What's Your Grief Podcast
Episodes
Special Announcement: WYG's Grief-Informed Practice Intensive
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've been on hiatus, but we're popping into your feed with an important update for mental health professionals. This September, we're hosting a two-d...
When Grief Upends Your Basic Needs
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss how grief disrupts not just emotions but also basic needs like safety, security, and stability. We explore how adjusting t...
Saying Goodbye to a Home
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked grief of losing places and spaces—whether it's a childhood home, a family gathering place, or a...
Understanding Your Grief Coping Style
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of we explore the many factors that impact the ways people cope with grief, from introversion and extroversion to optimism, pessimism,...
When Grief Feels Fresh Again: Breaking the Regression Myth
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk about the common fear when things feel especially hard that you've regressed or gone backward in your grief. We explore why g...
What's In and Out for WYG this Year
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is just what it sounds like - we're talking about what is in and out for us in 2025. Join us for Finding Your Way: A 12-Week Course to Re...
Musings on Holidays and Friendships After Loss
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We planned for this episode to only be for Hub members and not on our public feed, but with the holidays upon us and hearing from many people about ho...
Grieving An Adult Child
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Typically we steer clear of breaking down grief by type of relationship, but today we're making an exception. In this episode we talk about the experi...
Grief Passed Down
17 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What's your earliest memory of grief in you family of origin? In this episode we talk about the way that grief passes down through generations, throug...
Grief Groups: Your Honest Insights
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive into the results of our recent survey, where over 500 of you shared your thoughts on finding and participating in grief group...
Is There a Right Way to Grieve?
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we talk about a common social media quip - "there is no right way to grieve". For those of us who look back on some of our grief copin...
Grief Ritual for the Reluctant
06 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the research surrounding grief and ritual, challenging the idea that rituals are always what you might imagine. For those ...
Grieving Through the Lens of Attachment
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we provide a quick introduction to attachment theory and explore how attachment styles can influence the way we grieve. From how we r...
What's Your Grief Question: How Important is Grief Journaling?
15 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we answer a question from a listener who has always been a journaler, but doesn't feel interested or able to journal about grief. We a...
Between Presence and Absence: A Conversation on Ambiguous Grief
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we're revisiting ambiguous grief (aka grieving someone who is still alive). This can happen for so many reasons, ranging from addictions and dem...
Grief Grown Up: The Adult Impact of Childhood Bereavement
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are a lot of resources out there about childhood bereavement, but many leave off at the end of childhood. In this episode, we tackle some of the...
Sadness Without Shame
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we responde to a listener question about managing the shame that often comes with continuing to feel sadness as the months and years p...
Grief Across the Multiverse
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We've been on a summer break, but we'll be back soon with our regular schedule. In the meantime, we're here to discuss one of our favorite topics—gr...
Grief and Getting Sober
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Grief can prompt many people to stop using substances when that use gets unmanageable. Though it is often an important and healthy decision, giving up...
Exploring the Grief of Estrangement
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we dive into a topic that is estimated to impact as many as 1 in 4 families in the US: the grief of estrangement. Join us as we unpack...
The Grief of Overdose and Substance-Related Deaths
25 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Back in 2014 - approaching 10 years ago - we recorded an episode on overdose grief (you can listen to it here if you missed it). We have lost people t...
Pet Loss: The Complexities of Saying Goodbye to Our Animals
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Losing a pet (and grieving pet) is a profound and often overlooked form of disenfranchised grief. In this episode, we delve into the complexities of w...
Navigating Grief with Self-Compassion
12 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Self-compassion can be tough to come by in grief. We compare ourselves to who we were, who we want to be, to others grieving, to how we think grief "s...
The Practicalities of Handling Grief Triggers
28 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive deep into the practical challenges of handling grief triggers. Join us as we share both our professional advice and personal ...
The Confusion of Grieving Without Tears
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are many complicated and unexpected grief experiences. One that comes up time and again is why sometimes we expect to cry and . . . don't. It's ...
