Life With Grief Podcast
Welcome to the Life With Grief Podcast! Host Tara Accardo, a Grief & Transformational Life Coach, created this podcast and community to normalize the complexities of grief, navigate life after loss and all this entails, and so much more.Each week, consider this your safe space where we work together and dig deep to live a full life with our grief in tow.Tap into the world of healing with Tara and guests and discover guidance, support, tangible coping tools, inspiration, and some laughs along the way to help you cultivate a more meaningful, intentional, and beautiful life. Grieving or not, le...
130. Permission to Be Unproductive: Why Rest is a Sacred Part of Healing
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In this minisode, we’re talking about the importance of rest and relaxation in the grieving process.
We’ll dive into:
✨ How grief impacts the body and mind
✨ How rest is an essential, non-negotiable part of healing
✨ Practical advice on how to embrace rest without guilt
✨ How to redefine success during grief
✨ Avoiding the comparison game
✨ Incorporating micro-resting moments into daily life
✨ Creating sacred rest rituals, and to honoring your unique grief timeline
This episode is a compassionate r...
129. Navigating Life Transitions, Embracing Change & Living in Alignment with Lindsey Simcik of Almost 30
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I’m beyond thrilled and honored to welcome Lindsey Simcik from the Almost 30 Podcast to Life With Grief!
When this opportunity came my way, I knew there were SO many things I wanted to chat with her about. The work she and Krista does—and the incredible community they have built—is beyond inspiring. This soulful, in-depth conversation is so beautiful and multi-dimensional—just like Lindsey herself!
We’re talking all about:
✨ Navigating grief
✨ Rediscovering our sense of self
✨ Moving forward after significant life upheavals
128. How to Cope with Insensitive & Invalidating Comments as You Grieve
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We’re delving into the emotional impact of invalidating and insensitive comments we often receive during grief. Think: “at least they had a long life”, “just be grateful for what you have”, “at least they’re in a better place”… the list goes on.
Let’s talk about why people make remarks like this, and effective ways to cope and set boundaries.
This episode is here to offer you practical strategies like a mental filter practice, polite yet straightforward responses, and mindset shifts to approach it with compassion. It's all about emphasizin...
127. Navigating Pet Loss and Grief: Why It Hurts and How to Cope
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In this heartfelt episode of Life With Grief, we’re diving into the profound, complex, and often overlooked grief that comes with losing a beloved pet.
Inspired by my own experience grieving my sweet 19-year-old Bichon Frise, Princess, this conversation explores why pet loss affects us so deeply, the emotional impact of losing an animal companion, and the unique bond we share with them.
You’ll discover practical and soulful ways to cope with pet loss, honor their memory, and begin to heal—whether your companion was a dog, cat, bi...
126. Grieving and Missing Your Dad? This Is For You
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In this special minisode of Morning Sips and Soul Shifts, we’re taking a few minutes to honor Father’s Day.
I want this to be an opportunity for us to acknowledge the complicated emotions so many of us experience on Father’s Day and beyond. The episode is all about providing you some much needed comfort and support for grieving your dad or father figure.
I’m also offering up some gentle, grounding ways to take care of yourself and honor your father today, while also providing a really i...
125. Navigating Children’s Grief with Child Life Therapist Kelsey Mora
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Today we’re welcoming Kelsey Mora, a Child Life Specialist and Therapist, to chat all about the intricacies of navigating grief with children.
The conversation covers Kelsey's personal and professional journey, starting from her teenage years when she lost a friend to leukemia, to her current role in private practice. We explore the balance between honesty and hope when discussing serious health issues and death with children, and the importance of clear and age-appropriate communication.
You’ll gain SUCH valuable insights into effective strategies for supporting grieving children and enga...
124. Relearning Joy After Loss Without the Guilt
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In this minisode of Mourning Sips & Soul Shifts, we’re exploring the complex emotions us grievers face when we begin to experience joy after a significant loss. And, how difficult it can be to tap into and relearn what joy even is and means now.
We chat about the guilt often associated with feeling happiness post-loss, and I serve you practical advice on integrating joy into a grief-stricken life. This episode is here to be a gentle guide toward finding balance and healing after loss.
Work with me:...
