Heart To Heart With Michael

Have you ever wondered how to navigate your life after a deeply personal loss? This episode brings you the deeply moving and inspiring story of Suzanne Anderson, a respected psychologist, author, coach, and transformational teacher. We delve into her intimate journey from a multilingual senior management consultant to an author and advocate for the bereaved community, after the tragic loss of her husband to suicide. Her candid recounting of their shared memories and the loneliness, shame, and stigma she faced as a suicide survivor will leave a profound impact on your heart.Suzanne's story serves to remind us of the power of self-compassion and personal growth in the face of adversity. We learn about how Suzanne, dealing with the pain of her husband's death, sought solace in writing retreats, ultimately leading her to author her book, 'You Make Your Path by Walking'. Her experiences and her work with women to prioritize their well-being over others' will shed new light on how self-compassion can be cultivated,

Have you ever found yourself immersed in the endless waves of grief, struggling to find a lifeline? You're not alone. Our guest for this episode, Theo Boyd, a resilient writer, a former teacher, and a survivor of unthinkable loss, is here to share her incredible journey from heartache to healing. Theo takes us through her harrowing experiences, from the sudden death of her mother in a farm accident, the loss of her counselor, to the dissolution of her marriage. Amidst her personal turmoil, discover how Theo channeled her pain into writing, culminating in her cathartic memoir, "My Grief is Not Like Yours".Theo provides a raw and revealing discussion about Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD), previously known as complicated grief. She emphasizes the importance of seeking professional assistance in such circumstances and shares her personal encounters of frustration when people failed to acknowledge her parents' death. Despite the anguish, Theo found solace in unexpected places, notably the wisdom imparted by her stu

When we grieve the loss of a loved one, we try our best to keep them with us, to hold them close in our hearts and to tell their stories to others. But can our loved ones reach out to us? Can we open our minds and our hearts to the possibility that they somehow need us as much as we still need them? Can they comfort us in our time of need?Whitney Samorano is the mom of twin boys, Orion and Maverick who were born in 2017. In 2020, when the boys were two-and-a-half, Orion drowned in the middle of the night in his grandmother’s pool during a visit. Whitney and her husband eventually divorced, but they remain supportive of each other and are great friends. Whitney developed a podcast, The Selfish Griever, to share her experiences with her grief and to support others. Whitney’s passion is to let others know they are not alone or judged in their grief and in the ways they choose to remember their loved ones and keep their memory alive. Links mentioned on this episode:www.theselfishgriever.com Instagram @theselfis

What happens when we lose our loved one after years of living with dementia? How did writing about living with dementia help Melissa Geiser to deal with her grief? What can be learned from years of watching a loved one die from dementia?Melissa Geiser is a blogger and the only child of her mother Pat. At the end of 2013, Pat’s friends started calling Melissa when they became worried about Pat. Pat had been living in the same house for over 30 years, but suddenly she would ask her friends to lead her home after she finished working out at the gym. Melissa had just started back to college and her marriage was struggling, so this situation with her mother couldn’t have come at a worse time. In the end, Melissa felt she had to move her mother to Oklahoma to be near her. Melissa has written a blog to help others who were also experiencing loving someone with dementia entitled “Departure from Logic.” She is planning on using her blog to write a book to help others living with loved ones who are suffering from demen

What is a grief doula? Why might a young person suffering from great loss determine to write and speak about it? What growth can come from a miscarriage?Alexandra Galviz is a young woman who has experienced a great deal of grief. Today she is here to talk about her experience with miscarriage and the fallout that caused her to spiral down to into a depth of grief and despair that caused her to metamorphose into Authentic Alex, a blogger, a speaker, and a guide.In this episode, we learn more about Alexandra, her miscarriage, her spiritual odyssey, and her blog.Helpful Links Related to this Episode:Website: https://www.alexandragalviz.comAlexandra's newsletter: https://crossingthethreshold.substack.com Support the showLinks to “Bereaved But Still Me” Social Media and Podcast Pages:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HugPodcastNetworkYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGPKwIU5M_YOxvtWepFR5ZwWebsite: https://www.hug-podcastnetwork.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bere

