You Don't Have to Grieve Alone: How Grief Coaching Groups Can Help

After a loss, one of the hardest things isn't just the grief itself — it's the feeling that no one around you really gets it. Grief support groups exist for exactly that reason: to put you in a room (or a Zoom) with people who understand because they've been there too. Grief in Common, founded by grief coach Karyn Arnold, offers virtual group support designed around connection, compassion, and real conversation.

What Makes a Grief Support Group Different From Going It Alone?

Grief can shrink your world quickly. Friends may not know what to say. Family members are grieving too, often in different ways. A support group offers something most of us can't find elsewhere — people who don't need you to explain yourself, because they already understand. Research consistently shows that social support is one of the most significant factors in how people move through grief. A group gives you that support on a regular, structured basis.

A 2021 review published in Death Studies found that grief support group participation was associated with significant reductions in feelings of isolation and improvements in overall coping. For many, the group itself becomes a lifeline.

What Groups Does Grief in Common Offer?

Karyn's Zoom grief support groups are organized around specific types of loss, so you're not walking into a generic room — you're connecting with people who share your particular experience. Current groups include support for those who have experienced the death of a spouse or partner, the death of a parent, and estrangement. Special topic seminars are also available on a rotating basis. All groups are led by Karyn and held in a safe, compassionate virtual environment.

What If You're Not Ready for a Group?

Group support isn't the right fit for everyone — at least not right away. If you're looking for something more personal, Karyn also offers one-on-one virtual coaching sessions. Individual coaching is tailored to your unique experience and goals, and gives you dedicated space to make sense of what you're going through, build tools for navigating daily life, and find ways to carry your person forward. Couples sessions are also available for when grief is putting strain on a relationship. Whether you start with individual coaching and move into a group later, or do both at once, Karyn meets you where you are.

What Can You Expect in a Grief in Common Group?

These groups are coaching-based, not therapy — which means the focus is on connection, practical tools, and finding your footing going forward. Sessions are held via Zoom, so you can join from wherever you are. Whether you're newly bereaved or further along and still looking for community, there's space for you here.

‍ ‍Grief can feel isolating, but healing happens in connection."

— Karyn Arnold, Grief Coach & Founder, Grief in Common

Who Is Karyn Arnold?

Karyn Arnold is a grief coach and the founder of Grief in Common. She works with individuals and groups navigating loss of all kinds, guided by empathy, connection, and hope. Karyn is also the co-host of the GRIEF Ladies podcast, where she and I dig into what grief actually looks like — and what it means to keep living alongside it.

Visit Karyn’s website at www.griefincommon.com to sign up for one of her groups or individual coaching session.

Please note: Grief in Common offers coaching services, not therapy. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional.

Why Do Relationships Feel So Different After Someone Dies?

Grief changes you — and that means it changes every relationship around you too. The people you expected to show up may disappear, the things people say can sting even when they mean well, and you can feel completely alone in a room full of people who love you. In Episode 4 of the GRIEF Ladies Podcast, Karyn and Kelly dig into Interacting — the I (Interacting) in the G.R.I.E.F. framework — and why navigating relationships is one of the most exhausting and least talked-about parts of grief.

Why does grief feel so lonely even when people are around?

One of grief's cruelest paradoxes is that loneliness often hits hardest when you are surrounded by people. You may be at a family gathering, or a work event, or even a dinner with close friends, and feel completely disconnected — like you landed on a different planet and everyone around you is speaking a language you no longer understand.

Part of this is the sheer amount of change happening inside you. Your priorities shift. The things that used to matter feel trivial. A teenager Kelly worked with put it plainly after her mother died: she couldn't understand why her friends were upset about things that seemed so small. "When am I going to start caring about things like my friends do again?" she asked. The answer is yes — eventually. But in grief, that gap between where you are and where everyone else seems to be can feel impossibly wide.

Studies on bereavement consistently identify social isolation and loneliness as among the most significant risk factors for complicated grief. Unlike most human needs — if you're tired, you sleep; if you're hungry, you eat — loneliness in grief is not reliably solved by being around people. (Sources: bereavement and social support research literature; Journal of Affective Disorders)

And unlike hunger or fatigue, being with people does not automatically fix the loneliness of grief. That is why understanding how to navigate relationships — who gives you energy, who drains it, what you actually need — matters so much.

What do you do when people say the wrong thing or don't show up the way you hoped?

Unmet expectations are one of the most common sources of pain in grief — and most of the time, you do not even realize you had an expectation until it goes unmet. Someone you counted on goes quiet. A family member pushes a timeline on your grief. A friend says your loved one "is in a better place" when what you needed was for them to just sit with you.

Karyn and Kelly are honest in the episode: there are no magic words. What grieving people are really looking for is not the perfect thing to be said — it is grace, patience, and the feeling of not being rushed. And the harder truth is that educating the people around you, communicating what you need, often falls on you at the very moment you have the least capacity for it.

What helps more than any script? Using their loved one's name. Showing up consistently over time, not just in the first week. Asking rather than assuming.

