Why the Five Stages of Grief Are a Myth, Spiritual Bypassing, and Healing Rituals with Dr. Terri Daniel

 If you've ever felt like you were grieving "wrong" because you weren't moving through the five stages, this episode is for you. Dr. Terri Daniel — end-of-life educator, hospice chaplain, and grief counselor — breaks down exactly why the five stages were never meant to apply to grief, why acceptance comes first not last, and why confusing grief with depression is one of the most harmful things we do to grieving people.

Dr. Terri also unpacks spiritual bypassing — what it is, where it shows up, and how to tell when it's helping versus hurting — and shares the role of chaplains in end-of-life care that has nothing to do with religion. She closes with some of the most beautiful and practical grief rituals you'll ever hear, including the shoe insole ritual that will change the way you think about giving away a loved one's belongings.

All of this from a woman who has been making her son's lemon cake with chocolate frosting every year for 19 years.

🔗 Dr. Terri's Website: https://deathgriefandbelief.com

Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/zuyzFBTxhoM

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.