One Year of GRIEF Ladies: We're Celebrating

This week marks one year of the GRIEF Ladies podcast, and in our anniversary episode- the 53rd Episode of teh podcast, Karyn and Kelly are pulling back the curtain on how it all started, what this past year has actually looked like behind the scenes, and what's coming next.

Why We Started This Podcast

It started with a book — The Grief Experience — and turned into something neither of us expected. Between us, we bring more than 50 years of combined experience in grief work, and this episode gets into the real story of how GRIEF Ladies came to be, built around the G.R.I.E.F. framework: Grounding, Rebuilding, Interacting, Evolving, and Finding.

Quote Box: "We believe that there are things that help people while they're grieving, and we've seen it." — Kelly Daugherty

A Look Back — and a Big Announcement

53 episodes in, we're reflecting on everything we've built together: the podcast, the Facebook community, our downloadable resources, and The First Year After Loss. And we're talking about what's next — including The GRIEF Ladies Guide: How to Grieve with Love Instead of Pain and its companion workbook, releasing Tuesday, September 29th.

We also get into something we don't usually talk about on the podcast: why grief feels so isolating even when you're surrounded by people who love you, and why that's been at the center of everything we've built this year.

Hear the Whole Conversation

This one's personal for both of us, and there's a lot we didn't touch on here — including what's coming in year two. Give it a listen wherever you get your podcasts. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3R8Lt4wdh8ZPS4vQDNmdkr?si=qPKBLdQ3SFap_ytjwyN6aw

Keep exploring:

• Join the GRIEF Ladies Facebook community

• Get familiar with the G.R.I.E.F. framework before the GRIEF Ladies Guide releases September 29th

• Learn more about The First Year After Loss

Grief and Routine: Why Structure Matters After Loss with guest, Kat Farace

If you’re wondering how to rebuild your life after someone dies, you’re not alone. Loss can shatter routines, disrupt your sense of identity, and make everyday tasks feel overwhelming.

In this episode (23) of The GRIEF Ladies Podcast, Karyn Arnold and Kelly Daugherty are joined by grief counselor and hospice expert Kat Farace to explore what “rebuilding” really means after loss. We talk about why routine matters in grief, how small daily structure can support your nervous system, and why rebuilding isn’t about “moving on” — it’s about learning how to live forward while carrying love with you.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why grief disrupts your daily rhythms

• How to gently reintroduce routine without pressure

• The role of self-care in early and ongoing grief

• Why community support matters when everything feels unstable

• Practical coping tools to help you feel more steady

This episode connects to the Rebuilding trail marker in our G.R.I.E.F. Framework — focusing on structure, routine, and small steps that create stability in the midst of emotional upheaval.

If you’ve been feeling unmoored, exhausted, or unsure how to function after loss, this episode offers validation, realistic strategies, and encouragement for wherever you are in your grief journey.

Guest Bio:

Kat Farace is an author, speaker, and grief coach with over 25 years of experience in hospiceand end-of-life care, walking alongside individuals and families through life’s most profound moments of loss, love, and transition. Her work is grounded in compassion, honesty, and the deep belief that grief—while never chosen—can become one of our greatest teachers.

Through decades of hospice service, Kat has supported thousands of people as they navigated death, dying, and bereavement, gaining rare insight into the emotional, spiritual, and relational realities of grief. Her approach blends professional expertise with heartfelt presence, offering guidance that is both practical and deeply human.

Kat is the author of the upcoming book Grief the Teacher: The Teacher We Never
Wanted—With the Lessons Only Love and Loss Can Teach, to be released in Spring 2026. In
it, she explores grief not as something to “get over,” but as an experience that reshapes us,
challenges us, and ultimately invites growth, meaning, and connection.

Kat creates space for real conversations about loss—conversations that honor pain while also making room for hope, resilience, and love. Whether speaking to the newly grieving or those carrying loss for a lifetime, she brings a steady, compassionate presence that reminds listeners they are not alone.

Kat Farace’s work continues to reach audiences through coaching, speaking engagements, and storytelling that normalizes grief, dismantles shame, and gently illuminates the path
forward—one honest conversation at a time.

Connect with Kat: 

Website: https://www.balanceingrief.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balanceingrief/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/balanceingriefcom

🎙 Listen to Episode 23: Grief and Routine: Why Structure Matters After Loss with guest, Kat Farace

Available now on YouTube and all podcast platforms.

5 Actionable Steps to Cope With Grief (The GRIEF Ladies Framework)

Grief changes everything—but you don’t have to feel stuck or powerless.

In this video, The GRIEF Ladies share 5 actionable steps you can take after loss, based on our GRIEF framework:

Grounding • Rebuilding • Interacting • Evolving • Finding

This compilation features insights from five powerful guest conversations on the GRIEF Ladies Podcast, offering practical tools to help you:

• Feel more grounded when grief feels overwhelming

• Rebuild routines and structure after loss

• Navigate relationships and communication while grieving

• Work through difficult emotions like guilt, anger, and fear

• Stay connected to your loved one while discovering who you are now

Whether you’re newly bereaved or living with ongoing grief, these steps are designed to help you feel better now—without letting go of love or connection.

✨ Grief is not something to “get over.”

✨ You’re allowed to want relief and connection.

✨ Small actions can create meaningful change.

To watch the video of these 5 tools to help you on your grief journey visit: https://youtu.be/EqLGul_LcFs