The After Life

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Stories of transformation after loss. Join host Colleen Kavanaugh, as she explores belief, faith, and new ways of transcendent thinking with guests who live extraordinary lives that have been transformed by the experiences of living. Each of us has a stor


    • Dec 11, 2018 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 51m AVG DURATION
    • 68 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The After Life

    TAL #068 Ashley Pardo - Mindful Eating During The Holidays + Using Food To Experience Connection And Nostalgia

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2018 50:58


    Ashley Pardo is a nutritional therapist dishing on how to make it through the holiday food fests without feeling horrible when we enter the new year by being mindful. Her expert strategies keep pleasure on high and anxieties over calories on low.

    TAL #067 Cass McCrory - Bringing Attention And Intention To Create Ease And Presence + The Joy It Can Create For Families

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2018 58:22


    Cass McCrory, the creator of Subtraction Project, shares how and why she adds attention and intention to all areas of her life and how the outcomes result in being fully present to her family + career, living with ease, flow, happy memories + traditions.

    TAL #066 Colleen Kavanaugh - How Gratitude Can Alter Perspective + A Few Questions To Bring Acceptance And Sharing

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2018 24:11


    Colleen shares how the practice of gratitude helps her live a life with the glass half full and poses three questions from her new book, My Grit, Grace + Gratitude for you to consider and allow more acceptance and sharing into this holiday season.

    TAL #065 Madison Luikens - Following Curiosity, Trusting In The Unknown + Finding Balance And Joy In Non-Linear Living

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2018 63:59


    What happens if we allow ourselves to lose our labels, follow our curiosity, and trust in the unknown future? Join Madison Luikens and find out how she navigates life by doing just that, along with trusting her body and relying on connection + community.

    TAL #064 Colleen Kavanaugh and Deb Kelsey-Davis - Tap Into Grit, Grace + Gratitude And Transform Everything From Within: A Book Party Episode

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2018 51:05


    Colleen + Deb have created a journaling workbook and you are invited to the release party! Find out what the book is all about, how it came to be, and why it might be something you will be interested in to rediscover your own grit, grace, and gratitude.

    TAL #063 Beth Scibienski - Redefining God During And After Loss, The Illusion Of Control + Our Need For Each Other

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2018 61:52


    Pastor Beth Scibienski has written a book that asks the question, "Who is God When We Hurt". It's a vulnerable look into how she approached her faith and definition of God while caring for her husband who had multiple sclerosis.

    TAL #062 Dori Frame - Walking The Last Mile With A Pet, Enjoying What Still Exists + Cultivating A Life Of Presence

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2018 54:07


    Dori Frame received a devastating diagnosis for her service dog and she refused to focus on it. Instead, she decided to live with what was left of her pet's abilities, experience joy, reimagine what was possible and be present to what is.

    TAL #061 Cynthia Lim - Re-envisioning Life With Disability After Her Husband's Traumatic Brain Injury Diagnosis

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2018 51:19


    Cynthia's husband was 47 years old when he suffered a cardiac arrest and subsequent traumatic brain injury. Cynthia and their two sons learned to overcome obstacles and make the most of what was left and re-envision life with disability.

    TAL #060 c. René Washington - Staying Open And Expectant To The Good Things, The Magic In Choosing + Reinvention At Any Age

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2018 51:58


    Four simultaneous major life events transformed c. René Washington's outlook on living and not only is she never going back to her old ways she is also teaching others to follow in her footsteps and empowers them to live fully in who they truly are.

    TAL #059 Tami Neumann - Intentionally Creating What's Next, Moving Out Of Fear And Into Flow + Letting Go To Let Life In

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2018 66:38


    Tami turned 50 and is asking "what's next". We sit down and gain a bird's eye view of her life and what intentions she'll be bringing to her future as she rebalances her entrepreneurial work with more of what truly brings her joy.

    TAL #058 Ogun Holder - Grief As A Spiritual Practice + How One Dad And His Daughter Live With Loss Three Years Later

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2018 57:14


    Ogun Holder and his school-age daughter lost their wife and mom too soon. Hear how Ogun processed the loss alongside his daughter and the insights gained from letting his heart crack open in this personal look into what is often a quietly kept matter.

    TAL #057 Engrid Latina - Eating Disorder Recovery, Intuitive Eating + The Relief Of Letting Go To Find Inner Wisdom

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2018 62:22


    Engrid Latina survived an eating disorder and is now a personal trainer who is doing more than making bodies healthy, she is making spirits healthy by showing women how by dropping our stories we are able to tap into the inner wisdom of our intuition.