Karyn and Kelly go much deeper on this in the full episode — including what came up in a grief group Karyn led the same day they recorded: Listen to Episode 4 of the GRIEF Ladies Podcast → LINK: https://youtu.be/ZK6kiFNrImw?si=1u2wZNT_PixBs6bY 

Other GRIEF Ladies Podcast Episodes:

• Why Does Structure Matter When You're Grieving? → LINK:https://youtu.be/wbJVX3Q2iv8?si=IR2rxj4DtA93nnzq   — Episode 3 covers Rebuilding: how routine and small daily anchors help when grief has scattered everything.

• What Are the "Ugly" Emotions of Grief No One Talks About? → LINK: https://youtu.be/x3BKKoWBPv4?si=e3TwQT_4HrKme4xA  — Episode 5 moves into Evolving: anger, guilt, regret, and the impact of grief on self-esteem.

• What Is the G.R.I.E.F. Framework and How Does It Work? → LINK: https://youtu.be/_0ld4dnUT7I?si=dWA5HIuyht01E0bs — An overview of all five pillars and the thinking behind this approach.

What Can You Do Right Now to Support a Grieving Child?

You don't have to have all the answers. You don't have to say the perfect thing.

What grieving children need most is the presence of adults who aren't afraid to stay in the conversation with them.

A few places to start:

Use clear, honest language about what happened. Children deserve the truth, offered gently and attuned to their age and understanding.

Talk about the person who died. Say their name. Share stories. Pull out photos. When children hear adults speak freely about who that person was, they learn that it's safe for them to do the same.

Follow the child's lead. Some days they'll want to talk. Some days they'll want to play. Both are grief. Neither is wrong.

Validate what they're feeling without rushing them past it. Tears are okay. Anger is okay. Laughter is okay too — children move in and out of grief in ways that can surprise adults, and that's completely normal.

And if you're a grieving adult who is also trying to support a grieving child, please don't forget: you need support too. You cannot pour from an empty place, and asking for help — from a friend, a counselor, a support group, or anyone who has spoken to your heart — is not weakness. It's where rebuilding begins.

About the Guest: Jennifer Kimlingen, LCSW

Jennifer Kimlingen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in grief, bereavement, traumatic loss, and children's grief. She completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Adelphi University in 2014 and has a clinical background spanning medical social work, grief counseling, and private practice. Jennifer currently serves as a bereavement counselor with Choices Health and provides grief education for mental health clinicians through the Agents of Change Continuing Education platform. She presents regularly on children's grief and bereavement and is committed to building a more informed, less avoidant professional culture around death and loss. Jennifer lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.

Listen to this episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MBleeO1Yy6Xni69EIs4jT?si=7uzYVocvRlGApRDPastrog

How Children Grieve: Supporting Kids (and Yourself) After a Loss

How Children Grieve: Supporting Kids (and Yourself) After a Loss

Grief doesn’t look the same at every age.

In this episode, we’re joined by clinical social worker Jennifer Kimlingen to talk about how children process loss, why grief can resurface at different developmental stages, and how adults can create safe, supportive environments for grieving kids.

You’ll hear:

• How children express grief at different ages

• Why routine and structure help during acute loss

• The role of self-compassion for caregivers

• Storytelling as a powerful way to honor loved ones

• Why it’s okay not to have all the answers

No child should ever grieve alone — and caregivers deserve support, too.

As always, we close with practical steps you can try this week.

Why Does Structure Matter When You're Grieving?

When someone dies, your daily routine often disappears with them — and the empty space that's left can feel just as disorienting as the grief itself. Structure is not about keeping busy or moving on; it is about giving yourself something to hold onto when everything feels chaotic. In Episode 3 of the GRIEF Ladies Podcast, Karyn and Kelly dig into Rebuilding — the R in the G.R.I.E.F. framework — and why creating even small, predictable anchors in your day can make a real difference.

Why does grief destroy your sense of routine?

Grief does not just take the person — it takes the shape of your days. If you lived with someone, made decisions with them, or structured your time around caring for them, their absence leaves a gap in the ordinary fabric of your life. Karyn describes it well in the episode: many grieving people find themselves at three or four o'clock in the afternoon with no idea where their day went. The calendar is empty. The momentum is gone.

Grief brain compounds this. The mental fog, the difficulty concentrating, the forgetfulness — these are not signs that something is wrong with you. They are what happens when your brain is overwhelmed. And without some structure to fall back on, days can pass in a blur that leaves you feeling worse, not better.

Grief activates the brain's stress response systems, impairing function in the prefrontal cortex — the area responsible for planning, decision-making, and focus. Structured routines reduce cognitive load by making certain decisions automatic, which helps preserve mental energy during bereavement. (Sources: neuroscience of grief literature; Harvard Health Publishing)

The goal of rebuilding is not a rigid schedule. It is a few predictable anchors — a morning routine, a consistent mealtime, a designated time to lean into grief rather than avoid it — that make the day feel less like something happening to you and more like something you are moving through.

What does "structuring your grief" actually mean — and why does it help?

One of the most counterintuitive tools Karyn and Kelly talk about in this episode is intentionally making time for grief rather than letting it ambush you. Karyn shares the story of a client who walked every day and used that time to cry, think, and process. When illness interrupted her walks for a couple of weeks, she fell apart at the grocery store — grief that had no outlet finally found one. The lesson: grief is patient. If you do not make space for it, it will make space for itself.