Grieving When the Relationship was Complicated
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
People are complicated. Human relationships are complicated. There are many people in our lives with whom we have love-hate relationships with. We d...
The Ebbs and Flows of Grief Over Time
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You hear all the time that grief isn't linear, but that doesn't change the surprises in the ways it ebbs and flows over time. In this episode we talk ...
Grieving a Friend
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk about grieving a friend. Litsa has had four friends die in the last four years. As a grief therapist and someone who is not n...
Revisiting the Continuing Bonds Theory of Grief
16 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing Bonds Theory is both one of our favorite grief theories and also a griever favorite. And yet it's been ages since we've done an episode abo...
How Do You Categorize Grief?
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever wondered why our grief support isn't broken down by type of loss, today you'll find your answer. In this episode we talk about the ques...
The Many Complicated Feelings Around Final Goodbyes
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we address a question from a bereaved mom who didn't see her daughter after her daughter's death. She finds herself wondering if she ...
Building Walls to Avoid Further Loss
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we respond to a question from one of our Hub members. Grief anxiety is very real and, unfortunately, the very connections that can ease an...
Grief Comfort and Grief Criticism on Social Media
15 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive into the world of grief in the digital era. Specifically we talk about what it really means to express sorrow online and the ...
Befriending Grief
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Litsa and Mary chat about what it means to 'befriend grief'. This includes plenty of thoughts about how modern western culture shapes...
Relief in Grief
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode respond to a question about feeling relief after a death. But first, we talk about the recent Vox article The Race to Optimize Grief ...
The Grief of Anticipated-Sudden Deaths
26 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we talk about a new article on the website that Litsa wrote about a concept she's termed "paradoxical grief". It's the often-confusin...
From Grief Literacy to Grief Humility
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We kick off this episode with our review of the new Dan Levy Netflix film "Good Grief". If you haven't watched it and don't want any spoilers, jump in...
Moving Forward Challenges (in the New Year and Beyond)
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Come to the free Grieving in the New Year Webinar with Litsa this Sunday - sign up here -- https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/432a2df1e7 This week we're t...
The Griefy-est Time of the Year
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're back with an episode about - you guessed it - grief at the holidays! Sure, we've talked about this basically every year here on the podcast. Yes...
Grief Meets Existential Dread
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we're going deep, talking about a very common but rarely discussed issue in grief: existential dread. Loss can make us face big questi...
Mother's Day & Father's Day Grief
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
May is here and that means the looming grief triggers of Mother's Day and Father's Day are upon us. In this episode we cover all the basics - why it's...
When Grief Meets Anxiety
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anxiety is one of those grief experiences that is incredibly common and yet often catches people off guard. If you experienced difficult levels of anx...
What Are You Doing Here?
12 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're reflecting on what's were doing here. Not in the existential sense (though we're certainly always angsting about that on some level). ...
Decades On, Grief Still Surprises Us
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Though there have been significant losses in our lives in the decades since, each of us looks back to the deaths of a parent early in life as formativ...
Ask Me Anything (about Grief)
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Litsa's flying solo this week, answering questions about grief submitted on Instagram. Talking about supporting partners, siblings, navigating grief c...
New Year, Same Me
14 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're two days into 2023 and the theme for us has been . . . meh. That 'new year, new me' rhetoric gets old fast. In this episode we're talking about ...
Winter of Our Disconnection
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Eleanor's been feeling pretty disconnected this holiday season. Though that might sound better than feeling terrible, it turns out that numbness and d...
Feeling Relief in Grief
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Relief is one of the more common grief emotions and yet it is one that people often feel ashamed to mention. So today we're talking about relief in gr...
Holiday Musings on Family & Impermanence
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week we were feeling the post-Thanksgiving emotional grief hangover. That means musings on family, holidays past and present, and the ways we gri...
Grieving the Past, Present, and Future
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week we talk about yet another unexpected aspect of grieving - realizing that we in many ways grieve the past, the present, and the future. This ...