123. Coping with Infertility, Miscarriages, Adoption, & Redefining Motherhood with Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss
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Today we’re welcoming Elizabeth Tiglao-Guss as she so vulnerably and thoughtfully shares her experience with infertility, miscarriages, and failed adoptions—and how she’s redefining motherhood.
The episode delves into how these experiences impacted her marriage, self-worth, and what it means to not have the motherhood experience she had always dreamed of. And, how she’s navigating this now.
She also offers incredibly helpful and impactful guidance on coping with this grief—the silent grief, if you will—the value of seeking support, and finding acceptance amidst it all.
...
122. The Grief Wave: Why Sadness Hits Out of Nowhere
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In this minisode of Mourning Sips & Soul Shifts we’re digging into the sudden and overwhelming waves of grief that can strike during everyday activities. Doing laundry, scrolling on social media, at the grocery store, a TV show… it feels like anything could be a trigger.
So, let’s take a few minutes to talk about why these grief waves occur, how they affect our nervous system, and I’m also offering up practical advice and five helpful strategies to manage and ride through them.
Remember, my friend: grief is a non...
121. How to Embrace the Unknown and Uncertainty After Loss
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Today we’re digging into the hefty topic of facing uncertainty and the unknown after experiencing loss.
In this conversation we’re talking about why the unknown can be especially painful and scary for us as grievers, but also how it also has the potential to be our greatest teacher and a space for personal growth rather than a source of fear.
Today is all about reframing our approach to the unknown, and we talk about some practical steps you can put into practice right now like creating rituals, foll...
120. How to Navigate the Birthday of a Loved One Who Has Died
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Today on Mourning Sips & Soul Shifts we’re digging into the emotional complexities of navigating the birthdays of our loved ones who have died.
On a personal note, my parents’ birthdays are on May 20th and 23rd—so this has been heavy on my heart lately. But, that just made me want to talk about it more and, hopefully, validate you if you’re feeling some angst and sadness around your loved one’s birthday, too.
I’m all about making you feel seen and loved on in this episode toda...
119. Breaking Silence: A Fight for Justice After Trauma with Ashley Spence
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I’m excited to introduce a Life With Grief guest that does some INCREDIBLE work—and is unlike any other guest we’ve had on before.
Ashley Spence is a motivational speaker, victim advocate, and founder of DNA Justice Project; a non-profit that focuses on educating the public and policy makers on the value of forensic DNA in the criminal justice system.
When Ashley was a 19-year-old college student, she was the victim of a brutal home invasion and rape that nearly took her life. She never saw her attack...
118. Grieving and Missing Your Mom this Mother's Day? This Message Is For You
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In this special minisode of Morning Sips and Soul Shifts, we’re taking a few minutes to honor Mother’s Day.
I’m first sharing the quick origin story behind Mother’s Day with you—because many might not know the inspiring story behind it, AND it’s going to be an important piece to something I share with you later on in the episode. Trust me, you’ll want to hear this—it’s an important mindset shift for days like this!
But overall, I want this to be an opportunity...
117. Navigating Anger in Grief: How to Understand It, Cope, and Transform From It
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Today we’re addressing one of the most common, invasive emotions we can feel as we’re grieving: anger.
In this episode we’re breaking anger down so we can better understand and cope with it as we’re grieving, and beyond.
As a very natural part of the grieving process—but also being one of the most difficult emotions to cope with—I’m giving you some practical strategies, tools, and mindset shifts for managing and metabolizing your anger.
You’ll be guided on how to honor your anger...
116. Facing the Unimaginable: Trauma, Oppression & Resilience with Negin Cheleh, Part 2
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In this gripping second half of our conversation with Negin Cheleh, she shares her harrowing story of surviving domestic abuse, sexual assault, and complex cultural and family dynamics. The conversation delves into the significant struggles and trauma she endured, her path to healing (and what that even means now), and how she has coped.
Negin also discusses the creation of PathPal, a supportive app designed to connect individuals dealing with grief and loss. Her story is one of incredible resilience, true hope, and the importance of community in healing from life's...
115. Facing the Unimaginable: Trauma, Oppression & Resilience with Negin Cheleh, Part 1
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In this powerful episode of the Life with Grief podcast we’re welcoming Negin Cheleh, the CEO and founder of Pathpal, to share her deeply moving and harrowing life story.
