Podcast appearances and mentions of megan devine

ÉCLAIRCISSEMENT: Texas Teen Wins 2025 Scripps National Spelling BeeFaizan Zaki, a 13-year-old from Allen, Texas, clinched the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, correctly spelling “éclaircissement” to claim the title and over $50,000 in cash and prizes in a dramatic final round.Zaki, last year's runner-up, triumphed over eight finalists in the centennial Scripps National Spelling Bee, hosted at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center near Washington, D.C. The contest began with 243 spellers aged 11 to 14, narrowed to Zaki, Sarv Dharavane, 11, and Sarvadnya Kadam, 14. All three misspelled words in one round, forcing a tense additional round.“I can't remember the last time we've seen this kind of late-round drama here at the spelling bee,” Paul Loeffler, the Bee's TV analyst, said, per CBS News.In the 21st round, Zaki faced Kadam and spelled “éclaircissement,” a noun meaning a clearing up of something obscure. He pumped his fists and collapsed to the floor in excitement after finishing the word.“I'm really happy,” Zaki said afterward. Earlier, he faltered on the spelling of “commelina” but was reinstated after collective missteps by his fellow finalists.Grief tech: redefining death in the age of AIFew experiences are as profoundly impactful as losing a loved one. The void left behind can seem insurmountable, leaving us yearning for just a little bit more time with those we miss. This deeply human desire is fueling the rise of grief tech, which promises to forever change how we preserve the memory of those who are no longer alive.There is a growing number of grief tech start-ups that allow people to have virtual conversations with AI chatbots of their deceased loved ones.While some believe grief tech could help people find closure, there are also concerns that it could have a negative impact on their mental health.“There is evidence from multiple studies that proximity seeking [behaviours aimed at restoring a closeness with the person who died] is actually linked with poorer mental health outcomes,” explains Dr Kirsten Smith, clinical research fellow at the University of Oxford.“Who gets to decide what ‘helping people grieve' means?” asks psychotherapist and grief consultant Megan Devine.“People have always engaged in various kinds of rituals where things are done with the belongings of the deceased, where certain kinds of possessions are preserved,” remarks Dr Elaine Kasket, bereavement lead at the Digital Legacy Association. “This could be seen as a technological version of these analogue, physical rituals.”One thing is certain: as AI continues to evolve, so too will our approach to death and remembrance. The challenge lies in harnessing this technology thoughtfully, ensuring that we do not commit further harm in our efforts to help. By extension, we cannot lose sight of our humanity in our pursuit of digital immortality. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

ÉCLAIRCISSEMENT: Texas Teen Wins 2025 Scripps National Spelling BeeFaizan Zaki, a 13-year-old from Allen, Texas, clinched the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, correctly spelling “éclaircissement” to claim the title and over $50,000 in cash and prizes in a dramatic final round.Zaki, last year's runner-up, triumphed over eight finalists in the centennial Scripps National Spelling Bee, hosted at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center near Washington, D.C. The contest began with 243 spellers aged 11 to 14, narrowed to Zaki, Sarv Dharavane, 11, and Sarvadnya Kadam, 14. All three misspelled words in one round, forcing a tense additional round.“I can't remember the last time we've seen this kind of late-round drama here at the spelling bee,” Paul Loeffler, the Bee's TV analyst, said, per CBS News.In the 21st round, Zaki faced Kadam and spelled “éclaircissement,” a noun meaning a clearing up of something obscure. He pumped his fists and collapsed to the floor in excitement after finishing the word.“I'm really happy,” Zaki said afterward. Earlier, he faltered on the spelling of “commelina” but was reinstated after collective missteps by his fellow finalists. Grief tech: redefining death in the age of AIFew experiences are as profoundly impactful as losing a loved one. The void left behind can seem insurmountable, leaving us yearning for just a little bit more time with those we miss. This deeply human desire is fueling the rise of grief tech, which promises to forever change how we preserve the memory of those who are no longer alive.There is a growing number of grief tech start-ups that allow people to have virtual conversations with AI chatbots of their deceased loved ones.While some believe grief tech could help people find closure, there are also concerns that it could have a negative impact on their mental health.“There is evidence from multiple studies that proximity seeking [behaviours aimed at restoring a closeness with the person who died] is actually linked with poorer mental health outcomes,” explains Dr Kirsten Smith, clinical research fellow at the University of Oxford.“Who gets to decide what ‘helping people grieve' means?” asks psychotherapist and grief consultant Megan Devine.“People have always engaged in various kinds of rituals where things are done with the belongings of the deceased, where certain kinds of possessions are preserved,” remarks Dr Elaine Kasket, bereavement lead at the Digital Legacy Association. “This could be seen as a technological version of these analogue, physical rituals.”One thing is certain: as AI continues to evolve, so too will our approach to death and remembrance. The challenge lies in harnessing this technology thoughtfully, ensuring that we do not commit further harm in our efforts to help. By extension, we cannot lose sight of our humanity in our pursuit of digital immortality.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nina Rodriguez || Certified Grief Guide Nina Rodriguez, Founder of Grief and Light and Certified Grief Guide, created her podcast after the sudden loss of her only sibling, Yosef, as an honest exploration of life after loss. She offers compassionate support for people who have experienced loss and life-altering changes, through her online community, 1:1 grief sessions, monthly circles, and sacred containers, helping to create a more grief-informed, hopeful world. Featured in multiple publications, a regular contributor to Get Griefy Magazine, and co-author of Resilient A.F. (Vol 2), Nina is certified under grief expert Megan Devine. She is available for speaking engagements, and open to co-creating spaces and opportunities aligned with her mission. IG: @griefandlight Website: www.griefandlight.com -   Match For Money A 4 module program designed to rewire your subconscious beliefs around wealth and help you regulate your nervous system to expand your capacity for financial abundance.

