Hope after Loss....Gentle Conversations for Grieving Hearts

What happens to all the love we still carry when someone we love is no longer here?

When someone dies, the relationship changes—but the love doesn't simply disappear. We may still reach for the phone, think of something we want to tell them, hear a song that brings them close, or find ourselves wondering where all that love is supposed to go.

In this episode of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., explores the idea of continuing our bond with someone after death. Through me...

What if the hardest person to forgive after a loss is yourself?

Guilt and regret can begin long before someone dies.  When someone we love is ill, we may feel exhausted, impatient, frightened, or even wish for a break--and then feel guilty for having those feelings at all.

After a death, those feelings can become even more powerful.  We replay conversations, decisions, things we said, and things we wish we had said.  The mind becomes filled with if onlys: If only I had known,  If only I had done more,  If only I had b...

What happens when the funeral is over, the phone stops ringing, and everyone else seems to have returned to their lives—but you're still grieving?

Grief doesn't follow a timetable. Whether it has been one year, five years, or twenty years since the death of someone you love, unexpected waves of sadness, memories, anniversaries, songs, and even ordinary moments can bring grief rushing back.

In this episode of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., explores what it means to grieve long after the funeral. Drawing from nearly five decades of co...

Episode 11: When Grief Becomes Your Greatest Teacher: How Loss Changes Your Life Forever

Grief changes us in ways we never expect. While none of us would choose the pain of losing someone we love, our losses can become some of life's greatest teachers.

In this episode, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., reflects on the unexpected lessons grief can bring—including deeper compassion, greater resilience, renewed purpose, and a fresh perspective on what truly matters. Drawing on nearly five decades as a licensed professional counselor, along with her own journey after th...

Children experience grief differently than adults, yet their pain is just as real. As a licensed professional clinical counselor for nearly five decades, I've had the privilege of walking alongside grieving children and their families. In this episode, I share what I've learned about how children process loss, the questions they often carry in their hearts, and how the caring adults in their lives can offer comfort, honesty, and hope.

We'll talk about common misconceptions about children's grief, what to say (and what not to say), and simple ways to help children feel safe...

Can Dreams Bring Hope? My Journey

Can dreams bring comfort after the loss of someone we love?

In this deeply personal episode, I share a dream that forever changed my understanding of grief and loss—and ultimately led me to write the book, Lost No More....A Mother's Spiritual Journey Through Her Son's Addiction. Dreams can become a source of hope, healing, and connection during our darkest times which it clearly did for me.  I refer to this as a miracle and believe in miracles ever since.

Whether you believe dreams are...

One of the greatest fears after loss is that healing means leaving our loved one behind.  It doesn't.  In this podcast, Marilyn Burns shares how it's possible to move forward while continuing to carry love, memories and meangful connections with those who remain forever part of our lives.

How do we move forward after losing someone we love without feeling like we're leaving them behind?

In this episode of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., explores one of the most common fears grieving people face: the belief that healing means fo...

Signs From Our Loved Ones: Coincidence, Comfort, or Connection?

After a significant loss, many people report experiences that leave them wondering whether their loved one is still near. In this episode, Marilyn Burns explores the common signs people describe after loss, including dreams, meaningful coincidences, familiar scents, songs, animals, and moments of unexpected peace. Through personal stories and professional insight, Marilyn offers a compassionate conversation about connection, hope, and the enduring bond of love.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Thank you for listening to Hope After Loss...

Episode 6: Faith After Loss: Finding Strength in Something Greater Than Your Pain

When life doesn't make sense, many people begin asking difficult quesions about faith, God and suffering.  In this podcast, Marilyn Burns shares how faith can become a source of strength--not because it removes the pain, but because it helps us find hope and meaning while walking with the pain.

Grief has a way of shaking not only our hearts, but our beliefs.

In this episode of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., explores what h...

One of the most difficult quesitons after loss is, "Who am I now?"  When grief changes your life, your roles, and your relationships, it's natural to question your identity.  This refection explores how loss reshapes us and how we can begin rediscovering ourselves with compassion, courage and HOPE. 

Grief doesn't just change our lives--it can change our sense of self.  In this episode of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns M.S., L.P.C.C. explores the deep sense of identity loss that often follows grief. When we lose someone we love, we don’t just l...

Grief can make even the simpliest decisions feel overwhelming.  In this podcast, Marilyn Burns shares gentle guidance for taking the first steps toward healing after loss.  You'll learn why healing isn't about forgetting the person you love, but about learning to walk forward while carring their love with you. 

Grief can feel like darkness—quiet, heavy, and hard to move through.

In this episode, Marilyn gently explores what it means to live in that darkness, and how we begin, slowly and softly, to find our way again.

When we are grieving, it’s common...

Have you ever felt caught between hoping for the best while preparing for the worst?  Whether you're facing a serious illness, loving someone struggling with addiction, or living with uncertainty after a loss, this podcast explores how to find peace while living in the space between hope and fear.  You'll discover that uncertainty doesn't have to steal your ability to live one day at a time.

In this episode, Marilyn shares the emotional reality of loving someone who is struggling, and what it feels like to live in the space between hope and fear.

This is...

Why does grief affect memory, concentration, sleep, anxiety and everyday thinking?  

In this episode, counselor Marilyn Burns explores how trauma and grief affect the emotional brain, why these changes are a normal response to loss and how treating yourself with kindness creates the conditions where healing can begin.

Grief is not just an emotional experience—it is also neurological.

In this episode of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., explores how the emotional brain responds to grief and loss, and why so many people experience overwhelming tho...

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional counseling, diagnosis, or treatment. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship. If you are in need of support, please seek help from a licensed professional in your area.

Anticipatory grief often begins long before the death of someone we love.  In this episode, Marilyn Burns shares how grief, fear and uncertainty begin affecting the heart and brain before loss occurs, and how understanding anticipatory grief can help us navigate this difficult time with compassion.