What happens when we lose our spouse after decades of being together? What is caregiver guilt and how do you recover from that? Why would someone decide to go from being a lawyer to becoming a creative writer?Debbie Weiss is a writer, a former lawyer, and a widow. Her mother passed away when she was 42 and then her husband passed away in his 40s. Debbie and her husband were together for 32 years – they had been high school sweethearts. He was a huge part of her life and he wanted to protect her from his cancer diagnosis. Sadly, his choices meant Debbie became his caretaker while not really understanding the progression of his disease.Debbie has written a book to help others who have experienced a devastating loss. Her book, Available As Is, is a midlife widow’s search for love. In this episode, she talks with Michael about loss, finding a new passion in life, and letting go of the things that were holding her back. Helpful Links Related to this Episode:Website: https://debbieweissauthor.com/Facebook: https://

This episode of "Bereaved But Still Me" features Rabbi Richard Address.Rabbi Address was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1972 and began his Rabbinic career in Los Angeles congregations. He also served as a part-time rabbi for Beth Hillel in Carmel, NJ while regional director and, after his URJ tenure, he served as senior rabbi of Congregation M’kor Shalom in Cherry Hill, NJ from 2011-2014.Rabbi Richard Address is the Founder and Director of www.jewishsacredaging.com. Rabbi Address served for over three decades on the staff of the Union for Reform Judaism; first as a Regional Director and then, beginning in 1997, as Founder and Director of the URJ’s Department of Jewish Family Concerns and served as a specialist and consultant for the North American Reform Movement in the areas of family-related programming. A major part of Address’s work has been in the development and implementation of the project on Sacred Aging. This project has been responsible for creating awareness and

How does a person react to feeling worse after a therapeutic appointment? What happens when a person almost dies? How does this Christian handle losing her identity as a nurse?Julie Hedenborg was a nurse for 24 years until she had a life-threatening injury to her neck in 2015. At one point, she was in an ambulance and wondered if she was going to survive. That experience changed her life and helped her see her priorities more clearly. Shortly after that, her scoliosis caused her to be too disabled to perform her nursing duties so she had to leave a career she had worked very hard for.A Christian, she felt that God called her to a new ministry. She now has a Christian podcast where she shares miracles and testimonies from people from around the world. She has over 2 million views on YouTube alone. She has written a book about her faith journey. In this episode of Bereaved But Still Me, we’ll be talking with Julie about what it was like for her to lose her career, what caused her to start a podcast, and why she

What is Amy’s House? Where can someone needing a place to stay while receiving a transplant in Central Texas? What can you do to help someone receiving a transplant?Phyllis Renfrow is the executive director of Amy’s House. Amy's House is a Medical Lodging Facility in Temple Texas, just minutes away from Baylor Scott and White Health Center. Transplant recipients are able to stay at Amy’s House free of charge.Phyllis graduated from the University of Central Texas with a graduate degree in Counseling in December of 1997. She has served in many roles over the course of her career to include 17 years as a director at Baylor Scott and White Health, but it was an accident over a July 4th weekend in 2013 that actually led her to discover her passion for the transplant world and the people on both sides of that process. She lost her 13-year-old granddaughter, Monika, in a car accident when a distracted driver ran up on her daughter's vehicle as they were sitting stopped in traffic. In thi’s program, we're going to le

What are the Wings of Love? How can someone help a loved one when they’re diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening condition? Can we still enjoy life after dealing with cancer?Tara Reynolds developed Wings of Love, a 48-card oracle deck featuring butterflies and moths, to help terminally ill patients and their families come to terms with an impending death. As a two-time cancer patient, she was struck by the lack of support materials available for end-stage patients. Before she leaves this earth, she’d like to change that.Tara and Wings of Love are available on:Etsy, Instagram & Facebook Earth Angels Oracles#wingsofloveLinks to “Bereaved But Still Me” Social Media and Podcast Pages:Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bereaved-but-still-me--2108929/support.