Setting an intention matters too. Kelly shares something Karyn told her shortly after her father died — that there is a difference between collapsing in front of Netflix because you feel guilty doing nothing, and choosing to watch Netflix because you need three hours of rest. That small shift in framing changes everything. Grieving people need permission to rest, and sometimes the permission has to come from themselves.

Hear Karyn and Kelly talk through what this actually looks like in practice — including the daily structure ideas they share with their own clients: Listen to Episode 3 of the GRIEF Ladies Podcast → https://youtu.be/wbJVX3Q2iv8?si=RDMeAnz56crw8hih

Other GRIEF Ladies Podcast Episodes:

• Why Does Taking Care of Your Body Matter When You're Grieving? → LINK: https://youtu.be/vgcyjbdDAkc?si=HB99vcD1fFdu7s0E Episode 2 covers Grounding, the foundation beneath Rebuilding: eating, sleep, and movement after loss.

• How Does Grief Change Your Relationships? → LINK: https://youtu.be/ZK6kiFNrImw?si=bFiPev8UeOy0b_xM  — Episode 4 moves up the framework to Interacting: navigating communication, family dynamics, and connection after loss.

• What Is the G.R.I.E.F. Framework and How Does It Work? → LINK:https://youtu.be/_0ld4dnUT7I?si=89da5nbDXHa9KOmZ  — An overview of all five pillars and the thinking behind this approach.

Grief and Sleep Disruption: CBT-I in Bereavement Support

You may have heard general sleep advice before — keep a consistent schedule, avoid screens, limit caffeine. These things aren't wrong, but for many grieving people, they aren't enough. That's because what develops over weeks of poor sleep isn't just bad habits. It's a conditioned response.

When your bed becomes the place where you lie awake, ruminate, and feel the full weight of your loss night after night, your brain starts to associate that space with wakefulness and distress rather than rest. It's not intentional — it just happens. And once it does, general sleep hygiene advice doesn't touch it.

This is where Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia — CBTI — comes in. CBTI is an evidence-based approach that directly addresses the thoughts and behaviors that keep insomnia going. It doesn't just tell you to go to bed at the same time every night. It works with the specific patterns that have developed and helps retrain the relationship between you, your bed, and sleep.

In a recent episode of the GRIEF Ladies Podcast, we sat down with Dr. Larissa Tate, a licensed psychologist with specialized training in CBTI, to talk about exactly how this applies to grief. Her approach is practical, grounded, and genuinely useful for anyone who has been struggling with sleep since their loss. Listen to this episode at: https://youtu.be/VugKGA4SFYw?si=pNZG4QM9pMO2sh0N

Guest Bio: Dr. Larissa Tate is a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Momentum Behavioral Health, a private practice serving clients in New York, Maryland, North Carolina, Alabama, and Florida. She specializes in the assessment and treatment of sleep disorders, anxiety, and trauma, with particular expertise in working with professionals in high-stakes, high-pressure roles including caregivers, medical professionals, attorneys, first responders, military personnel, and others who are used to carrying a lot and rarely slowing down. Her work is grounded in science and evidence-based treatments and a practical, skills-focused approach. Dr. Tate helps driven individuals get out of survival mode, sleep better, manage stress more effectively, and build resilience in ways that are sustainable – without sacrificing their ambition or values.

She has trained and worked in a range of medical and behavioral health settings, including sleep clinics, primary care, intensive outpatient programs, neurology clinics, and major military and VA medical centers. She earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Uniformed Services University and completed her residency at the University of Alabama-Birmingham VA Medical Center. In addition to individual and group therapy, Dr. Tate also provides diagnostic assessments and military psychological evaluations and is passionate about helping clients create meaningful, lasting change

Connect with Larisa: www.momentumbehavioralhealth.com

Grief & Insomnia: CBT-I Tools to Help You Sleep Again

Grief & Insomnia: CBTI Tools to Help You Sleep Again

If you’ve been lying awake at night since someone died, you’re not alone.

Grief often disrupts sleep, making bedtime feel anxious, frustrating, or emotionally overwhelming. For many people, insomnia becomes one of the most exhausting parts of loss.

In this episode of the GRIEF Ladies Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Larissa Tate to explore how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) can help. CBTI is an evidence-based approach that helps rebuild healthy sleep habits — even during grief.

We talk about:

• Why grief interferes with sleep

• How nighttime anxiety develops

• What CBTI actually involves

• Sleep hygiene myths

• The role of medication

• Why napping can worsen insomnia

• Small, manageable steps to improve your sleep

Sleep struggles during grief are common — and they’re treatable.

As always, we close with practical tools you can try this week, because grief changes your life — and you deserve support that helps you live inside that change.

Listen at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0mJXiHNcn53FF6ipIz5eaN?si=MGSQEUD5S86F_xWP7CNiyw

Related topics: grief and insomnia, CBTI for sleep, sleep problems after loss, nighttime anxiety during grief.

Why Does Taking Care of Your Body Matter When You're Grieving?