Experiencing grief and loss in our culture is often tough because no one really talks about it so few really know how to cope with it or even how to talk to the grieving.  ADHD adds a layer of challenge to this. In this episode, we explore the unique ways ADHD impacts the grief process as well as how to cope with grief and loss. Without this work, grief and loss builds up over the years and can come out in unexpected ways - both emotionally and physically. You'll walk away from this episode with compassion for your grief journey as well as clarity on how to grieve well to be able to start to string together more and more moments of joy after loss. If you know someone who is grieving, please share this episode with them for support. Here are some books I found helpful, thought please read at your own discretion as not all books helpful for me will be aligned or helpful for you: “Understanding Your Grief” by Alan Wolfelt “The Afterlife of Billy Fingers:  How My Bad-Boy Brother Proved to Me There's Life After Death” by Annie Kagan “You Cannot Die” by Ian Currie (a bit dry at first, considers life after death including reincarnation) “Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss” by Hope Edelman (while primarily written for childhood loss of a mother, this was still useful) “It's OK That You're Not OK:  Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand” by Megan Devine (recommended by my grief group leader and I eventually read it later in 2019)   As always, thanks for listening!  I'd love it if you would leave a review. I have created two (pretty low quality - LOL) tutorials on how to leave a review on Apple podcast or Spotify in case you would like assistance.   And, if you enjoyed this episode be sure to follow if you aren't already and share with others with whom you think it will resonate. Connect with me on social media! Instagram:  @i_am_jen_barnes Youtube: @Jenbarnes Learn more about how we can work together:  www.jenbarnes.org DISCLAIMER:  This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal health or medical advice.  We are not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. This podcast is not intended to replace professional medical advice or psychotherapy.   If you are experiencing a medical or mental health emergency please contact emergency services in your area.  If you are in the USA, dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis line or 911 for a medical emergency.  

TW: Death, grief, trauma Who would of known just how therapeutic this discussion would be LOL. I flip through a few quotes that have stuck with me from a book about grief (It's Ok That You're Not Ok by Megan Devine) and explore some thoughts on them. Sorry, I end up getting a little passionate on some parts LOL Thank you for being here. www.becomingmiriam.com IG: @becomingmiriampodcast