    TAL #056 Samantha Horton - Part 2/2: From Victim To Victor + Finding Freedom From The Trauma Of Childhood Abuse

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2018 59:42


    Part 2/2 following episode #055. Samantha Horton shares what it took for her to gain freedom from a childhood of sexual abuse to create a healthy, love-filled life for herself and her family and to deconstruct the toxic theology she was raised in.

    TAL #055 Samantha Horton - Moving From Victim To Victor + Finding Freedom From The Trauma Of Childhood Abuse, Part 1 of 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2018 48:30


    Samantha Horton shares her story of growing up sexually abused by her father, an evangelical minister. In this episode, we learn the thoughts + emotions that exist for a victim of abuse before hearing how she was able to gain freedom from her past.

    TAL #054 Cathy Braxton - Staying Accountable In The Extreme Boundary Setting With Her Parents + What She Is Learning

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2018 59:42


    Cathy Braxton is back to fill us in on where she is at with the extreme boundary setting she set with her parents. She first shared her story in episode 015 and has a handful of new lessons about codependency, healthy and unhealthy relationships to share.

    TAL #053 Katrina McGhee - Trusting Intuition + Walking Away From A Fine Life To Live An Extraordinary Life Of Presence

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2018 54:54


    Katrina McGhee lived a perfectly fine life as a successful MBA until something inside began nudging her in a new direction. Hear how she made the shift into living an extraordinary life of presence + gratitude and how she helps others do the same.

    TAL #052 David B. Watts - Turning A Career's Worth Of Experiences Into Novels + Appreciating The Unfolding Of Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2018 48:11


    Ever wonder what life as a private investigator might be like? David B. Watts shares what his career as a P.I. is like (with his wife as his business partner) and explains how he is now taking a lifetime of experiences and turning them into novels.

    TAL #051 Kathe Crawford - Releasing A Secret Held For Decades + Stepping Into The Brilliance Of A Truth(full) Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2018 55:18


    Author Kathe Crawford talks about her riveting debut memoir that details the life she and her husband hid from everyone in their lives and how, over 20 years after his death, she was able to release the secret that allowed her heart to open to healing.

    TAL #050 Catherine Greer - Celebrating Classic Age With Authentic Voice + Creating Beautiful Beginnings At Any Time Of Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2018 59:28


    Author, writing coach, and happiness blogger, Catherine Greer shares how she has embraced classic age, how we can find our authentic voice, and how shifting mindsets can create beautiful beginnings at any time of our lives. Be prepared to smile.

    TAL #049 Richie Santa - Honoring Elvis Presley Through A Passionate Career + Inspiration For Living A Life You Love

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2018 44:13


    Ever wonder what goes into being an Elvis Tribute Artist? Wonder no more because Richie Santa is here to answer that question along with sharing reasons to make the jump to living a life filled with happiness, fulfillment, and passion.

    TAL #048 Mary Dowling - Supporting An Aging Parent's Need For Love + A Heartfelt Look At The Realities of Caregiving

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2018 74:00


    Step inside the experience of one devoted daughter's caregiving experience and learn how her mom's Alzheimer's was different than her dad's Cancer. Also, hear about how we all need love regardless of what age and stage we are at in our lives.

    TAL #047 Erica Hornthal - Holistically Deepening Emotional Health And Well-Being Through Movement + Dance Therapy

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2018 55:47


    Guest Erica Hornthal shows us how we can take responsibility for our emotions through body awareness and how movement can impact our mental health and help us with our emotions, expression, connection, social engagement, self-awareness, and self-esteem.

    TAL #046 Jack Arpert - Ambitiously Affecting People + The Planet With Positivity While Traveling Around The World

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2018 49:15


    Jack Arpert has not stopped traveling since he graduated college five years ago. Hear some of what he's seen and learned both about himself + the world and how his personal growth has put him on a mission to positively influence everyone he meets.

    TAL #045 Justin Bills + Mélanie Kern - How To Consciously Respond In Faith And Love During Challenging Times In Our Lives + World

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2018 57:44


    In light of current world events people have asked, "Why does God allow bad things to happen?" Two pastors from different traditions discuss the answer to this question and share ideas on how to bring the faithful presence of love and hope to injustice.

    TAL #044 Melissa Sweeney - Changed Perspectives After A Year Away From Home + How We're The Same Regardless Of Age

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2018 48:54


    Join guest Melissa Sweeney as she reflects on her first year at college: the fears, excitement, new friends, and all the other things that come with stepping out of a comfort zone to learn more about life, herself + ultimately how similar we all are.