Grief is not just emotional — it is physical. The exhaustion, the brain fog, the heaviness you feel in your chest are real, measurable effects happening in your body. Taking care of your physical basics after a loss is one of the most direct ways to give yourself the capacity to move through grief. In Episode 2 of the GRIEF Ladies Podcast, Karyn and Kelly break down what Grounding — the G in the G.R.I.E.F. framework — actually looks like in practice.

What is grounding in grief, and why does it come first?

Grounding is what Karyn and Kelly call the basics: eating, sleeping, and moving your body. These are usually the first things to go when someone dies — and they quietly make everything harder. Grounding is not about being healthy in the traditional sense. It is about giving your nervous system enough to work with so grief does not take everything from you.

When you are not eating enough, the brain fog that already comes with grief gets worse. When sleep is disrupted — and grief almost always disrupts sleep — your emotional regulation suffers, your immune system takes a hit, and the simplest decisions feel impossible. When your body is completely still, grief tends to stay stuck in it.

Grief is associated with elevated inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, which increase vulnerability to physical illness during bereavement. Twenty minutes of walking has been shown in multiple studies to be as effective as an antidepressant for mood. (Sources: Kiecolt-Glaser et al.; exercise and depression research literature)*

The reframe Karyn offers in the episode is worth sitting with: these basics are some of the only things you still get to have a say in. When grief makes you feel swept along by a life you didn't choose, what you eat, how you protect your sleep, whether you move your body — those are things you can still control. That is not a small thing.

What can you actually do this week if you're barely functioning?

Karyn and Kelly are not asking you to overhaul anything. The action step from this episode is simply to observe — track your eating, sleep, and movement for three days. Not to judge what you find. Just to notice it. What time did you eat, and how did you feel after? What got in the way of sleep? Did you move at all, and what did that feel like?

Awareness without judgment is where momentum begins. Small, consistent steps build on each other — and sometimes a small shift in one area quietly improves the others. Moving your body a little makes sleep slightly easier. Sleeping better makes it more possible to eat something real. These basics are intertwined, which is exactly why Grounding comes first.

Hear Karyn and Kelly go deeper — including their own personal experiences navigating this after loss: https://youtu.be/vgcyjbdDAkc?si=bPsxl5H0B9-bVsl6

Other GRIEF Ladies Podcast Episodes:

What Is the G.R.I.E.F. Framework and How Does It Work? → https://youtu.be/_0ld4dnUT7I?si=89da5nbDXHa9KOmZ  An introduction to all five pillars and why this approach is different from traditional grief models.

Why Rebuilding Structure After Loss Matters More Than You Think → LINK:https://youtu.be/wbJVX3Q2iv8?si=RDMeAnz56crw8hih — Episode 3 covers the R: how routine and daily structure help grieving people regain a sense of footing.

Anticipatory Grief & Alzheimer’s: Coping While Caring for Someone Still Alive

Anticipatory Grief & Alzheimer’s: Coping While Caring for Someone Still Alive

Grief doesn’t always wait for death.

When you’re caring for someone with Alzheimer’s — especially younger onset Alzheimer’s — you may find yourself grieving ongoing changes long before the end of life. This is anticipatory grief, and it can feel confusing, exhausting, and deeply isolating.

In this episode, we explore:

• What anticipatory grief feels like

• The emotional realities of caregiving

• Why building a support community matters

• Self-care strategies that are actually realistic

• Finding moments of connection and joy along the way

Caregiving is love in action — and caregivers deserve care, too.

As always, we close with practical steps you can try this week.

Watch this powerful episode at: https://youtu.be/UPgVDR284-w?si=w9lhcyCPS-zU4KPF

Grief Support That Actually Helps: Meet the Grief Ladies

Most people who are grieving have heard the same things: there’s no right way to grieve, give it time, let yourself feel it. And while there is truth in all of that, it leaves out the most important question — what do you actually do?

That is the question behind The Grief Ladies podcast. Hosts Kelly Daugherty, LCSW, and Karyn Arnold bring over 50 combined years of experience supporting grieving individuals — and in Episode 1, they introduce themselves, share what drew them to this work, and lay out the GRIEF framework that will guide the entire series.

Kelly’s path into grief work began at 14, after the death of her mother, when she walked into a hospice grief group and finally felt less alone. Karyn found her way in through bereavement work with seniors in her mid-20s — and never looked back. Together, they share a belief that grief is not something to simply endure. There are real tools, practical steps, and small shifts that can make a meaningful difference.

In this episode, you’ll hear about the GRIEF framework — a step-by-step approach covering Grounding, Rebuilding, Interacting, Evolving, and Finding — and why moving forward does not mean leaving your loved one behind. It means taking them with you.

▶️  Listen to Episode 1:  https://youtu.be/_0ld4dnUT7I?si=89da5nbDXHa9KOmZ

Grief in the Body: Somatic Tools for Healing After Loss

Grief in the Body: Somatic Tools for Healing After Loss

Grief doesn’t stay in your thoughts — it often shows up in your body.

In this episode, we explore how loss can affect your identity, self-esteem, and physical health. Joined by somatic coach Jay Moon Fields, we talk about embodied grief, why physical symptoms like tension and stomach aches are common, and simple tools to help process emotions safely.