In this heartfelt interview, Rebecca introduces us to the practice of KonMari for sorting through belongings at such a difficult time in our lives. The method is particularly beneficial for highly sensitive people as it gently encourages mindfully letting go while regulating our nervous system with what is manageable and with what resonates with our emotional readiness. The method has a focus on the positive psychology of surrounding ourselves with what brings us joy and inspires gratitude. In this video, Rebecca will walk us through the main teachings of the practice so that we can start sorting belongings with kindness and compassion, rewiring our negativity bias and the need to live by external conditioning. Working with KonMarie principles has also assisted Rebecca and her family in their own consumption habits which is another added bonus to managing things in this way. Guest - Rebecca Jo Rushdy, Founder of Spark Joy & Flow Rebecca Jo Rushdy guides fellow HSPs & Empaths to declutter their hearts, minds and homes into sanctuaries that spark joy and flow. She was the first platinum KonMari Consultant in Malaysia, and in Edinburgh where she is currently based with her husband and two daughters. You can learn more about Rebecca and her work by visiting www.sparkjoyandflow.com Resources Rebecca's Resources: Website - https://sparkjoyandflow.com/ Guided Checklist & Worksheets - https://sparkjoyandflow.ck.page/8dc7f... Additional Resources Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief by David Kessler - https://grief.com/sixth-stage-of-grief/ Growing Around Grief by Lois Tonkin - https://www.sueryder.org/grief-suppor... It's OK That You're Not OK by Megan Devine - https://refugeingrief.com/books/its-o... Andrea Weber is the Business Group and Events Co-ordinator for the Sensitive Empowerment Community and founder of Expansive Happiness at https://expansivehappiness.com/. Andrea provides encouragement and practical strategies for environmental sensitivity management through her self-paced program, articles and posts, helping people navigate the day to day challenges of emf, chemical and mold sensitivity. A love of writing and editing has led to the provision of these additional services for highly sensitive people. Julie Bjelland, LMFT - Host of the HSP and Neurodivergent podcast, a Licensed Psychotherapist, author, and founder of Sensitive Empowerment, specializing in high sensitivity and adult-diagnosed autism in women. I love developing tools that balance our sensitive nervous system, reduce challenges, and help us reach our fullest potential so we may excel in our unique talents. I've created a global hub of extensive support, including online courses, the Sensitive Empowerment Community—a nurturing sanctuary—a globally top-ranked podcast, articles, free webinars, and more. My passion is helping create a world where differences are embraced as strengths and celebrated. LGBTQIA+ Affirming. Learn more at https://www.juliebjelland.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/julie-bjelland/support

Megan Devine was an incredible resource to Kelly after the loss of her husband, Bob. Today, Megan discusses her transition from therapist to grief therapist after the death of her own husband, the importance of food in grief (and why eating and meditation may be difficult for those who are currently grieving), the expectations and judgements we place upon those navigating through loss, moving on romantically after losing a partner, and how sometimes gender differences can affect how we mourn. You can follow Kelly Rizzo on all platforms @eattravelrock and @comfortfood_pod for clips or BTS footage from the podcast. Follow Megan on Instagram @refugeingrief. There is a wealth of information and plenty of resources on Megan's website, including links to her available books, It's Okay That You're Not Okay and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed: A Journal For Grief. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you felt overwhelmed by grief or been pressured to get over it quickly? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Elizabeth Butler about finding your way through grief as a sensitive person and: • The unexpected ways grief can show up such as irritability, anxiety, and anger • How community support and rituals can support you in your processing of grief • Grief shows up when you lose someone, but also when you go through other types of loss or life changes • Remembering to come back to yourself as you take care of others in shared grief experiences  • Listening to your emotions and carving out time to be with your sadness via nature, movement, crying, or other practices  Dr. Butler (they/them) is a psychologist and therapist who loves deep conversation, hiking, and crocheting tiny animals. They hold intense professional interests in breaking generational trauma, healing from eating disorders while learning to nourish oneself along the way, and fighting the stigma so many of us face in a society that often doesn't understand anyone who diverges from "the norm." After experiencing many sudden losses beginning at a young age, Dr. Butler is passionate about meeting the need for holding space for and validating grief - at work and far beyond. They are currently enrolled in IPI's intensive psychedelic-assisted therapy certification program, which fits perfectly with their practical yet spiritual approach to recovery.   Keep in touch with Elizabeth: • Website: https://prismapsychology.com/  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prismapsychology   Resources Mentioned: • Elizabeth offers psychedelic integration services virtually for California residents.  Find more details at: https://prismapsychology.com • Beth Buelow's Podcast: https://bethbuelow.com/how-can-i-say-this-podcast/ • Dear Grief Guide Podcast by Shelby Forsythia: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/dear-grief-guide-podcast  • The Mindfulness & Grief Podcast by Heather Stang: https://heatherstang.com/grief-podcast/  • Terrible, Thanks for Asking Podcast: https://ttfa.org/  • It's Okay You're Not Okay by Megan Devine: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781622039074 • Bearing the Unbearable by Joanne Cacciatore PhD: Thanks for listening! You can read the full show notes and sign up for my email list to get new episode announcements and other resources at: https://www.sensitivestories.comYou can also follow "SensitiveStrengths" for behind-the-scenes content plus more educational and inspirational HSP resources: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengths Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sensitivestrengths If you have a moment, please rate and review the podcast, it helps Sensitive Stories reach more HSPs! This episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment with a mental health or medical professional. Some links are affiliate links. You are under no obligation to purchase any book, product or service. I am not responsible for the quality or satisfaction of any purchase.