    TAL #043 Gloria Allhiser - Truth Telling + Rebuilding A Life And Marriage Free From Codependency And Active Alcoholism

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2018 56:39


    Gloria Allhiser is the author of the Everyday Truthtelling letters where she shares, amongst other things, what it looks like to rebuild her life as a recovering codependent and support her husband in his recovery from alcoholism.

    TAL #042 Christopher MacLellan - How Love Can Affect The Health Of Another + The Universal Power Of Sharing Our Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2018 52:06


    Regardless of sexual orientation, family situation, or age, we all want to care for the people we love. Chris MacLellan shares his caregiving journey, its highs and lows, as well as how he is living today due to his life-changing experience of caring.

    TAL #041 Terry Prince - Sorting Through The Stuff A Family Member Leaves Behind + Creating A Legacy Of Memory

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2018 49:54


    When a loved one dies, we experience loss and often end up gaining lots of their stuff we need to sell, donate, and save. Terry Prince shares practical and creative ideas for how to go about what can seem like a daunting task.

    TAL #040 Beth Scibienski - Reflections One Year After Loss + The Beauty In Acceptance, Slowing Down And Being Merciful

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2018 70:48


    After caring for her husband who had Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, Beth Scibienski reflects on life with, and now without, Pete. As a pastor and contemplative thinker, Beth shares what it looks like to rebuild a life within faith and family.

    TAL #039 Charles Levin - A Third Career In Writing As A Means To Explore Consciousness, The Ethics Of Tech And Happiness

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2018 60:10


    Author Charles Levin discusses both the satisfaction + craft of writing as it pertains to exploring consciousness, the what-if's of technology, + how we define happiness. He goes from Aristotle to The Gilmore Girls + many other people + places in between.

    TAL #038 Beth Marshall - Tools For Tackling Grief Around Special Days Of The Year + Ways To Support Yourself And Others

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2018 58:53


    Beth Marshall, speaker, author, and founder of Grief Survivor helps Colleen navigate her first mother's day without a mother to celebrate and shares why it's absolutely okay to cry and it's also okay to smile, laugh and embrace life again after loss.

    TAL #037 Joan T. Randall - Surviving Domestic Violence + Being Awakened To Make A Difference In The Lives Of Others

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2018 66:30


    Hear the harrowing story how one woman survived and escaped from over six years of domestic violence within her marriage and then homelessness to reemerge and go from earning $6 an hour to a 6-figure salary and making a difference in the lives of others.

    TAL #036 Anna Locke - Letting Go Of Perfectionism, Tapping Into Inner Wisdom + Syncing Our Lives To Our Hormones

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2018 56:36


    Perfectionism can be a giant negative but it can also be a positive. Anna Locke is on a mission to have women kick their inner critic to the curb and reclaim their true selves and begin to have their hormones work for (not against) them via cycle syncing.

    TAL #035 Paulie Gee - Walking Away From A Career At Age 56 To Open A Pizzeria + Live A Life Beyond His Wildest Dreams

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2018 68:53


    Paulie Gee shares how he left 30 years in IT to open his eponymous pizzeria in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and in turn gives a blueprint on how living a life beyond our wildest dreams is possible by speaking that dream into existence and adding what you love.

    TAL #034 Beth Suereth - Hospice: Everything You Need To Know To Make An Informed Decision During A Difficult Time

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2018 57:19


    Hospice 101 with End-of-Life Doula, Beth Suereth. Understand what hospice is and isn't and the considerations before + during hospice to ensure you make an informed decision during a difficult time. Also, ways to use the time left with a loved one.

    TAL #033 Victoria Buda - Unapologetically Unstorying Herself To Live In Life's Fullness + The Poewr of Being Over Doing

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2018 49:17


    Unapologetically un-storying herself to live in life's fullness, Victoria Buda shares with us why being is better than doing, what happens when we lose our labels, the power in eliminating the word "just", and the importance of our intuition.

    TAL #032 Beth Suereth - Hospitals To Hospice: Everything You Need To Know To Create The Best Possible Outcomes

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2018 59:55


    Hospitals and hospice demystified courtesy of Certified Caregiving Consultant + End-of-Life Doula, Beth Suereth. Learn everything you need to know to ensure the best care for the patient and how to watch for common mistakes and prevent readmissions.

    TAL #031 Shannon Elhart - A Different Approach To Living A Happy Life By Diving Into Pain + Healing For Lasting Change

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2018 61:12


    Shannon Elhart shares how forgiveness brings freedom. After the devastating loss of her infant son, she made the conscious choice to heal by diving deeper into her pain and consequently set herself free from the trauma of a rape and alcoholism.