You’ll learn:

• Why grief can impact your body

• How loss reshapes self-identity

• Practical somatic tools for emotional release

• The “Of Course” validation technique

• How to advocate for yourself during grief

Grief changes you — but it can also deepen your self-awareness.

As always, we close with one practical step you can try this week.

Grief After Estrangement: Healing Complicated Relationships Through Ritual & Creativity

Grief After Estrangement: Healing Complicated Relationships Through Ritual & Creativity

What happens when someone you were estranged from dies?

Grief after estrangement can bring layers of emotion — sadness, anger, relief, regret, gratitude — sometimes all at once. When a relationship was complicated, the grieving process can feel confusing and isolating.

In this episode (GRIEF Ladies Episode #29), we talk with Sam Sundius about navigating loss after estrangement, honoring both the hard and meaningful parts of a relationship, and using ritual and creativity as tools for healing.

We explore:

• How grief shows up when the relationship wasn’t simple

• Why grief and gratitude can coexist

• The power of intentional rituals

• Creativity as an outlet for emotional processing

• Finding meaning without rewriting the past

As always, we close with a practical step you can try — because grief changes your life, and you deserve tools that help you live inside that change. Watch this episode at: https://youtu.be/Ab68YHJfgW0?si=eXk9yypx-6jfj0s1

Related topics: estranged parent grief, complicated relationships, ritual for grief, creative grief support.

What Do You Do With a Loved One's Belongings After They Die?

Sorting through a loved one's belongings after they die is one of the hardest parts of grief — and one of the least talked about. The short answer: start with the stories behind the things, not the things themselves, and give yourself permission to go at whatever pace you need. In this episode of the GRIEF Ladies Podcast, Kelly and Karyn sit down with decluttering specialist Janine McDonald to explore the emotional and practical realities of going through someone's stuff.

Why Is This So Much Harder Than It Sounds?

It's rarely the furniture that stops people in their tracks. More often it's the small things — a pillbox, a well-worn hat, something that seems insignificant to everyone else but holds an entire relationship inside it. Janine explains that objects carry stories, and those stories are what make this process so emotionally complex. Her approach isn't about tidying up — it's about understanding what something meant before deciding what to do with it.

Research from the American Psychological Association identifies decision-making as one of the most cognitively taxing tasks during bereavement, as grief significantly affects attention, memory, and executive function — which helps explain why even small choices about belongings can feel impossible.

How Do You Move Forward Without Feeling Like You're Letting Go of the Person?

This is where the episode gets really good. Janine shares specific, compassionate strategies for when you want to keep everything, when family members disagree, when there's no sentimental meaning but releasing something still feels wrong, and how to repurpose items that can't be used the way they were intended. She also offers one practical gut-check question that Karyn said she'll be thinking about for a long time.

The through-line of everything Janine shares: the memories live in you, not in the objects.

Listen to the full episode (https://youtu.be/9OXwDgETf6E?si=Ky5BkdP1RfvObfWI) to hear Janine's step-by-step approach, her real client stories, and her advice for anyone who feels completely stuck on where to even begin.

How Does Grief Affect Your Body — And What Can You Do About It?

Grief doesn't just live in your mind — it lives in your body, and your nervous system experiences loss as a threat to safety. The short answer to what helps: gentleness, not force. In this episode of the GRIEF Ladies Podcast, Kelly and Karyn are joined by gentle trauma release practitioner and personal empowerment coach Ramona Kossowan to talk about what's really happening in the body during grief, and what actually helps.

Why Does Grief Feel So Physical?

Sleep disruption, digestive issues, pain, a complete loss of identity — these aren't separate from grief, they're part of it. Ramona explains that trauma and grief live in the nervous system, not just in our thoughts. When we experience significant loss, our sense of safety is threatened, and the body responds accordingly. Most people don't recognize this as trauma — especially when a death was anticipated or happened after a long illness. But as Ramona points out, elements of shock exist no matter what, and the caregiving experience itself can leave lasting imprints on the nervous system.

Research published in Psychosomatic Medicine found that bereaved individuals show measurable changes in immune function, cardiovascular stress response, and sleep architecture — confirming that grief's impact on the body is biological, not just emotional.

What Actually Helps the Body Feel Safe Again?

This is where the episode gets practical. Ramona's approach — rooted in polyvagal theory — focuses on sending the nervous system cues of safety rather than pushing through or forcing progress. That can look like a warm breakfast eaten slowly, gentle movement outdoors, time with people who don't require you to perform okay-ness, or working with someone trained to help the nervous system process what it's been holding.

She also names something not enough people hear: a person can be well-meaning and still not be emotionally safe for you right now. That's not a judgment — it's useful information about what your body needs.

The episode includes Ramona's own grief story, which adds depth and honesty to everything she shares about why this work matters.

Listen to the full episode for Ramona's accessible explanation of polyvagal theory, what a gentle trauma release session actually looks like, and her specific guidance on movement and body-based coping skills during grief.

What Actually Helps: 5 Practical Grief Coping Tools from Real People

Nobody hands you a manual when someone dies.

You're just supposed to figure it out. And most of the advice out there?

It's vague, it's generic, and honestly — it doesn't help.