Negin vulnerably shares about her experiences growing up as an Iranian born Muslim in North America, the cultural challenges she faced, and the traumatic events that shaped her life. She bravely recounts the sexual assault she endured at the age of 13, her subsequent struggles with mental health, and the ongoing search for healing.
She discusses the profound impact of these...
114. Navigating Grief When the Mundane & Daily Tasks Feels Heavy
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In this minisode of Mourning Sips & Soul shifts, we're exploring the hidden challenges of grief that extend into everyday, mundane tasks. Think: grocery shopping, running errands, vacuuming... you name it.
We're talking about the often-overlooked ways grief affects simple daily activities, because grief is so much bigger and more invasive than just showing up around holidays, anniversaries, and milestones, right?
You'll hear some gentle guidance on managing these tasks and the grief we feel in these moments, and leave feeling so validated as we recognize the strength and effort...
113. Processing Loss Through Art, Living Authentically & Healing Through Grief with Susie Stonefield
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Today we’re chatting with Susie Stonefield, a transformational creativity coach, grief midwife, expressive artist, and writer. Susie’s work is SO fantastic and beautiful, I can’t wait to share her and her story with you all.
In this episode Susie shares her personal story of coming out later in life, the challenges of supporting a child through significant medical issues, and the ongoing journey of caring for her aging mother.
You’ll learn more about art journaling as a therapeutic practice—a modality Susie uses, teaches, and swears by...
112. What is "Grief Brain" & Why You Keep Forgetting Everything
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In this minisode of Mourning Sips & Soul Shifts we’re digging into “grief brain”—the cognitive and emotional changes that occur during the grieving process.
Though not a formal medical diagnosis, grief brain describes how stress hormones affect memory, concentration, decision-making, and speech. As if grief isn’t difficult enough, right?! But fear not—this is very normal, and very much something we can cope with by using the right tools.
To that end, I also offer up some actionable tips to support your brain and body to navigate your grieving...
111. Empowering Financial Wellness Through Grief & Trauma with DonJay Rice
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Today we’re welcoming DonJay Rice to the podcast, a financial coach specializing in the intersection of money, grief, and trauma.
In this episode you’ll gain insight on how past and present grief and trauma influences financial behaviors and decisions. You’ll also gain the importance of understanding your own money messages, how to cope with financial mistakes and uncertainty, and adopting an empowered mindset toward finances.
DonJay shares his personal story of overcoming childhood adversities—including navigating a father who had a work disability when he was 8 (then had...
110. The "Grief Hangover" is REAL!
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In this special Mourning Sips & Soul Shifts minisode we explore the concept of the 'grief hangover'—the emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion that follows an intense wave of grief.
You’ll learn why grief hangovers occur, how they are actually a GOOD sign of emotional processing, and discover four essential tips for managing them.
Work with me:
Micro-Moments for Transformation: https://lossesbecomegains.com/transformation 14-Day Relief in Your Grief Challenge: https://lossesbecomegains.com/relief-in-grief Work with me one-on-one: https://lossesbecomegains.com/work-with-tara
Connect with...
109. Father Loss, Navigating Jealousy, and Balancing Grief & Joy with Leah Stern
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Join me in welcoming Leah Stern to the podcast, who is not only training to be an associate marriage and family therapist but is also a fellow griever who lost her father.
In this episode you’ll gain insights on coping with father or parent loss, anticipatory grief, surviving the first year after a death, and jealousy and other darker emotions and feelings we can have while we’re grieving.
We also dig into keeping their memory alive and ways to do that, practical coping mechanisms, the importance of stay...
108. Your 90-Second Pep Talk for When Grief Sucks
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This minisode of Mourning Sips & Soul Shifts provides a short, powerful pep talk to support you as you navigate wherever you are in your grief journey—particularly if your grief is just unrelenting on any given day.
Here we're emphasizing presence and self-awareness, acknowledging the profound human experience of grief, and remembering to give ourselves credit for our incredible resilience. And, knowing that moving forward and progressing through small steps is enough.
Remember, being strong doesn't mean neglecting your own needs. It means making a brave choice to continue—mome...
107. Navigating Caregiving, Mental Illness, and Living a Fulfilling Life with Debbie Weiss
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Today we’re chatting with Debbie Weiss, who is an author, speaker, and digital creator.
