly in a cocoon: "She dissolves, she unforms, she breaks down in the most complete sense of the word... And when she steps out into the world once again, she is new."

Whether you're part of the LGBTQ+ community or simply seeking to better support grieving loved ones, Kelly's insights offer a compassionate window into the complex interaction between identity and loss. Her story reminds us that while grief itself may be universal, our paths through it are shaped by who we are and the communities to which we belong.

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info@asiliveandgrieve.com
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To contact Kelly:

Website: The High-Flying Adventures of Captain Grief - Grief is messy...own it!
Facebook: The High-Flying Adventures of Captain Grief | Facebook
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What happens when faith collides with grief? For Pastor Amanda McNeil, this question became deeply personal during her journey through infertility. This conversation delves into the complex relationship between faith and loss, offering wisdom for anyone questioning their spiritual foundations after experiencing grief. Amanda, who serves as both a pastor and counselor, brings a rare dual perspective—acknowledging that anger, doubt, and questioning are natural parts of the grieving process that don't indicate spiritual failure.

"God can handle our anger," she reassures listeners, emphasizing that presenting one face to the public while struggling privately is a common experience, especially for those in spiritual leadership. The discussion expands beyond loss related to death, exploring how grief manifests in various life transitions—from divorce to job loss to retirement. Amanda offers practical guidance for helping children develop emotional language through everyday losses, demonstrating how these experiences can build resilience from an early age.

Perhaps most compelling is Amanda's neurological perspective on grief, explaining how our brains function differently when processing trauma. "We aren't designed to live in survival mode indefinitely," she notes, illuminating why avoidance strategies ultimately fail to heal our deepest wounds.

Whether you're questioning your faith after loss, supporting someone through grief, or simply seeking to understand the complex interplay between spirituality and suffering, this conversation offers gentle wisdom without easy answers. Amanda's approach—meeting people where they are without judgment—provides a roadmap for walking alongside others through their darkest valleys while honoring their unique spiritual journey.

Contact:
www.asiliveandgrieve.com
info@asiliveandgrieve.com
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Credits:
Music by Kevin MacLeod

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When Christina Napoleon lost her husband to cancer while raising their six-year-old daughter, she found herself without a roadmap. A successful finance professional accustomed to checklists and clear directives, she suddenly faced the disorienting reality of grief with no instruction manual. This experience—followed by the losses of her mother and father—eventually led her to a profound moment of decision at the beach, watching waves crash against the shoreline.

"Those waves are just like grief waves," Christina shares, describing the pivotal moment she decided she no longer wanted to remain "at the bottom of the darkest ocean floor." Instead, she committed to learning how to swim through her grief and find light again—not just for herself, but for her daughter who needed her mother back.

Christina's journey from corporate finance to certified grief educator and coach reveals powerful insights about widow's fog, the challenges of decision-making during grief, and the importance of incremental healing. Her innovative "Power of One" approach began with just one minute of walking each morning, gradually expanding to thirty minutes as she slowly reconnected with the world around her.

Now the author of "The Positive Widow" and founder of a 10,000-member Facebook community, Christina shares why traditional grief counseling often falls short for widows, how unprocessed grief eventually demands attention, and why finding the right support makes all the difference. She explains that moving forward with joy doesn't mean leaving loved ones behind—we can experience both gratitude and grief simultaneously as we rebuild our lives after devastating loss.

Ready to transform your grief journey? Explore Christina's book, coaching programs, and free grief guides designed specifically for widows navigating life after loss.

Contact:
www.asiliveandgrieve.com
info@asiliveandgrieve.com
Facebook: As I Live and Grieve
Instagram: @asiliveandgrieve
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To Reach Christina:
Email: thepositivewidow@outlook.com
Website: www.thepositivewidow.com

Social Media: thepositivewidow on all platforms

Credits:
Music by Kevin MacLeod

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Copyright 2020, by As I Live and Grieve

The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.