That's why I love asking our GRIEF Ladies guests to share one practical

coping tool that has actually made a difference in their grief journey.

Not theory. Not platitudes. Just real, actionable steps from real people

who are living it.

5 Guests. 5 Real Coping Tools.

I pulled the actionable steps from five recent episodes and put them

together in one video — because sometimes you just need something

concrete to try.

💛 Featured guests:

- Kelly Myerson (Ep. 22)

- Kat Farace (Ep. 23)

- Charlotte Shuber (Ep. 24)

- Cori Myka (Ep. 25)

- April Hannah (Ep. 26)

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/qpig6OP0Uvk

Your Turn

After you watch, comment on the video. What is one coping tool that has helped you in your grief? Drop it in the comments — your answer

might be exactly what someone else in this community needs today.

And if you want to hear the full story behind each coping tool, the complete episodes are linked below.

🎙️ Full Episodes:

Watch the full episodes:

Link to Ep. 22: https://youtu.be/Oj5HF0xuHhU?si=MU5oBHHuILkhZt6

Link to Ep. 23: https://youtu.be/xRevq_ZcDYo?si=9Pl3DTUQXpJa20Ww

Link to Ep. 24: https://youtu.be/5OEe88S1Sk4?si=ZhPOnLbf6OJr0BXN

Link to Ep. 25: https://youtu.be/aiLqrtJuFI8?si=PuS0JThk4BY43s1m

Link to Ep. 26: https://youtu.be/bTayMPCvKYY?si=gMWPaAyvhobg_VJH

You're not alone in this. And you don't have to figure it out by yourself. Join the Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Ak2yus1cW/

Can You Still Connect With Someone Who Has Died? April Hannah Says Yes | GRIEF Ladies Ep. 26

What if the connection doesn't have to end when someone dies?

That's exactly what we explored in Episode 26 of GRIEF Ladies: A Guide to What Comes Next with our guest April Hannah — licensed therapist,

intuitive healer, and someone who has spent over 26 years helping people heal in ways that go far beyond traditional therapy.

Where Science Meets Spirit

April's work bridges two worlds that don't always get to sit at the same table — clinical psychotherapy and what she calls the mystical. Think Reiki, sound healing, guided art, and a fascinating evidence-based therapy protocol called Induced After-Death Communication.

Yes, you read that right. Evidence-based.

What makes this episode extra special is that April and I (Kelly) are trained in this protocol together — and actually just wrapped up one of our Induced After-Death Communication retreats the weekend before we recorded this. Safe to say we are both still buzzing from it.

And before you scroll past — research suggests that between 50 and 75 percent of people experience some form of after-death communication after

losing someone they love. So chances are, something April talks about in this episode is going to feel very familiar.

Signs, Dreams & Staying Connected

April gets into the many ways those who have died may reach out — and more importantly, how you can open yourself up to receiving those

connections. She shares practical steps anyone can start today, whether you're a believer, a skeptic, or somewhere in between.

Because, as April says, she's no longer skeptical. And after hearing what happened at her retreat the weekend before this episode was recorded,

we're not surprised. You'll want to hear that part. 🎧

Plus — April Gets Personal

We asked April how she stays connected to her own mom, who has died. Her answer is tender, real, and gives you a glimpse into how someone who does this work professionally still navigates it in her own everyday life.

Listen to Episode 26 here:https://youtu.be/bTayMPCvKYY

Connect with April:

🌐 HannahsHealing.com

📲 Search: April Hannah + after death communication

Have you ever experienced a sign or moment of connection from someone who has died? We'd love to hear about it in the comments on YouTube. This community is a safe space to share — no skepticism here.

What Learning to Swim Taught Us About Grief — with Cori Myka | GRIEF Ladies Ep. 25

What could learning to swim possibly have to do with grief?

More than you'd think.

In Episode 25 of GRIEF Ladies: A Guide to What Comes Next, we welcomed Cori Myka, founder of Calm Within Adult Swim, and the conversation took

a turn we didn't expect — in the best possible way.

Fear. Overwhelm. Not Knowing What Comes Next.

Cori works with adults who are terrified of the water. And as she started describing what her clients experience — the fear, the overwhelm,

the pressure to get it right — we couldn't help but notice how much it sounded like grief.

Because grief puts you in a whole new world too. One where you don't know the rules, you don't know what's coming, and everyone around you

seems to expect you to just figure it out.

Cori shared a powerful framework for slowing all of that down — and it turns out it works whether you're standing at the edge of a pool or

standing at the edge of a whole new life without someone you love.

The Takeaway You Can Try Right Now

One of our favorite moments in this episode was when Cori shared a simple, practical tool you can use anywhere — in a meeting, in a grocery

store line, at a family gathering — when a grief wave hits and you need to come back to yourself.

It's small. It's tangible. And it just might help.

You'll have to listen to get the full details. 🎧

Plus — Cori Shares Something Personal

We also asked Cori how she celebrates those who have died in her own life. Her answer was beautiful, unexpected, and something that stuck

with us long after we stopped recording.

Listen to Episode 25 here: https://youtu.be/aiLqrtJuFI8

Connect with Cori:

🌐 adultswimlesson.com

📲 @CalmWithinAdultSwim

Have you ever found an unexpected connection between something in your life and your grief? Tell us in the comments of the video — we'd love to hear it.