Debbie lost both her father and husband after being a caregiver to both of them. In this episode we talk about the process of caregiving for her father since the age of 17, followed by the mental and physical illness her husband suffered from for years which was incredibly challenging for her as well.
With over 60 years of experience overcoming life’s challenges, Debbie is a best-selling author, Canfield Certified Trainer, entrepreneur, and inspirational speaker. She...
106. The Emotional Espresso Shot: A Quick Reframe for Difficult Days
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Welcome to the first episode of Mourning Sips & Soul Shifts!
As the "mourning sips" name implies, today we're taking a sip of emotional espresso, if you will. I'm here to give you a fast, practical mindset shift for when grief feels simply unbearable. If today feels heavy, if you woke up with that familiar ache in your chest, or if you're just exhausted by carrying your grief... this one's for you.
So, grab your coffee or your favorite beverage, take a deep breath with me, and let's talk about one...
Welcome to Mourning Sips & Soul Shifts!
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Welcome to Mourning Sips & Soul Shifts! The new iteration of the Life With Grief Podcast where you can drop in and get bite-sized pieces of audible content to start your day on a high note, and get some extra love and support in your journey of life with grief and beyond.
Named after my love of taking those first morning sips of a good cappuccino or latte–or whatever your favorite beverage is–these episodes are carefully curated and 10 minutes or less to make them an easy addition to your busy day...
104. The Silent Sorrow: Navigating Disenfranchised Loss & Grief
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We’re diving into the concept of disenfranchised grief—the “silent sorrow”, as I sometimes call it. This is grief that’s often not openly acknowledged, socially validated or publicly mourned, which makes it especially challenging to navigate.
In this conversation we’re chatting about various examples of disenfranchised grief that are long overdue for some validation—think: the loss of an ex-partner or estranged family member, unrecognized or invalidated relationships, losses that are considered “less significant” than a death, stigmatized losses, losses of a job or sense of identity, major life transitions...
103. Parent & Brother Loss and Embracing a New You with Moira Khan
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Moira Khan is a Certified Grief Educator and Coach, and the founder of GriefSpan. Moira has truly turned her pain into purpose after the loss her parents and brother in the span of five years—all while trying to navigate her grief as COVID-19 come along, and caring for two toddlers.
Moira provides 1:1 grief support to clients all over the world, and her ethos around grief is that while you're never the same person again after going through a loss, it’s okay to embrace this new you and not feel guil...
102. Secondary Losses: What They Are and How to Cope
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We’re digging into the often unspoken and unacknowledged grief: secondary loss.
This episode dives into the deep pain and complexities that secondary loss can cause, from loss of identity to financial instability to loss of security & safety, and so much more.
We’ll explore the feelings of unpredictability and grief that can come with these types of losses, deep dive into how long they can last, and talk about ways we can take some of our power back in this process to cope with this the best we can!<...
101. Navigating Grief and Healing Through Fiction with Author Lauren Evans
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Today we’re joined by Lauren Evans, author of the highly relatable fictional novel, “Casket Case”.
I serendipitously found this novel in an airport and was immediately drawn to it, then proceeded to finish it very quickly because it was THAT good!
In this episode we're talking all about Lauren's book, which intertwines themes of love and grief—two things I know will speak to so many grievers here. Her book follows Nora, a young woman who returns to her hometown after her parents' death to run their casket store, w...
100. 10 (Unique!) Ways to Cope with Anxiety as You're Grieving + Our 100th Episode!
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We’re reached 100 EPISODES of the Life With Grief Podcast!!
In this milestone 100th episode—in addition to expressing my very deep gratitude for each and every one of you—I wanted to do a couple of things…
One, make a VERY exciting announcement about the future of Losses Become Gains and the direction of the podcast.
Two, to give you a powerful, jam-packed episode. We kick it off by quickly exploring how anxiety is often intertwined with loss and why this is especially difficult, then dig into 10...
099. Reimagining Grief Support & a Culture of Care with Jordan Arogeti of SupportNow
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Today we’re welcoming Jordan Arogeti to the podcast! Jordan is the CEO and co-founder of SupportNow, and we’re digging into Jordan’s journey to creating a platform designed to offer comprehensive and compassionate support during major life events.
