Where's The Grief?

In this episode I talk with comedian Bryan McKenna! A fellow native NYer, Bryan started doing stand up comedy not long after the death of his father. After getting some laughs while giving the eulogy, Bryan decided to jump in and has never looked back, performing across the country as well as opening for touring acts such as Jim Bruer. In addition to having lost his father, Bryan has endured a number of deaths along the way, including most recently his childhood best friend. We talk about the changing of family dynamics after a loss, as well as the ways that we start to question our own mortality when one of our own contempereries dies. Follow Bryan on IG at @bryanmckennacomedy

In this episode, I talk to author Annie Sklaver Orenstein about her new book, "Always A Sibling: The Forgotten Mourners Guide To Grief." After years of struggling with her own grief after the death of her brother Ben to a suicide bomber in Afghanistan, Annie began writing what ultimately became the book that she wished had existed when her loss was fresh. As a skilled reasearcher, Annie surveyed and interviewed dozens of other bereaved siblings, weaving their stories together with her own, along with detailed references to so many of the resources and support that is out there. We obviously talk (and bond) over the fact that bereaved siblings are often overlooked - hence the Forgotten Mourners moniker, and how impactful it is to finally have found a community and a vocaulary to talk about our siblings with. We also talk about the surreal expereince of having to sell and promote someting so deeply personal. Get the book and find out more about Annie! https://www.amazon.com/Always-Sibling-Forgotten-Mourners-Guide/dp/030683149X https://www.annieorenstein.com Follow Annie on Instagram @AnnieSklaverOrenstein

In this episode, I talk with Author and Sound Healer Jeralyn Glass about her book, "Sacred Vibrations - The Transformative Power of Crystalline Sound and Music," as well as her practice of creating unique sets of crystal singing bowls. Already a musician and leader in the sound healing movement when her son Dylan died, Jeralyn focused her efforts on helping others tap into the various frequencies and vibrations of life. We also talk about how helping others heal can be a source of healing for us as well, and how the intersection of science, spiritually and the healing power of music bring us all closer together. Find out more about Jeralyn and what she does at https://crystalcadence.com/ Follow her on IG @crystalcadencela GET THE BOOK - Sacred Vibrations!

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Sara Glass about her new memoir, "Kissing Girls on Shabbat." Growing up in an extremely sheltered Orthodox Hassidic Jewish community, Sara decided to become a therapist and mental health professional partially because seeing how her sister Shani's mental health issues impacted her family. When Shani ultimately took her own life, Sara came out of the closet after years of struggling with her sexual identity and eventually wrote a memoir about her path towards self acceptance and an open life. We talk about the different ways that we interalize our own trauma, and how hard it can be to find ways to be honest with the people in our lives about what we are going through. We also talk about the stigma that comes with suicide and mental health issues in general, and how important it is to recognise that we never have to do it alone. As September is Suicide Awareness Month, This episode is a reminder that someone is always listening, and if you need help, reach out to a trusted friend or loved one, or you call 988 for the national suicide prevention line. Get the book "Kissing Girls On Shabbat" On Amazon! Follow Dr. Sara online at https://www.drsaraglass.com Or follow her on social media @DrSaraGlass You can always email ME at [email protected] Follow ME on Instagram @WheresTheGrief

In this episode, I talk with comedian Liz Glazer about her album, "A Very Particular Experience," recorded on the one year anniversary of Liz and her wife's first daughter's Leo Pearl stillbirth. We talk about the difficulty of even making jokes about such a heavy topic, let alone putting together an entire album. However, we also highlight how important it is to laugh, and how much hope it can bring along with the perspective that keeps us connected to people. Follow more about liz at https://www.dearlizglazer.com

In this episode I got to talk to Author Courtney Deane about her new book, "When Happily Ever After Fails." Courtney's father died when she was just 14, and her mother when she was just 28. In order to process her grief and make sense of her feelings about her own identity as a now parentless person, Courtney wrote a romantic comedy novel about a young woman going through similar difficult challenges. We talk about how important it is to create our own narrative of our trauma, and how finding ways to honor our own journeys. We also talk about how keeping our sense of humor and allowing ourselves to be a little silly sometimes goes a long way. Follow Courtney at http://www.courtneydeane.com/ Courtney on IG - https://www.instagram.com/authorcourtneydeane/ Courtney on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@courtneydeane Follow ME on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wheresthegrief

In this episode I talk to my good friend comedian John Moses! John's father Ken managed to live for 18 months after being given a terminal diagnosis that was much shorter. Now a year after his passing, John is starting to process his relationship with his dad, and finding ways to let his new perspective make him a better man and father. We also talk about how letting go of resentments and being present can be helpful in fostering family connections. Follow john on Instagram @ComedianJohnMoses

In this episode I talk with comedian and fellow grief podcaster Micah Walsh! After his father Kevin died, Micah found an outlet for his feelings in starting his own podcast with comedians talking about grief and loss, "I'll Greive You With This." We talk about how helpful it can be to talk about the hard topics with other people who understand, and who are not afraid to make jokes about an otherwise stressful and devastaing proceess. Listen to "I'll Grieve You With this!" @IllGrieveYouWithThisPodcast @Micah_Walsh