Still Celebrating Them: How 5 Guests Honor Those Who Have Died

Grief doesn't end the love. And for so many of us, it doesn't end the celebrating either.

One of the questions I get asked most in the grief community is — is it okay to still celebrate someone who has died? Their birthday. Their

favorite holiday. The little everyday moments that used to belong to them.

The answer is yes. Absolutely, beautifully, yes.

And on GRIEF Ladies: A Guide to What Comes Next, five of our incredible guests showed us exactly how they do it.

This Topic Is Deeply Personal to Me

I recently contributed Chapter 17 to The Ultimate Guide to Self-Healing, Volume 6 — a collaborative project with Brave Healer Productions. My chapter is titled Celebrate Their Life: Focusing on Gratitude, Connection, and What Still Remains.

In it, I share my own grief story. My mom died when I was 14. In November 2024, my dad died too. And learning to stay connected to them changed everything about how I experience grief. The chapter explores how grief and gratitude can coexist — and how honoring the life of someone we love can soften grief without any pressure to move on or let go.

"Grief doesn't ask us to let go of our loved ones — it invites us to find new ways to carry them forward."

I also created a meditation to go alongside the chapter. If you're looking for a gentle place to start, this is it. 💛

▶️ Watch the meditation here: https://youtu.be/ionQT1zRMAE?si=_WNsz0kdodVf-W_8

Check out the Ultimate Guide to Self Healing - Volume 6 at: https://a.co/d/03Wuh0hm

What Does It Mean to Celebrate Those Who Have Died?

Celebrating those who have died looks different for everyone. For some it's a ritual — lighting a candle, cooking their favorite meal, visiting a special place. For others it's showing up to their birthday with balloons and tears and laughter all at once. There is no right way.

There is only your way.

What I've learned from hosting GRIEF Ladies is that the people who find ways to keep celebrating those who have died often find it to be one of the most healing parts of their grief journey. Not because it makes the pain go away — but because it keeps the connection alive.

5 Guests. 5 Ways of Still Celebrating Them.

In this special highlights video, I pulled clips from five recent episodes where each guest shared how they continue to honor and celebrate those who have died.

💛 Featured guests:

- Kelly Myerson (Ep. 22)

- Kat Farace (Ep. 23)

- Charlotte Shuber (Ep. 24)

- Cori Myka (Ep. 25)

- April Hannah (Ep. 26)

Each of these guests brought something so real and so personal to their episode. Watching their clips together in one video is a reminder that grief is not one size fits all — and neither is celebrating those we love who have died.

Watch the Video

▶️ https://youtu.be/qEnbe_t6t3M

I hope this video gives you permission — if you needed it — to keep celebrating. To keep marking the days. To keep saying their name.

If any of these guests' stories resonated with you, I'd love for you to watch their full episodes. You can find them all linked below.

🎙️ Full Episodes:

- Kelly Myerson — Episode 22: https://youtu.be/Oj5HF0xuHhU?si=MU5oBHHuILkhZt6

- Kat Farace — Episode 23: https://youtu.be/xRevq_ZcDYo?si=9Pl3DTUQXpJa20Ww

- Charlotte Shuber — Episode 24: https://youtu.be/5OEe88S1Sk4?si=ZhPOnLbf6OJr0BXN

- Cori Myka — Episode 25: https://youtu.be/aiLqrtJuFI8?si=PuS0JThk4BY43s1m

- April Hannah — Episode 26: https://youtu.be/bTayMPCvKYY?si=gMWPaAyvhobg_VJH

Tell Me — How Do You Celebrate?

How do you celebrate those who have died in your life? Drop it in the comments on the video. This community always shows up for each other, and I know your answer might be exactly what someone else needed to read today.

And if you're not already part of our GRIEF Ladies Facebook community, come join us. It's one of the most real, supportive spaces on the

internet for people navigating grief. 👉 https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Ak735EmTo/

Feeling Stuck in Grief? You Are Not Alone — and Here Is Why It Happens

Recently, Karyn and I were doing a live for our GRIEF Ladies Facebook Community and we were asked this question:

“My husband died five years ago, but I feel stuck and frozen. I understand that grief doesn’t have a timeline, but I can’t seem to make any progress with moving forward. I don’t care about much. I have no motivation or interest in things. I’ve tried therapists and a grief group, but nothing seemed to help.”

If any part of that resonates with you, please know: what you are experiencing is real, it is common, and there are reasons it happens. Here is a summary of how we answered this question.

Why Grief Can Feel Harder as Time Goes On

It might seem counterintuitive, but many people find that grief becomes more difficult — not easier — after the first year or two. Early grief, while devastating, often comes with what we describe as a kind of “novelty.” There is a lot happening: practical decisions to make, people around you, rituals to attend to. You are in motion, even if that motion is painful.

As time passes, the busyness fades. The people around you may have moved on. And suddenly you are left with a quieter, heavier question: “What now? Is this it?” That stillness can strip away motivation and leave you feeling like nothing will ever change.