How can a mother handle losing a baby? What happened to Jen Burgard after she lost her son, Henry? Why did Jen start a podcast?This episode features Jen Burgard...A native of the upper Midwest, Jen Burgard is a mom to two living children and one who lives solely in her heart. Her titles include loss mom, living mom, wife, founder, podcaster, director, and most proudly - survivor. Upon the death of her second child, she set out to fill a gap in accessibility to resources, support, and community for others also experiencing trauma.With personal experience of her own and her newly formed network, she launched Haven as a service to grieving parents in and around her region. Today, Haven has touched each of the 50 states with their healing gifts, podcast content, and online grief workshops. With a goal to bring awareness and understanding not only to child loss but to ourto our grief culture in general, we are creating and building conversations around the vast Landscape of Loss. Jen’s Links:www.havenmidwest.orgfa

How can a bereaved father introduce his daughter to the world so that she inspires people who never met her? How long should a father grieve the loss of his precious baby? What methods can a person use to overcome the grief of losing a child?Hans Kullberg is a father, an author, specializing in children’s books and parenting books, an entrepreneur, and a survivor. Hans is a loving father of 4 children – Hansito, Sofia Lolita, Aviva, and Liliana– and prides himself on being a father first and foremost, cherishing every moment of his fatherhood journey. His greatest pleasures of parenthood are bringing smiles and joy to his children and he loves watching them learn and grow. His beloved daughter, Aviva, passed away on November 18, 2020, due to a still-unknown heart defect. Due to the untimely tragedy of losing his daughter Aviva at 10 months old, Hans is motivated to share the beautiful story of her life, character, and personality through Baby Aviva Orangutan Diva and bringing smiles to children all over the w

What pushed Kate Meyer into becoming an ordained minister? How did being a minister channel her into becoming a hospice counselor? What inspired Kate Meyer to write a book?Kate Meyer is an ordained minister, licensed professional counselor, and author who is passionate about grief awareness. Kate Meyer strives for support for all people, specifically in the Christian community due to the miseducation of grief the Church has perpetuated. Kate Meyer is also an author. The Red Couch is her fiction novel that follows Toni as she embraces new life through the process of grieving her grandmother. Most recently, Kate has written a nonfiction book. Faith Doesn't Erase Grief is available anywhere you purchase books. She’s here today to share with us her journey from minister to counselor to published author.Helpful Information about Kate Meyer:www.katejmeyer.comFacebook & Twitter: @KateJMeyer1Instagram: @kate.j.meyer.authorFaith Doesn't Erase Grief will be available anywhere you purchase books beginning 7/12/2022.

This is the holiday season, usually a time when most people celebrate and find joy but for some of us who are bereaved, it’s difficult for us to experience joy especially when we see everyone around us in such a joyful mood. Our program today is called “Comfort During the Holidays for Bereaved Parents” and our Guest is Julia Wagner.Julia Wagner is the mother of six children, the oldest of whom died suddenly and unexpectedly after an unforeseeable accident at home. At the time, Lizy was just two weeks shy of her 13th birthday, which added an extra layer of poignancy to her loss. Not only did Julia and her husband have to learn to handle their own grief, but how to tenderly guide their remaining five children through the process of coping with their loss as a family and as individuals. Lizy’s parents have focused on remembering her with joy and preserving her place in their family by creating new traditions in her name, as well as maintaining old ones the family cherishes.Loyal Listeners might remember Julia fr

Kendra Rinaldi is a grief and life transitions coach who has experienced grief many times in her life. Some of the most poignant moments were the tragic and sudden death of her sister in 1996, a miscarriage during her first pregnancy in  2006, and her mother’s death to pancreatic cancer in 2016. From her experiences, she launched a podcast called Grief, Gratitude, and The Gray in Between in March of 2020. She invites guests to share their journey and how they grew from that experience, many sharing about their grief after the death of a loved one and the tools they used in their grief process. She is also a volunteer at Journey of Hope Grief Support Center and is passionate about helping others who feel alone in their grief and provides grief care and support to the participants.