    TAL #030 Rachel Marie - Redefining Home By Traveling Alone To All 50 States After Losing Her Marriage And Father

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2018 51:46


    While traveling to all 50 states in America, Rachel Marie rediscovered herself and redefined her meaning of home after the duel losses of her marriage + father. Hear her soul-filled retelling of the highs and lows and how the entire experience shaped her.

    TAL #029 Charlotte Haimes - Creating A Space For Women That Promotes Self-Acceptance Through Vulnerable Storytelling

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2018 49:19


    Learn how sharing our personal stories from a place of vulnerability and truthfulness enables us to support one another and allows self-acceptance to flourish and why Charlotte Haimes has founded Women Making Waves.

    TAL #028 Cathy Sikorski - Tips To Save Money And Sanity + The Joy And Laughter In Caring For Others

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2018 58:27


    Hear valuable tips from attorney, humorist, and prolific family caregiver, Cathy Sikorski, about the how's and why's of the legal forms you'll want to get in place that will save time, money, and sanity.

    TAL #027 Allison Lazicky - How To Navigate Shifting Family Roles + The Positives Of A Parent's Move To Assisted Living

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2018 45:08


    Learn how leadership techniques, organization, and gratitude can help you during your role as "the" lead caregiver in your family and understand the deeper considerations around the decision of a parent moving to an assisted living community.

    TAL #026 Mindy Bolton - The Enlightenment Of Play As A Way To Strengthen Connection To Those We Care For

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2018 45:12


    The power of playfulness + laughter and other tools to connect with others, especially persons living with dementia. Tips for at-home family caregivers and a new way of thinking in what Mindy Bolton considers the Age of Enlightenment. Thumb wars included.

    TAL #025 Leslie Cottrell Simonds - Surviving Three Simultaneous Illnesses + Aligning With Innate Wisdom Via The Clarity Of Creativity

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2018 46:04


    Hear what happens when we ignore our body's messages and how Leslie Cottrell Simonds re-aligned with her innate inner wisdom via the clarity of creativity to survive three simultaneous illnesses and find the joy of living within your highest excitement.

    TAL #024 Colleen Kavanaugh - The Birthday Edition: Colleen Discusses The Hole Of Grief That She Stumbles Upon At Every Birthday Since The Loss Of Her Parents

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2018 19:54


    Colleen Kavanaugh meditates on the hole of grief that awaits her at each birthday, the shifts that occur after the loss of parents, how to look at the people who shape our lives, the places life + loss bring us within ourselves, and growth within fear.

    TAL #023 Troy Anderson - Transforming The Lives of Girls In Bangladesh + Breaking The Cycle of Poverty And Child Marriage

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2018 56:31


    Troy Anderson is the founder and international director of SPEAK UP FOR THE POOR, an organization that is breaking the cycle of poverty and child marriage and transforming the lives of girls in Bangladesh through education, a safe home, and practical legal casework.

    TAL #022 Gael Chiarella Alba - The Energy Anatomy of Grief + Moving Through Emotions to Create States of Love and Presence

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2018 48:05


    Energy Healer + Yogi, Gael Chiarella Alba introduces us to the energy anatomy of grief and shows us ways to move through emotions to create states of light, love, and presence, the power of changing our language, and how to create ease during difficulty.

    TAL #021 Justin Bills - Where Faith Can Bring Us As We Walk ALongside Suffering + How To Be Present To The Dying

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2018 53:00


    Justin Bills, a pastor from Calgary, Canada discusses where faith can bring us as we walk alongside suffering and how we can be present to the dying - lessons he learned as he cared for his good friend after her cancer returned.

    TAL #020 Clare Egan - Living In The Present, Alzheimer's Caregiving (+ Wine Drinking!)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2018 26:46


    On this episode of The After Life, Clare Egan discusses how living in the present helped her care for her husband while he had Alzheimer's and things to consider to maintain the dignity of someone who is ill.

    TAL #019 Mary Ann Giannone - The Life-Changing Gifts Of Youth Mentoring + The Impact Of Putting Good Into The Universe

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2017 39:34


    Mary Ann Giannone shares her passion for youth mentoring, a role she took on during the busiest time of her life as she and her husband were opening one of the top NYC pizzerias, Paulie Gee's.  

    TAL #018 Jenn Chan - Celebrating Family Caregivers In Uniquely Creative Ways + The Power Of A Supportive Team

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2017 54:56


    On this episode of The After Life, Jenn Chan shares her enthusiasm for celebrating and supporting family caregivers in uniquely creative ways as well as sharing the experience of caring for her grandmother and the strength her supportive family provided.

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