Advertise on podcast: What About Grief?

If you’ve ever found yourself in the throes of grieving a loss, and wondered ‘do I need help?’, today’s show is for you. Larry sits down with renowned grief therapist and author, Claire Bidwell Smith for some advice and perspective on the best ways to begin to seek help when you’re grieving. Because, figuring out how, where and if you need help can be confusing as the grief you are swimming in.  They’ll discuss group or individual therapy, how grief alters the brain and the ways Claire’s own grief journey has shaped her life.  An insightful conversation as you begin to navigate your grief journey.

In this episode Larry speaks with Tim Scanlan, who lost his wife Holly back in 2012 to appendiceal cancer.  Tim shares his raw and unfiltered emotions of life without Holly...from navigating single parenting, dealing with loneliness and when he discovered his grief actually began.  Plus the discussion leads to the question every widower gets asked...when do you think you might begin dating again?  Lastly, Tim describes why he began a foundation in Holly's name so her impact and spirit will live on for generations to come.  www.hollyscanlanfoundation.org

Is it possible to grieve the loss of someone while they're still living?  For example, someone you're estranged from or maybe a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia. The answer is "yes" and in this episode Larry speaks with Dr. Stacey Pinatelli, about this specific form of grief, called Ambiguous Loss that's more widespread than you might think.

New York Times bestselling author, Ann Hood, joins Larry on this episode of What About Grief?  She shares how grief and joy can actually share space in our aching hearts and have also been interwoven through her life following the death of her 5-year old daughter, Grace, in 2002 and the wise advice that helped her return to writing again.

As an announcer on ESPN and the Marquee Sports Network, Taylor McGregor is the consummate TV sports professional.  But today, Taylor joins Larry on this heartfelt episode of What About Grief?  She speaks about the loss of her father Keli when she was a teenager in high school and how that experience and grief has shaped her life going forward.

How does anyone even begin to process loss on a massive scale following a natural disaster?  On this months episode of the What About Grief? podcast, Larry speaks with Megan Katerjian, whose Altadena home burned down to the ground in the recent wildfires that devastated so many communities in the Los Angeles area. Megan shares her harrowing story of those frightening days and how she, her family and the local community are coping in the aftermath of the fires.  She also speaks about her role as the CEO of Door of Hope, an LA-county-based organization that is one of the only homeless providers to offer shelter for families together, which is assisting many in the area find housing due to those fires.

We’re kicking off a third season of What About Grief? podcast with Larry’s guest, NBC Sports and Golf Channel host, Cara Banks. She shares how she and her parents coped with the chaos and grief following the tragic death of her brother, Myles, on a family ski trip in 2009. Cara talks openly about the chaos in the early days of his disappearance, her emotions once his body had been found and her own grief journey following the loss of her only sibling.

Why has mourning a loss motivated so many of our guests into some kind of action?  Larry started this podcast as a way to honor his late wife, Sarah, and help others try to understand and cope with grief.  Today he speaks with Kate Seamons about her grief journey following the death of her husband, Ben, and how it propelled her to create Rainy Day Boxes - a way to help others suffering from a loss or other difficult life experiences through the people who love them.

Widowed at 33, Larry's guest, Dana Frost, understands that sometimes in grief, joy has to be forced.  Through her own journey following the loss of her husband, Brad, she created  a resource known as The Forced Joy Project, a grief community offering support for anyone struggling in the darkness with help looking for, and finding glimmers of joy.  The good news is Dana does believe that yes, grief and joy can coexist.

The bonds we share with our dearest animal companions are very special and today, Larry has a fascinating conversation with pet expert, journalist, radio host and animal behavior consultant, Steve Dale, about those incredible bonds, end of life for our pets and how to cope with and grieve their loss.

Hard to believe it has been a full year since the launch of this podcast, which started as a way for Larry to try to help others, and himself, begin to understand grief.  Along with his producer Marcia Anderson, they cue up just some of the great advice, perspectives, fearlessness and vulnerability their guests brought to each episode, never failing to surprise and move us over the past 12-months.

The loss of a child at any age is devastating and the emotional pain that goes along with it stays with you forever.  But how do you move forward with that pain and grief?   How do you try and comprehend that the thoughts and feelings you are experiencing are not original to you only...but rather shared by others. Larry's guest this month, Jenna Rogers, introduces us to Faith's Lodge in Wisconsin which is the first dedicated retreat facility that provides hope, connection, and support to parents and families coping with the death of a child. A community where you will be surrounded by other families who are also traveling this same journey and who most importantly...understand what you are going through.

Regret and guilt are inevitably a part of life, but if you're grieving there are important differences to understand in order to better be able to cope.   Larry's guest, Litsa Williams, has explored this very subject as Program Director at WhatsYourGrief.com and co-author of a new book called What's Your Grief?  Lists To Help You Through Any Loss .  She's here to help us understand how best to navigate this sea of emotions in order to begin healing.

Mourning a loss is one thing for an adult and something uniquely challenging for a child.  What's the best way you can help a small child or teenager process  their grief?  The answer can be very different in each case and today Larry focuses on understanding how grief affects kids with help from guests Tamara Ellis Smith, author of the beautiful children's book Grief Is An Elephant, and Dr. Julie Kaplow, a childhood trauma and grief expert.  Both offer deeply moving advice on how to help a child or teen cope.

Kim Witczak never set out to become a drug safety advocate, but in 2003, life as she knew it came crashing down around her when her husband, Woody, took his own life.  But Kim met her grief head on and started a journey searching for answers and a way to help others while honoring Woody.   Today Kim shares with Larry how her search for the truth gave her grief a purpose that ultimately makes a difference for all of us.