Podcasts to support you through grief
Grief is challenging and whether you’ve experienced it a few times or you’re going through it for the first time, it requires space, time and support. International Podcast Day is on 30 September 2020 and we’ve found podcasts to be an excellent resource of information, including for approaching and living with grief.
We’ve made a selection from a diverse range of podcasts which all tackle the topic of grief. Some of them speak about preparing for the grief process, some of them share how to process grief, and some simply share the story of someone who has experienced their own grief.
There are also a few which speak specifically to the pandemic and a different type of grief that many of us don’t even recognise, and that’s loss without closure. These will be a great resource for what the world is experiencing now but can also help with personal grief of varying scales.
We hope you find these as helpful and enjoyable as we did, and please do make sure to send us your own recommendations and suggestions. These are a valuable resource that we will continue to share with our community, especially at The Centre for Care & Wellbeing.
Podcast: Unlocking Us – Brené Brown
Episode: David Kessler and Brené on Grief and Finding Meaning
Brené Brown’s podcast is an incredible learning resource. She welcomes guests to talk vulnerably and openly about the big topics and this episode on grief was no exception. It’s best said in her words, so here’s the summary.
“Grief expert David Kessler takes us by the hand and walks us into what he’s learned about love, loss, and finding meaning. As someone who has a lot of fear about grief and grieving, this conversation is not what I expected. The only word I can use to describe what I learned from David is 'beautiful.'"
Podcast: ABC Conversations with Richard Fidler, Sarah Kanowski
Episode: Author Cheryl Strayed's journey of grief through the American wild
Note: Richard Fidler's interview with Cheryl Strayed - the author of "Wild"
Many people will have seen the film called Wild, based on the book by Cheryl Strayed of the same name. It was a huge success and widely praised for the way she spoke openly about her grief and the journey she went on subsequently, trekking along the Pacific Coast Trail in North America. Strayed took on the epic challenge after years of running from her grief and struggling to process it. This podcast discusses the journey and her learnings about herself through grieving.
Podcast: The Thing About Advanced Cancer
Episode: Caring for Someone in Their Last Months
The Cancer Council have developed their podcast The Thing About Advanced Cancer with episodes on Living with Dying and Caring for Someone in Their Last Months. These episodes can be applied to anyone in a caring role and they also discuss preparing for passing on and how families can work through this together to best meet the wishes of their loved one. We also have information about this on the SMCT website, take a look at My Life Book.
Podcast: Conscious Convos
Episode EP17. Dealing with Death, Dying & Grief with Christina Reeves
The host interviews a Death Doula who speaks about grief, the process of dying, dying at home and the healing process after. Both the host and guest share their own experiences with grief and why this topic was so important for them to discuss here. There’s some helpful tools and guidance to help with your own grief journey.
Podcast: Beautiful grief
Episode: Ep.02 Behind beautiful grief: Healing through connection
This podcast is specifically dedicated to grief. This is a great episode to introduce the podcast and discusses the hosts own personal experience with the loss of a loved one and the grieving process that followed. Other episodes feature interviews with guests and discuss grief and the changes and growth that can come from it. It’s a fresh and beautiful perspective on grief.
Podcast: Hong Kong Confidential
Episode: Grappling with grief
This was a beautiful interview that shared so vulnerably a challenging time in Sofie’s life and her own personal experience. Here is the episode summary as it articulates it so well:
“Sofie was one of three siblings but sadly both of her sisters passed away when she was young. She shares the traumatic stories of her sisters’ deaths and her journey through grief as she dealt with these tragic life events. We delve deeply into the notion of grief, coping strategies and the impact on the whole family and how each person dealt with grief differently. Sofie internalised her grief after the death of her first sister and became very stoic, this suppression of her grief meant that when her second sister died, she was impacted intensely. We discuss the benefits of counselling to help a person to “struggle effectively” to manage their grief. This is a moving and thoughtful exploration of one woman’s personal take on grief and loss. Sofie is now a midwife and helps bring new souls into the world.”
Podcast: The On Being Show
Episode: Living the Questions; It's really settling in now, the losses large and small
Episode:
On Being with Krista Tippett. Pauline Boss: Navigating Loss Without Closure
These two wonderful episodes discuss the grief and loss that is happening in the world right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The host Krista Tippett interviews Pauline Boss, professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota. She is the author of Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief, Loving Someone Who Has Dementia, and Loss, Trauma and Resilience. The discussion is thoughtful and gentle across both episodes. Whether it’s applied to the pandemic, or grief in general, there’s some wonderful guidance for coping here.
Podcast: Thoughtful Travel Podcast
Episode: On Grief and Travel
Episode: Grief, Travel and Change
Sometimes we need a way to cope with or process our grief, and that’s not always obvious or evident. These two episodes on the Thoughtful Travel Podcast with Amanda Kendle explore what it’s like to travel after grief and how it can help in the healing process. Different guests share their own personal experiences of loss and how their travels helped them. They’re short and highly enjoyable episodes which offer a different perspective of when and how we grieve.