Episodes

  • The Together Effect

    The Together Effect
    Jun 12 2024
    In her work encouraging healthier relationships as a way to live a happier life, Katarina Blom already knew how key connection is to happiness. Then she was chosen to be the psychologist in a television series called The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, produced by Amy Pohler. Along with an interior designer and an organizer, she supported people to deal with their stuff, leading to surprising changes in their well-being. In the process, it became evident that clearing the roadblocks in our lives, with our stuff AND with our relationships, clears the way for more joy, deeper connection and more authenticity. We'll talk about her work before the show, the filming of the episodes, and how her time with the subjects they supported strengthened her commitment to making room for it all; within community.
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    1 hr
  • The Last Ecstatic Days

    The Last Ecstatic Days
    Jun 5 2024
    Ethan Sisser wanted to die in ecstasy, surrounded by music, community, beauty, but mostly, love. His wishes did not fit neatly into even the hospice paradigm but he was able to draw together a group of supporters, one of whom offered him room in his home so that Ethan's community could care for him in the way he wanted. He also found Aditi Sethi, a palliative care and hospice doctor who agreed to act as his death doula, guiding him (and all of them) along the way. The film of his final days, The Last Ecstatic Days, captures a death epitomizing love and grace, with Aditi guiding those around Ethan to support him as he navigated his final passage from brain cancer. Aditi comes to the show to share what the experience meant to her and how she has evolved her work to embody the message that we can all die in a sacred way with the right resources and a loving community.
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    1 hr
  • When Skies Are Gray

    When Skies Are Gray
    May 29 2024
    Anticipating the joy of welcoming her first child, Lindsey Henke was completely unprepared for the shock of that child's stillbirth. Although Lindsey had been a practicing psychotherapist for a few years, she had not had that much therapy herself. Suddenly, those tools she had learned about, and therapy itself, became invaluable to her. Over time she dedicated herself to working with other people on the journey to and through parenthood as well as the grief that often accompanies life transitions. Her specialization in reproductive mental health, including guiding parents through the multifaceted terrain of infertility, perinatal loss, pregnancy after loss, and the delicate postpartum period, rely on her own experience learning how to love the child she lost.
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    1 hr
  • The Other Side of Nothing

    The Other Side of Nothing
    May 22 2024
    Personal experience with grief and mental health challenges in her family led Anastasia Zadeik to write her novel, The Other Side of Nothing. The families she wriwtes about struggle to know how to support themselves and each other in all their challenges. Through a spellbinding trip across the country, they slowly find their way. What was it like for her to write it? How did she employ her family experiences to add teh details that gave the story life. And did writing the book help her to come to terms with her own experiences?
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    1 hr
  • Everywhere I Look

    Everywhere I Look
    May 15 2024
    As a younger sister, Ona Gritz idolized her older sibling. But as the favored child with a disability, she could see her sister struggling. It was thirty years after the murder of her then pregnant sister, partner and baby that she was finally ready to unpack the effect of that loss and the family secrets that had become interlaced with her pain and guilt. Out of this path towars healing, Ona wrote a book; an ode to her sister and an exploration of all the hidden corners of her family. The result it Everywhere I Look, and through it we can have a conversation about the effect of traumatic loss and everything behind it.
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    1 hr
  • All For You

    All For You
    May 8 2024
    When Dena Rueb Romero discovered a box full of letters and memorabilia in her mother's house, she furtively took it home with her. Although she knew her parents had fled the holocaust, they failed to share the details of their story, choosing instead to focus on the life they made in Hanover, New Hampshire. Diving into their story Dena learned so much about their traumas- and their triumphs. Gaining a greater understanding of their story also illuminated her own, bringing understanding of the ways they passed on their pain and resiliency along the way. A profound example of the healing power of narrative, her book also is a testament to all those who have fled persecution. We'll be talking about loss, grief, trauma across the generations and the power of truth to light our path.
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    1 hr
  • Chaos

    Chaos
    May 1 2024
    What gets you through your own times of chaos? For Noah Asher, it is a deep Christian faith. Already a practicing Christian, his understanding of how that could support him as he faced prison and profound loss grounded him in his belief. It also led to his work; to support others facing times of chaos, offering the assurance that in going forward we find our deepest callings. With humor and honest sharing about his own experiences, he reinforces the idea that yes, we suffer and also yes, there is a way forward.
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    1 hr
  • Grief is a Sneaky Bitch

    Grief is a Sneaky Bitch
    Apr 24 2024
    Have you ever imagined you were getting a handle on your loss and then been blindsided by a surprise tsunami? As Lisa Keefauver captures in the title of her new book, Grief is a Sneaky Bitch. But there are some tricks to help us navigate the turbulence. Number one, accepting that it's unpredictable. Join us for a discussion of our own losses and what they've taught us about going froward after loss. As two people who have lost spouses, we have a lot in common!
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    1 hr