Got Grief

This week we speak to Katherine who is a retired nurse. Katherine speaks on the loss of her mother when she was two years old and then talks on a childhood of abuse, foster care and separation from her siblings. Katherine has found great strength in her faith and in this episode shows that no matter how dark our lives become there is always hope if you continue to ask for help. Katherine is married with children and grandchildren and works with a grief charity in her spare time.Trigger Warning: This episode contains references to sexual, emotional and physical abuse.

This week we speak to Ali about the loss of her brother when she was only nine years old. Ali shares how the unexpected loss of her brother impacted her life and family. Ali shares how her grief has been internalised for large periods of life and how this was transformed when she asked for help and started therapy.This is the third episode in a mini-series on sibling loss. In these episodes we will be speaking with adults who have have lost their siblings.

This week we speak to Rebecca from Colorado, USA. Rebecca talks on the sudden loss of her sister when she was a teenager. Rebecca talks on how losing a sister so suddenly impacts your life and those around you. This episode celebrates the life of Rebecca's sister and how this has inspired positivity  despite the pain including Rebecca volunteering to help others who are grieving. This is the second episode in a mini-series on sibling loss. In these episodes we will be speaking with adults who have have lost their siblings.

This week we speak to Jules, a casting director from Canada. Jules talks on the loss of her brother and sister and also others in a traumatic sequence of events. Jules shares about how it feels to lose a brother and sister and how the trauma upends her life? Jules also speaks on how she coped  day to day with these deaths and supported her parents, as the only remaining living sibling. Jules has started a Cancer charity in honour of her siblings. She has also written a book on Grief called: Finding the Words which is due for release later this year.This is the first episode in a mini-series on sibling loss. In these episodes we will be speaking with adults who have have lost their siblings.

This week we speak to Paul who works in the charity sector. In this episode, Paul shares the loss of both in parents in a car crash in his childhood. Paul lends deep insight into the complexity of becoming a double orphan and how this impacted his development and every aspect of his life.Paul's beautiful honesty reveals the reality of losing both parents in an instance and how this trauma shapes one's life.

This week we speak to author and psychoanalytic therapist, Nick Blackburn. In this special episode Nick shares how he his father died and how his grief and experiences brought him to write his first book, The Reactor . Nick shares insights into grief, working with those who have experienced it and how a few notes on his phone turned into a book about grief and repair. The Reactor is a memoir about absence and creative possibilities, assembled like the pieces of a puzzle. Through philosophy, music, fashion, psychology, art and film, Blackburn travels a vast panorama of ideas and characters to offer an entirely new exploration of grief. This is a book about looking for and finding chain reactions and human connection - a work of enduring fragmentary beauty.

This week we speak to Lisa from London who works in financial services. Lisa shares the loss of her mother and how this impacted her life. Lisa talks about her experiences at school, within her family and how she dealt with her grief going into a working career as a young adult.Lisa also shares how the birth of her daughters awoke unresolved grief and how in the end this is a sign of hope and not despair.

This week we speak to Emma, a law student from London. Emma shares the loss of her father and  how this impacted her as a teenager in her academic, social and family life. Emma also gives us a unique perspective on seeing lost ones in our dreams and how our subconscious can react to  trauma the loss of a parent.

This week we speak to Kate, a teacher from Wales. Kate shares  the sudden loss of her friend in school and the death of a student years later. Kate talks on her teaching career and how the grief is handled by staff and students alike. Kate wrote about her experience of grief and loss in her first book: Love To Teach: Research and Resources for every classroom.Kate is an ambassador for Winston's Wish  so that young people can receive the same help, support and guidance that she did, as well as supporting teachers to feel more confident and prepared when talking about grief.

This week we speak to Honor who works for the BBC. Honor shares the sudden loss of her father when she was 15 and how this impacted her life, relationships and career aspirations. Honor shares how her father's legacy inspired her and also how her grief grew into supporting others through  charity work with the Good Grief Trust.Honor is an ambassador for The Good Grief Trust who exist to help all those affected by grief in the UK. Their vision is to help those bereaved from day one, acknowledging their grief and provide reassurance, a virtual hand of friendship and ongoing support.

This week is the second of our sibling special where co-host  Holly talks to her brother Matthew about the loss of their mother when he was eight years old. Matthew discusses the the impacts of witnessing the prolonged and painful illness of his mother and the confusion that it caused to him as a child.Matthew also explores how this impacted him in the years after his mother's death, the motivational outlook he has now in life and what a meaningful father-son relationship means looks like for him.

This week we speak to Victoria who is a mother of three children and works as a pharmacist. Victoria talks about the sudden death of her mother at 15 and the impact it had then but also now in recent years. Victoria shares how trauma can take many forms and as hard as it can be, facing up to it and sharing your story can be one of the most powerful tools available.Victoria works with Cruse bereavement support which provide free care and bereavement counselling to people suffering from grief.

This week we speak to Katy, a make up artist from London. Katy talks on losing her mother at seven, growing up with no female role models and how she channels her loss to empower her to make the most from life.This episode is the first in a two part special where the hosts of Got Grief speak to their siblings on their story. Katy is Craig's younger sister.

This week we speak to Charlie Russell who is an actor, writer and creative. Charlie speaks on the loss of her mother on her eighteenth birthday and how this impacted her life. Charlie opens up on mental health and dealing with trauma whilst also being a high achiever in school and how this lead to her success in the creative world.

We understand it can be challenging to know what to say to someone who is grieving. Either as people who haven't lost anyone and even people who have, sometimes it can be tricky to know exactly what to say. In this mini-episode, Holly and Craig discuss the 5 tips, and how to get the conversation on grief started.

