Episode 22: Complex Grief: Finding a Way Forward
From A Way Forward: Conversations on Mental Health by CMHA Kelowna and Jessica Samuels
March 17, 2026 · 24 min · Episode 22
About this episode
This episode explores the complexities of grief, including trauma and unresolved relationships, and emphasizes the importance of community support in the grieving process.
Grief is rarely simple. In this episode of A Way Forward, host Jessica Samuels explores Complex grief — the layered and often misunderstood experience of loss that can include trauma, unresolved relationships, sudden death, and other difficult circumstances. Jessica is joined by Mikayla Angle, Community Education Coordinator at CMHA Kelowna, and Chivonne Monaghan, an educator, speaker, and author. Together they share personal experiences, professional insights, and the work they are doing to create more open conversations and community support around grief. In This Episode · What complex grief means and why it’s different from clinical diagnoses like prolonged grief disorder · How trauma, estrangement, sudden loss, or unresolved relationships can shape the grieving process · The stigma and silence that often surround grief conversations · Why traditional grief models don’t always reflect lived experience · The importance of community, connection, and peer support in healing · How turning pain into purpose can help people navigate grief · New conversations and initiatives being developed through CMHA Kelowna’s Discovery College Key Takeaway Grief doesn’t follow a timeline or a…
People in this episode
Host: Jessica Samuels
Guests: Mikayla Angle, Chivonne Monaghan
Topics covered
- complex grief
- loss
- community support
- trauma
- grieving process
- open conversations
Keywords
- complex grief
- trauma
- loss
- community support
- grieving process
- peer support
- honest conversations
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: CMHA Kelowna, CMHA Kelowna’s Discovery College
More episodes of A Way Forward: Conversations on Mental Health
- Episode 27: Bridging the Gap: Bringing Foundry to the Westside · May 27, 2026 · 13 min
- Episode 26: Mental Health in South Asian Communities · May 13, 2026 · 28 min
- Episode 25: Rising Housing Costs & Mental Health · April 29, 2026 · 25 min
- Episode 24: Substance Use and Addiction: The Recovery Journey · April 15, 2026 · 34 min
- Episode 23: Psychedelic Assisted Therapy · April 1, 2026 · 28 min
- Episode 21: Relationships, Money, & Mental Health · December 10, 2025 · 14 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the A Way Forward: Conversations on Mental Health podcast page.