We not only talk about the truly wonderful and unique functionalities of SupportNow that separate it from companies like GoFundMe and Meal Train, but we also get into the societal challenges around asking for help when we’re grieving and what this can look like for us as grievers—and supporters, too.
098. Parent Loss, Non-Traditional Loss and Grief as Our Guide with Travel Expert & TV Host, Kathy McCabe
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I’m so thrilled to welcome travel expert, host, and executive producer of Dream of Italy and Dream of Europe on PBS, Kathy McCabe.
Kathy is so incredibly talented, and when you’re watching one of her shows, you’d never know some of the trials and tribulations she’s endured. I think this is such a beautiful example of never really knowing what someone is going through just based off of seeing them on social media or TV, or even in person.
After unexpectedly losing both of her parents...
097. How Travel & Exploration Can Help Us Grieve, Grow, and Transform
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In case you didn’t already hear, I co-host another podcast called Taste Toast Travel with my husband, John, and I'm so excited to bring you an episode that bridges grief and travel in the most beautiful way.
We're digging into healing through travel, and how the act of travel and exploration can help us grieve, heal, and transform.
Needless to say, travel has become a transformative and healing experience in my own life, and it’s something I feel is so beneficial for anyone grieving. In this episode we e...
096. Empowering Your Legacy and Simplifying Estate & End-of-Life Planning with Adam Zuckerman of Buried in Work
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Today we’re chatting with Adam Zuckerman of Buried in Work, an incredible resource that simplifies estate planning, end-of-life tasks, and estate transitions.
Might not sound like the sexiest topic in the world, right? I totally get it. But this is IMPORTANT stuff here. I speak from my own experience of going through a three year probate process after my parents died. And let me tell you, that hands down made my grieving experience worse. There were things that came up that I never wanted to deal with—or never thought I wo...
095. Meditation on Awakening Your Intuition (Especially Through Grief!)
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Welcome to your Meditation on Awakening Your Intuition!
In case you missed it in last week's episode (episode 94: 10 Easy Ways to Get in Touch with Your Intuition), I mentioned that I was going to be popping on with a very special episode, and that day has arrived!
This is a special meditation on awakening your intuition, particularly as we're grieving. I’m so excited to share this with you because, as I was creating that episode, I felt very inspired—intuitively, if you will—to create this meditation and give i...
094. 10 Easy Ways to Get in Touch with Your Intuition
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We’re diving into a topic that’s as powerful as it is deeply personal: intuition.
We’re going to unpack what intuition is, why it’s so important to get in touch with and trust it, and I’ll be sharing 10 simple ways you can start strengthening your connection to this inner compass.
Whether you’re navigating a major life decision or just seeking to live more authentically and in alignment with your highest self, this episode is for you!
I’m giving you relatable examples (including a se...
093. Pet Loss, Finding Fulfillment and Transformational Growth with Christine Passo
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Join me in welcoming Christine Passo to the podcast, who is certified in Life Purpose Coaching, Life Transformation Coaching, and Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
Today we’re sharing her really powerful journey through various forms of grief and loss. From coping with death to financial loss, to relationship loss and the devastating loss of her 8-year-old Sheltie, Maya Ray, they have all significantly changed her.
After 20+ years in marketing and advertising, she went through the transformation of changing everything in her life to focus on what mattered most to her—impa...
092. Los Angeles Fires & Natural Disaster Loss and Grief
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In light of the devastating fires in Los Angeles, I couldn’t help but acknowledge this with special episode of the Life With Grief Podcast.
As a Northern Californian who’s no stranger to fires and other natural disasters, this episode is not only about acknowledging the tragedy that continues unfolding and showing love to the thousands upon thousands of people affected, but to address the overwhelming grief, loss, and trauma that come with such natural disasters.
As encouraging as it is to see people coming together to provide reli...
091. Creating Purpose from Pain & Loss with Zachariah Thompson of The Scatter Joy Project
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Frieds, I’m beyond honored and excited to share the story of Zachariah Thompson of The Scatter Joy Project with you today.
Without giving away too much of his story, Zach's first experience with grief was when he lost his beloved uncle, Joe, when he was in 7th grade. That, and a very frightening health scare with his mom when he was 22.
Aside from having countless commonalities and a really special bond with his uncle, Zach also inherited ARVC—a hereditary heart condition that would alter his life as he k...