When Families Grieve Differently
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're answering a listener question about how to cope when the differences in family grief styles start to cause strain between family membe...
Nonfinite Grief (grieving the life you expected)
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we talk about the little-discussed, but incredibly common experience of nonfinite grief. This is an experience that can happen after a...
When Grief Feels Ugly, Mean & Messy
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're discussing when and why grief can leave you with a mountain of ugly, mean, and messy feelings. Join the WYG member community for gri...
What's Your (Grief) Question
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You've sent us your grief questions; we've done our best to share some answers. Or at least talk through some thoughts. How do you handle it when peop...
Do We Recover From Grief?
01 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Eleanor and Litsa talk about a question that has created some disagreement on social media recently: do we 'recover' from grief? Ou...
Lists to Help You Through Any Loss
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our book is available for pre-order (and you can even get a free digital download companion thank you here for pre-ordering). Order it today for deliv...
Everybody's Grieving for the Weekend
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our book is available for pre-order here (with a free digital workbook download if you pre-order!) To join the WYG member community, where we have to...
All About Anger in Grief
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our book is available for pre-order here (with a free digital workbook download if you pre-order!) To join the WYG member community, where we have ton...
Grief and the Passage of Time
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our book is available for pre-order here (with a free digital workbook download if you pre-order!) To join the WYG member community, where we have to...
Announcement: We're Back!
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Needless to say, it's been a while! But we're back with an exciting announcement. To join the WYG member community, where we have tons of grief educ...
Grief Hindsight
18 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After a death we do a lot of looking backwards. We think about what we should have known or done differently. We imagine a different world, and ideal ...
Grief Expectations
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What we believe about grief often starts from a young age. We get messages from family, friends, community, and the media about what grief is 'suppose...
Is Grief Ever 'On Hold'?
30 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Terms like delayed grief and absent grief get thrown around a lot. Recently, people have been suggesting that distancing may be putting people's grief...
Grief Math and Other Musings
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we ramble and reflect out loud a bit, so don't say we didn't warn you. Thinking about the ways grief has us doing mental math calcul...
Positive Psychology, Grief, and PERMA
06 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Though positive psychology may sound like a field that is all about just thinking happy thoughts, nothing could be further from the truth. This well-r...
A Lesson in Avoiding Avoidance
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When the world changes, the way we operate in the world has to change. Grief forces us to make new decisions about the things we do, the things we don...
In Grief, Is It Ever Too Late?
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When a lot of time has passed after a loss, we hear all sorts of questions - is it too late for counseling? Is it too late to reconnect with people I ...
7 Types of Grief and Loss to Know Right Now
08 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There is a lot of discussion right now about the many ways people are experiencing grief - the grief of death related losses, but also many other type...
Is It Ok To Talk To My Kids About My Dead Mom?
05 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We received a question recently about talking to children about people who have died, especially those people the child never met. We get questions li...
Binge-Worthy Grief Movies and Television
01 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Seeing as a lot of us are spending more time at home than usual, we asked our readers/listeners for some of the best depictions of grief in movies and...
What's Your Grief Question?
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We did an "Ask Us Anything" on Instagram and turns out your grief questions were a little too big to answer on Instagram. So today we are answering so...
Grief in the Time of COVID-19
17 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you were grieving before the coronavirus crisis or you've just lost a loved one and are navigating through the dark days of early grief, the c...
Navigating Social Media While Grieving
30 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
With over 150 million social media users in the US alone, we can no longer conceptualize grief support and support systems without considering online ...
Grief Themes in Pixar's Coco
20 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Pixar must have a secret deal with Kleenex. They seemed determined to bring audiences to tears with every movie they make. This is fine by us, though,...
Grief in TV, Movies, and Pop-Culture
13 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We're back after a brief hiatus with an update on WYG and our plans for the future of this podcast. We're especially interested in talking about grief...
Coping with Identity Changes After a Loss
02 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A loss of any kind can lead to difficult identity changes. Shifts in one's sense-of-self, roles that no longer need to be fulfilled, and added respons...