How do we navigate grief and process it? Most significantly, how do we handle emotional triggers when they seem to reinvigorate past grief? Podcast Host CJMiller sits down with Reverand Lora Brandis, a Unitarian Universalist Minister with experience as a congregational minister, hospital chaplain, and spiritual director. Lora shares her personal experience navigating grief after the loss of her daughter, stepdaughter, ex-husband, and college friend in the space of only two years. It's essential to talk about our grief and death. We are afraid of the sadness we see in others. When Lora tells her story, she recognizes that it does stop the conversation. There's something about acknowledging death; it gives us space to understand that we are all dying. It's going to be sad, and people will miss us. Denial of death runs through religion and our society.  Lora continues to serve as an on-call hospital chaplain, providing spiritual support for those in hospital emergency rooms as a witness to their experience. She shares a recent experience that triggered her memory of the loss of her ex-husband, including a situation with an emergency vehicle, the ride to the hospital, and the final realization that nothing could be done to save the patient.  She introduces the term "metabolize grief." Lora lost her daughter only months before COVID-19, and she found herself isolated in grief. She shares how something would trigger her, and she would stop midstride and sob. It's essential to give your whole self time to process the loss. Lora lists several practices to walk through her sadness, including journaling, meditation, prayer, reading, painting, and gardening. Her spiritual practice includes journaling, and she consciously decided to write down every detail from the day of her daughter's death. A way to save it but not keep it active in her mind.  However, she cautions against getting stuck in your story. It's crucial to monitor ourselves if we feel caught in grief and retelling our story repeatedly. Sometimes, we don't have as much choice as we think when our emotions are triggered; we have to surrender to them. She suggests finding your squad of several close friends to walk you through the process with good boundaries. Lora reminds us that we are meaning-making creatures. We make meaning from our experiences. The question to ask about a trigger is, "How am I making meaning now in this moment?" We can change the meaning of triggers if we let them, and we can change how we make meaning of our lives.  The conversation references Megan Devine's "It's OK That You're Not OK" and Eckhart Tolles's "The Power of Now." She also recommended www.refugeingrief.com. For more information on Lora's spiritual coaching or to book her as a speaker, visit www.lorabrandis.com. For more information on CJMiller's book, speaking, and spiritual art retreats, visit www.spiritualartisttoday.com.  