There is also the issue of comparison. When we look at our current life in grief, we often measure it against the life we had before our loss. That is an incredibly painful comparison to make, and it can quietly fuel a sense of hopelessness.

Your Nervous System May Be Keeping You Stuck

The word “frozen” is significant. It is not just a metaphor — it can be a physiological response. When we experience profound loss, our nervous system responds. For many people, especially those who lost someone who was their primary source of safety and connection, the nervous system can get locked into what is called a dorsal vagal response: collapse, shutdown, and numbness.

This is your body trying to protect you. It is not a weakness. It is not a character flaw. It is an old, hard-wired survival mechanism. Understanding this distinction matters, because the path forward is not about pushing harder or willing yourself to feel better — it is about gently and incrementally helping your nervous system feel safe enough to re-engage with life.

Roadblock Emotions That Keep Us From Moving Forward

Being stuck is often not just about sadness. Beneath the surface, other emotions frequently act as roadblocks:

•        Guilt — for feeling better, for moving forward, for moments of joy

•        Anger — at the loss, at circumstances, at the unfairness of it all

•        Fear — of the future, of forgetting your loved one, of who you are without them

•        Identity loss — “Who am I now?” is one of the most disorienting aspects of grief

One pattern we see frequently, particularly among widows and widowers: a deep-seated fear of feeling better. Many grieving people tell us they feel guilty when they experience happiness, as though moving forward is a betrayal of their loved one. We want to name this clearly — it is not. Moving forward is not leaving your person behind. It is learning to carry them with you.

Not All Therapy and Grief Support Is the Same

If you have tried therapy or a grief group and felt it did not help, please do not take that as evidence that nothing can help you. Consider this: only about 60% of therapists received any education in grief and loss during their training. That means a significant number of well-meaning clinicians simply are not equipped to support grieving clients effectively.

Finding the right therapeutic support is a bit like finding the right bathing suit — the first one you try might not be the right fit, but that does not mean the right one is not out there. We would encourage you to seek out a grief-informed therapist or coach, someone who offers practical tools and not just a space to talk.

The same applies to grief groups. Peer-led groups offer real value, but a group facilitated by a grief-informed professional — one that is action-oriented and gives you tools and frameworks — can be a different experience entirely.

You Grow Around Your Grief — Not Past It

We want to offer one more reframe that we find genuinely helpful: you do not “get over” grief. Your grief does not disappear. What is possible — and what we have seen in our work again and again — is that you grow bigger than your grief. It is still there. But you expand around it.

That expansion happens through small, incremental steps. It happens through connection with others who understand. It happens through the right support, and through learning to move forward with your loved one — not without them.

A Note to Anyone Who Is Stuck Right Now

If you are reading this and recognizing yourself, we want you to hear this: you are not broken. You are not failing at grief. Your nervous system is doing what it was designed to do. Your emotions are real and valid. And the fact that you are still asking questions, still looking for support, still reaching out — that matters.

We wish none of us had to navigate this. But we do know that you do not have to navigate it alone. Join our GRIEF Ladies Community to hear more answers to our group members questions. Join here: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1AdC4voMEG/

Grieving in the Second Year After a Loss

There is a pretty well-accepted theory on grieving that the first year is the hardest. The loss is so new, the first months can be spent in a blur of shock and disbelief.

This can be especially true for a sudden loss, but can surprise people when they are in “shock” even after a loved one has died following a long and drawn out illness.

I’ve said it many times: nothing, and I mean NOTHING, can prepare us for the finality of death.

Navigating that first year, through anniversaries, birthdays and holidays can feel endless. But the assumption for most is that as long as they can get through that, it should be smoother sailing in the days ahead.

And then year 2 happens.

The second Mother’s Day without a mom. The second wedding anniversary without a spouse. A second Christmas without a child. And the griever may find themselves thinking, “this isn’t any easier”.

Some people have told me that the second year was actually more of a challenge. Perhaps because of expectation – expecting to feel better and then feeling even more disappointed and sad when they didn’t. Or maybe it’s because the more time passes, the longer we’ve had to live without that person. The longer it’s been since we’ve seen them or heard their voice.

This is a terrifying thought for the newly bereaved, to think that it’s not going to be a steady climb upwards in grieving and healing, and I don’t share this to scare those who are in their very early days.

But expectations are a big part of our mindset, even when we’re not in the stages of grief. How much more do we enjoy the movie or party that we thought was going to be terrible? How disappointed are we when a long planned vacation-of-a-lifetime turns out to be not all what we would have hoped?

If ever there was a time when we need to be setting realistic expectations for ourselves, then certainly our time of grieving is one of them.

Throw away the timelines.

Don’t compare yourself with those whom you know have had a loss. The coworker who was back to work smiling only a few days after her Dad died? She was crying every day on the way to and from work. The family member who thinks that 18 months after your husband died you should be dating again? She has no idea what this loss feels like, what your love felt like, or what is right for you.

Be patient with yourself. Be patient with those who don’t understand. Don’t expect today to be hard and tomorrow to be easy. Honor wherever you are right in this moment and know that even if it feels uncomfortable, unsettling and uneasy, that it’s probably exactly where you need to be.

Stay open to the idea of hope and optimism – but don’t set a timeline for its arrival.