Grief and Defense Mechanisms
05 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Sigmund Freud first proposed the concept of 'defense mechanisms' as an element of his influential theory of personality. For those of you who took Ps...
Returning to Work After the Death of a Loved One
27 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Many people have to return to work within days after experiencing the death of a loved one. Others have a little more flexibility, but must eventually...
The Conflicting Emotions of Grief
09 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
One emotional experience that many grieving people find particularly confusing is the realization that their thoughts, emotions, and needs occasional...
Grieving the Loss of a Home
15 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
People give up homes for various reasons. Sometimes the circumstances are in their control (such as making the choice to sell a house and move to a ne...
Grief in 'This is Us'
13 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We've been telling you for weeks to get caught up on NBC's 'This is Us' because we're going to talk about it. Well, today is the day. If you've...
How to Handle Holiday Tradition After a Death
22 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
By far one of the hardest outcomes to accept about the holidays after the death of a loved one is that tradition needs to be changed or skipped. Tradi...
Managing Expectation at the Holidays and Other Topics
08 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
People tend to have a lot of expectations about the holiday season. This is true during times of peace and during times of turmoil. After the death ...
Grief in 'Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life'
30 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this special edition of the What's Your Grief Podcast Litsa and Eleanor discuss the recent Gilmore Girls revival. Not your typical gossip session, ...
Dating a Widower and Other Topics
21 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2: Episode 3: Dating a Widower and Other Topics 0:00 - 5:00 : NFDA Conference Impressions The intersection between grief support and funeral h...
Grief in Six Words and Other Topics
03 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the What's Your Grief podcast we discuss the new grief website, Grief in Six Words, adjusting to the school year after a death, ans...
Loneliness in Grief and Other Topics
08 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Season 2, Episode 1 of the What's Your Grief Podcast. This season we're going to shake up our format a little and cover several different...
How Attitudes About Death Impact Grief
08 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It stands to reason that how a person feels about life and death, in many ways, will impact the way they grieve. Perhaps they hold on tightly to th...
Understanding the Difference Between Support and Comfort
25 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When something sad, bad, or anxiety producing happens in the life of someone we care about, our immediate instinct is to comfort. Of course it is –...
Reconnecting with Life After Loss
31 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What have you stopped doing since experiencing the death of your loved one? More specifically, what do you no longer do that you used to previously ...
Parenting While Grieving
09 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
As if parenting we're hard enough, you've recently experienced the death of someone you love. You've done your best to shelter your children from deat...
Dealing With Valentine's Day After a Death
10 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Although Litsa and I have never been big on Valentine's Day, we realize many of you may have warm, fond memories of Valentine's Days past. Regardles...
Expanding Our Understanding of Loss
21 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
There is a common misconception that death is the only loss that results in grief. Although the loss of a loved one is one of the most devastating t...
Thinking About New Year's Resolutions
28 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
With New Years just a few days away, you may be tempted to make a resolution for 2016; especially if 2015 has been a tough year. In this episode of ...
Your Questions About Holiday Grief Answered
09 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the What's Your Grief podcast, we answer your questions about coping with holiday grief. I'm worried the holidays will be very s...
The Guilt of Feeling Better and Living Life After a Loss
10 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
After the death of a loved one, things like feeling better, letting go of belongings, making changes, and just generally living life after the loss ca...
The Continuum of Negative Coping
30 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
After the death of a loved one, it is easy to find yourself engaged in negative coping. These types of coping allow for people to avoid grief trigge...
Going Back to School After a Death
31 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
It is normal to be nervous about sending your child back to school after a death. As a parent, it's in your nature to want to protect your child af...
Grief Raves and Faves
20 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the What's Your Grief Podcast, Litsa and Eleanor discuss their grief favorites - favorite movies, favorite songs, favorite books, ...
Getting Married After a Death
23 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Although your wedding is a happy and joyous occasion, it can be a bittersweet when someone important has died and isn't there for your special day. ...