What if leaning into grief could lead to profound personal growth? My guest Claire Bidwell Smith, therapist and author of Conscious Grieving: A Transformative Approach to Healing from Loss, shares how engaging with your pain fully can uncover meaning and purpose. We discuss the gift hidden within life's losses, how to healthily process complicated grief, the importance of rituals and community, continuing bonds with the deceased, and more. Claire explains how grief transformed her life after losing both parents young, leading her to her calling as a grief counselor. Discover why avoiding heartache only prolongs it, while courageously facing grief may just help you become your best self.You can find Claire at: Website | Instagram | Episode TranscriptIf you LOVED this episode you'll also love the conversations we had with Megan Devine about feeling not okay after loss.Check out our offerings & partners: My New Book SparkedMy New Podcast SPARKED.Visit Our Sponsor Page For Great Resources & Discount Codes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jamie Anderson said, “Grief is just love with no place to go.” Today we hear from three experts on grief in their chosen fields and discuss how it applies to the witchcraft community. Lulu- @thesalemplantwitch on TT. Runs a therapeutic group for witches in berevement. Mortellus @acrowandthedead on Insta. Author of 'Do I Have to Wear Black? Rituals, Customs and Funerary Etiquette for Modern Pagans' and 'The Bones Fall In a Spiral: a Necromantic Primer.' Courtney Weber @courtneyaweber on Insta. One of the hosts of That Witch Life podcast; author of the forthcoming 'Sacred Tears: A Witch's Guide to Grief.' Out June 2024. Books mentioned in this episode include: It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand by Megan Devine and Mark Nepo Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them): A Practical Perspective on Death and Dying by Sallie Tisdale The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life by Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, et al. There Is No Good Card for This: What To Say and Do When Life Is Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love by Kelsey Crowe and Emily McDowell For children dealing with grief: Death Is Stupid (Ordinary Terrible Things) by Anastasia Higginbotham --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackthorngrove/support

There is a lot to grieve in the world right now. We can look to the horrific events in the Middle East. We can look to other hot spots around the world where there is no shortage of death and suffering. We can look closer to home at the pandemic that took over a million American lives. Do we take it on with full deep empathy? Do we get overwhelmed by the magnitude and tune out entirely? Megan Devine, a therapist, author, and podcast host, says the human mind wasn't designed to deal with all that our modern world sometimes demands of it. But she says we can respond with compassion and recognize the grief that is upon us.Megan Devine's website - https://refugeingrief.com/ Megan's podcast - https://refugeingrief.com/meganspodcasts/ Megan's book - https://refugeingrief.com/book/Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun.Check out our I'm Glad You're Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com!Hey, remember, you're part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org.Help is available right away.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALKCrisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlinesThe Depresh Mode newsletter is available twice a week. Subscribe for free and stay up to date on the show and mental health issues. https://johnmoe.substack.com/John's acclaimed memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is now available in paperback. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250209566/thehilariousworldofdepressionFind the show on X @depreshpod and Instagram @depreshpod.John is on X @johnmoe.

The holidays are over - you made it. By the looks of our inbox, the season wasn't easy. This week, a holiday debrief, including bad behavior from therapists, why religion is not the answer to grief, and some true facts about dating after loss.    In this episode we cover:   How to say “I can't work with you” without accidentally shaming your patients or clients Why “but your (dead relative) is all around you, just in a new form!” maybe isn't the most supportive thing to say Questions to ask yourself when faced with a surprise romantic breakup (and what that has to do with grief)  And as always - fun talk about boundaries.    We're re-releasing some of our favorite episodes from the first 3 seasons. This episode was originally recorded in 2022. Want to become a more grief-informed, human-centered therapist or provider? Registration is open now for Megan Devine's 6 month online Grief Care Professional Certificate Program. Details at this link.    Follow our show on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok @refugeingrief and @itsokpod on TikTok. Visit refugeingrief.com for resources & courses.   About Megan:  Psychotherapist Megan Devine is one of today's leading experts on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. Get the best-selling book on grief in over a decade, It's Ok that You're Not OK, wherever you get books. Find Megan @refugeingrief   Additional resources: Looking for a creative exploration of grief? Check out the best selling Writing Your Grief course here.   Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A grief clinics: your questions, answered. Want to speak to her privately? Apply for a 1:1 grief consultation here.    Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed   Books and resources may contain affiliate links.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