Helpful Links:

Kendra Rinaldi's website: https://www.griefgratitudeandthegrayinbetween.com/ Kendra Rinaldi's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefgratitudepodcast 

Kendra Rinaldi's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/griefgrat

Silke Herwald worked for many years with the bereaved community but it went to a much deeper level when her only sister died of cancer. She supported her parents and brother-in-law through their loss and their shared grief brought them even closer together.When COVID started, Australia shut its borders and she couldn’t get to Germany to spend with her parents for about 2 years. Then one morning she got a call nobody wants to get, that her father had died. She then applied for a travel exemption to be allowed to leave Australia to go on a flight to Germany to be there for her mother after her father passed away without warning.Ten days before Silke’s father died, she had to put down her old, beautiful therapy dog – the mascot for her clinic. This dog had been able to intuitively determine when clients needed her near them to absorb their grief. Losing her was another tremendous loss for Silke.Today’s episode is entitled: “Grief to Love: A Blueprint for the Living ” and our guest is Silke Herwald. Today we’ll b

What?! A Circus of Grief? How can we take our grief in a new direction? Can we still enjoy life after the loss of a loved one?Sherry Walling is an author and clinical psychologist. She’s also an amateur circus artist and she pulled together a group of circus artists to create an original circus in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month in May. Sherry lost her brother to suicide in 2019 (six months after their father died of cancer). Afterwards, Sherry struggled to take care of her children, to work, or even to get out of bed. One of the only things that helped her to feel alive was her aerial hobby.One of Sherry’s coaches, Lynn Lunny, of Stomping Ground Studio in Minneapolis, lost her brother to suicide in 2018. Together, they created the show, which they describe as a love letter in motion.The show is a fundraiser for the National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI MN) and the official launch of her new book about grief, Touching Two World (to be released in July 2022). The book is part memoir and part gu

What Jewish prayers deal specifically with mourning? How have prayers of mourning changed over time? How is this Jewish prayer surprisingly connected to Christian prayers?Rabbi Dalia Marx, Ph.D., is the Rabbi Aaron D. Panken Professor of Liturgy and Midrash at HUC-JIR's Taube Family Campus in Jerusalem, and teaches in various academic institutions in Israel and Europe.Rabbi Marx earned her doctorate at the Hebrew University and her rabbinic ordination at HUC-JIR in Jerusalem and Cincinnati in 2002. She is involved in various research projects and is active in promoting liberal Judaism in Israel. She writes for academic and popular journals and publications.Rabbi Dalia Marx is the author of When I Sleep and When I Wake: On Prayers between Dusk and Dawn (Yediot Sfarim, 2010, in Hebrew), A Feminist Commentary of the Babylonian Talmud (Mohr Siebeck, 2013, in English), About Time: Journeys in the Jewish-Israeli Calendar (Yediot Sfarim, 2018, in Hebrew) and the co-editor of a few books.She lives in Jerusalem with h

How do you say "hello" to one child while you're saying "good-bye" to another? Why was going to sleep such a terrifying experience for Megan? What was the big lesson Megan and her family learned after Aria passed away?Megan Hillukka is a bereaved mother, with 7 children, 6 of who are still here. Megan encourages and supports grieving mothers that though the worst thing has happened to them, their life is not over. Through her experience of the death of her daughter, Aria, Megan has learned tools and ways of shifting grief so that it can become just a little bit lighter, and easier to live with. Because Megan has done the deep work of grief, made space for her grief, and time for her grief, she now has room for joy, laughter, hope, and so much fun in her life. She will never forget her daughter Aria and they talk about her often as a family. She helps the moms she works with learn how to process and move through the emotions of grief and provides a place of safety and compassion with grief so that they too can

Jordon Ferber is the Host of “Where’s the Grief?” Jordon Ferber’s only brother Russell was killed in a car accident in 2002 at the age of 21. He was just about to graduate from The Culinary Institute of America with a Pastry/Baking Arts degree. Jordon was 24, and just 2 years into his own career as a stand-up comedian.Jordon Ferber has also been running a local support group for siblings – The Compassionate Friends Sibling Support group – for a decade. He believes he has found his calling – that of finding ways to normalize the conversations we have about grief so we can talk about it the same way we talk about everything else; often with inappropriate humor. Jordon’s family created The Russell Ferber Foundation, which provides yearly scholarships at the Culinary Institute of America in their pastry/baking arts program in honor of Russell.Links for Jordon:Twitter - @WheresTheGrief and @JordonFerberIG - @WheresTheGrief @RussellFerberFoundation @BeatnikNudnikWheresTheGrief.comRussellFerberFoundation.orgWheresTh