The Connection Between Unprocessed Grief and Physical Illness with Christina Kantzavelos

What happens when you push grief behind a wall for years? For Christina Kantzavelos, a licensed psychotherapist and chronic illness advocate, the answer was her body. After losing her brother Peter at 19, Christina spent years stuffing her grief down, working harder, and eventually becoming so ill she couldn't care for herself — including leaving behind her work with Doctors Without Borders in Mexico.

In this episode, Christina shares why the nervous system has to come first before any grief or trauma work can really land, how EFT tapping can be a simple and immediate tool for emotional regulation, and what it looks like to finally face the grief you've been avoiding. She also talks about survivor's guilt, identity loss in chronic illness, and why finding the right therapist is a little like finding the right bathing suit — sometimes you have to try a few before one fits.

This episode connects to the G in the GRIEF Ladies framework: Grounding — eating, sleeping, moving, and stabilizing the nervous system as the foundation for everything else.

🔗 Christina's Website: https://www.beginwithintoday.com 📖 Begin Within Daily Health and Wellness Journals: https://www.beginwithintoday.com/journal

Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/qeF4olgiRTI