**Disclaimer: The information in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your health care provider regarding your medical decisions and treatment. Any listed resources are not intended to be endorsements.**Ailey Armstrong, MSW, LICSW is a licensed clinical oncology social worker at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. Today, she shares her insights on transitioning home post-transplant. She emphasizes the importance of continued caregiving support and suggests patients assess their needs in various aspects like medication management, meals, and transportation. Ailey advises making a list of needs and identifying which can be managed independently and which require external support, like arranging rides to medical appointments.Ailey highlights the role of social workers and patient navigators in providing resources and support, including financial assistance and help in returning to work. She also encourages tapping into a broader network beyond the core caregiver team, involving neighbors, church members, and extended family for support.On the emotional side, it's normal to feel a range of emotions from relief to anxiety and fear. The transition brings concerns about managing without the transplant team, handling post-transplant symptoms, and adapting to home life. She addresses the feelings of frustration, anger, and grief that stem from changes in lifestyle and identity post-transplant.To manage these emotions, Ailey recommends acknowledging and processing them rather than avoiding them. She suggests practical strategies like using lists, calendars, and apps to manage medications and appointments. Emphasizing the importance of staying present, she introduces the "dropping anchor" exercise to ground oneself in the present, focusing on immediate sensations and surroundings.Ailey stresses the importance of open communication with medical teams post-discharge, ensuring patients have all necessary contact information. She discusses the normality of mixed emotions upon returning home and the need for time to readjust to family dynamics and home responsibilities.Delving deeper into psychosocial support, Ailey advises discussing mood and sleep changes with medical providers, as these are treatable. She emphasizes the significance of self-compassion and kindness, urging patients to treat themselves as they would a dear friend. Additionally, she suggests having structured daily routines incorporating essential activities and enjoyable tasks to provide a sense of normalcy and control.In conclusion, Ailey underscores that difficult days are inevitable and recommends focusing on wellness. She advises preparing a list of activities and thoughts that induce calmness. Her final message emphasizes self-compassion, encouraging patients to treat themselves with the same kindness and patience they would offer to a loved one.More:Medisafe App for prescription management: https://www.medisafe.com/National Suicide and Crisis Hotline: 988 (three digit phone number)Book: It's OK That You're Not OK, by Megan Devine on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Its-OK-That-Youre-Not-OK-audiobook/dp/B075QP5SGH/Book: When Life Hits Hard, by Russ Harris: https://www.amazon.com/When-Life-Hits-Hard-Acceptance/dp/1684039010Book: The Cancer Companion: How to Navigate Your Way from Diagnosis to Treatment and Beyond, by Dr. Toni Lindsay (Parts 2 and 4 in particular): https://www.amazon.com/Cancer-Companion-Navigate-Diagnosis-Treatment/dp/0369366956Other ResourcesNational Bone Marrow Transplant Link - (800) LINK-BMT, or (800) 546-5268.nbmtLINK Website: https://www.nbmtlink.org/nbmtLINK Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/nbmtLINKnbmtLINK YouTube Page can be found by clicking here.Thank you to our sponsors. This season is supported by a healthcare contribution from Sanofi  https://www.sanofi.com/

Join host Ned Buskirk in conversation with best-selling author, psychotherapist, & grief advocate Megan Devine, while they talk about how it's okay that it's not okay, the complicated case of Prolonged Grief Disorder, & how the work of other people's grief might impact us & what's required to keep doing it.This episode originally aired April 14th, 2022.megan devine'swebsite: https://www.megandevine.co/ And here: https://refugeingrief.com/ ”How Do You Help a Grieving Friend?”: https://youtu.be/l2zLCCRT-nEProduced by Nick JainaSoundscaping by Nick Jaina”YG2D Podcast Theme Song” by Nick JainaTHIS PODCAST IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH SUPPORT FROM LISTENERS LIKE YOU.Become a podcast patron now at https://www.patreon.com/YG2D.

When we suffer a serious loss, we come face-to-face with the fragile nature of this world. Yet in today's culture, we often try to avoid or deny the deep emotions associated with losing the people and things we love. In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks with therapist and grief consultant Megan Devine about her uniquely helpful books with Sounds True, It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed.  Tune in for a much-needed conversation on the best ways to tend one another's pain during periods of loss, as Tami and Megan discuss: the cover-up narrative that "bad things help us grow"; the roots of today's grief phobia; pain vs suffering; grief without a story; the healing power of acknowledgment; tolerating feelings of helplessness; the impulse to fix things; the weaponization of acceptance; time and the notion of complicated grief; the dangers of pathologizing grief; the lost opportunity to reframe grief during the pandemic; naming the awkward instead of silencing yourself; offering concrete assistance rather than an open offer to help; three kinds of hope: transactional, functional, and inhabitable; speaking our truth and allowing others the same; and more. Note: This episode originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