This week we speak to Joe, a designer from Worcester. Joe shares the story of the loss of his mother to cancer at the age of 6 and how this impacted his life, personality and outlook. Joe shares how the loss of a parent has formed the way he raises his son and how life can go on after such a trauma.

This week we speak to Nia, who works as a high school teacher from Wales. Nia shares the story of her mother's sudden death and how this impacted her life, family and the community she lived in.

In this special episode, Craig and Holly look back at a year of the Got Grief Podcast. They discover what they have learnt in 32 episodes  of speaking with adults bereaved as children about grief and  how you can help those around grieving. 

Speaking up on Addiction - In the next few episodes we will be exploring experiences of both the loss of someone to addiction and addiction as a result of loss.This week we speak to Ollie in Leeds about multiple bereavements in childhood and at university. Ollie tells us how these affected her life and how she is working and living with her grief.

Speaking up on Addiction - In the next few episodes we will be exploring experiences of both the loss of someone to addiction and addiction as a result of loss.This week we speak to Anne in Bristol about the loss of her Brother. Anne also shares about growing up after this tragic event and and how later in life Anne battled alcoholism and came to be in recovery.

Speaking up on Addiction - In the next few episodes we will be exploring experiences of both the loss of someone to addiction and addiction as a result of loss.This week we speak to Emma in London who shares the story of her mother who died due to alcoholism. Emma talks us through a childhood overshadowed by addiction and how this had an impact on her upbringing, her family and her life to date. 

This week we speak to Tracee, a journalist from Boston. Tracee talks on the loss of her mother, growing up in a small community and how her grief shaped her life and her career.

This week we speak to Richard from Wales. Richard shares the story of the sudden loss of his mother and how this and other traumas shaped his life. Despite all of this, Richard talks on his positive outlook and why he wants to make the most of his life.

This week we are joined by private counsellor, David Pope. In this special episode we talk about David's grief journey (through the loss of his parents) and how this became a career for him as a specialist in depression, anxiety and bereavement counselling. David shares insights from his work and offers a huge range of advice for the various stages of grief. You can follow David' work on Instagram: @healyourgrief

This week we speak to Teni, a footballer from London. Teni talks about the loss of her mother, growing up in a big family and how grief has shaped her life. Teni hosts an instagram which talks on mental health, trauma and grief: @voicelessthoughtshub

This week we speak to Julia in New Hampshire, USA who works for a medical journal. This episode was recorded on mother's day as Julia shared the loss of her mother when she was eight years old. Julia has had several essay's published through The Manifest-Station and runs an instagram page Girl Meets Grief (girl_meets_grief) sharing her story as she trains to become a Grief Specialist in training.

This week we speak to Maryline in London, who grew up France. Maryline speaks on the loss of her mother and how this shaped her life and has now resulted into Maryline becoming a grief coach.

This week we speak to Gavin who is a London taxi driver. Gavin talks on the loss of his mother and then later his father and how this shaped his life. Gavin is a supporter of Grief Encounter is currently running to raise money for this charity. Gavin also hosts a page on instagram called @grief_warriors which shares reflections on living positively with loss & grief , tinged with dark humour. 

This week we speak to Craig who is the co-creator and host of Got Grief. Craig talks on the loss of his mother at the age of 8 and how this shaped his upbringing and the person he is today. This is the second of a two part special where we hear the story of the people responsible for creating the Got Grief Podcast.

This week we speak to Holly who is the co-creator and host of Got Grief. Holly talks on the loss of her mother at the age of 6, growing up as a bereaved child and the lasting effects into adulthood. This is the first of a two part special where we hear the story of the people responsible for creating the Got Grief Podcast.

The week we speak to Sam in Maine, USA who works as an archivist. Sam talks through his family history, his  journey through coping with grief and the loss of his Father.

This week we speak to Frances about the death of her father. Frances talks on growing up with loss, how the death of her father shaped her life and the acceptance of her grief.

This week we speak to Mel who speaks on the loss of her mother & father and her journey through grief. Mel has a video channel where she talks more on her experiences on youtube called Me, Mel.

This week we speak with Carmel who is a teacher and a writer from Oregon, USA. We talk about the loss of her mother and how this would end up inspiring the writing of her own memoir in a book.

This week we speak to Alix who is a student in Oxford. Alix talks on the loss of her father who was in the military abroad and shares an incredible story of her loss, experiences and how she is now giving back to those who helped her.

This week we talk to Angela  about the loss of her father to suicide. 

This week we talk to Amber  about the loss of her father to suicide. 

This week we talk to Monica who works in the NHS  about the loss of her father to suicide. 

This week we talk to Nirvana, a teacher from London about the loss of her father to suicide. Nirvana opens up about her experiences on this important topic and begins the Got Grief Takeover: Speaking up on suicide.

This week we speak to Lorraine  who runs a charity and is based in Kent.

This week we talk to Michelle, who works as an ecologist, about the loss of her mother.Trigger Warning: This episode discusses physical and emotional abuse.

This week we speak to Kulvinder, an NHS worker from Staffordshire.

This week we speak to Rob who is a teacher and an academic from Dorset.

This week we talk all things festive as we complete the pilot season.

This week is a bonus episode to support Children's Grief Awareness Week 19th - 25th November.

This week we speak to Shami from Cambridge.

This week we speak to Melanie from Cheshire.

This week we speak to Jack, a journalist from London.

This week we speak to Peg Conway in Cincinnati, Ohio. Peg's memoir of early mother loss, The Art of Reassembly, will be published in November 2021. Her writing about adult grieving for a childhood loss has appeared at the Manifest-Station and The Mighty. Visit pegconway.com to learn more and sign up for her newsletter.