When life feels hard, does “peak performance” mean anything?    Steven Kotler is known as the NYT best selling author of books like Stealing Fire and The Rise of Superman, but can the science of stretching limits apply to grief of any kind? If you look beyond the slick language of bio-hacking and extreme sports typically found in discussions on peak performance, it turns out there's something here for all of us.  In this episode we cover:    How peak performance applies to your life - even if you're not an athlete Why gratitude tends to work better than affirmations The scientific reason why play is good for you - and important for healthy aging The first three days of grief: what loss is like inside a hospice-based dog rescue How a change in mindset can extend your life by eight years (but that's not the same as toxic positivity)   Related episodes:   What's It All For? Loss and Meaning in Midlife with Chip Conley   Pet Loss and Veterinarians Who Cry: with Veterinary Oncologist and Author Dr. Renee Alsarraf   Connection is the Best Medicine: with Dr. Rana Adwish Notable quotes:  “Limits are liberating.” – Steven Kotler   “Hope is about the collaborative effort.” – Steven Kotler About our guest: Steven Kotler is one of the world's most renowned experts on human performance. His NYT best selling books include The Art of Impossible and The Rise of Superman. He's the co-founder of Planet Home and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. Steven's work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, and appears in over 100 publications, including the Wall Street Journal, TIME, and the Harvard Business Review. His latest book, Gnar Country: Growing Old, Staying Rad, details the application of peak performance tenets on an aging body. Find him at stevenkotler.com  About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.    The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world. Additional resources: The Art of Impossible: a Peak Performance Primer    Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work   The Future Is Faster Than You Think by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler   The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance   A Small Furry Prayer: Dog Rescue and the Meaning of Life   Rancho de Chihuahua - Joy and Steven's non-profit dog sanctuary   Want to become a more grief-informed, human-centered therapist or provider? Registration is open now for Megan Devine's 6 month online Grief Care Professional Certificate Program. Details at this link.   Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for an inexpensive monthly open video Q&A clinic for grieving people. Want to speak to her privately? Apply for a 1:1 grief consultation here.    Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links.   Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if there's nothing to fix? What if you could just, you know, be yourself - whatever that looks like today?    When I told people that this week's guest was none other than adrienne maree brown - the excitement level was off the charts. adrienne maree brown is the author of Emergent Strategy and Pleasure Activism, among other works, and she's instrumental in opening conversations about bodies, power, grief, and change (personal and collective).    This week, it's all grief - and it's all love. There is nothing to fix, and there is plenty to change.    In this episode we cover:    How self-sabotaging behaviors become addictive The freedom of being yourself (and why that pisses other people off) How can you make this day worthy of your grief?  Why humor sometimes fits “the shape of grief” and sometimes it does not Feelings are your body's way of communicating needs What mycelium and mushrooms can teach us about death adrienne's vision of the future - including aliens, education, poetry, and love  Want to learn the skills you need to work with grief? Join Megan's grief intensive training right here.  Related episodes: Book bans, grief, and love: what do these have to do with social movements? Malkia Devich-Cyril   Is There Any Good News on Climate Change? With Bill McKibben   Coming Home to Yourself with Alex Elle Notable quotes: “The same Goddess of the ocean and stars and everything magnificent, is also the god of mosquitoes and bug bites and cancer.” - adrienne maree brown “People are so angry about all the ways that we're just being ourselves. And I'm like, you're only angry because you haven't given yourself permission to do it too.” -  adrienne maree brown About our guest: adrienne maree brown is the author of wildly influential books including Emergent Strategy, We Will Not Cancel Us and Pleasure Activism, plus the novellas Grievers and Maroons. She is a social media meme queen, writer, podcaster, musician, and movement facilitator based in Durham, NC.    Find her at adriennemareebrown.net, and on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world.   Additional resources: Boundaried in Love with Prentis Hemphill and adrienne maree brown   “The Pleasure Dome” by adrienne maree brown, Bitch Media   Want to become a more grief-informed, human-centered therapist or provider? Registration is open now for Megan Devine's 6 month online Grief Care Professional Certificate Program. Details at this link.   Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for an inexpensive monthly open video Q&A clinic for grieving people. Want to speak to her privately? Apply for a 1:1 grief consultation here.    Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links.   Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can you hide in plain sight? From trans beauty pageants in the Philippines, to the catwalks of New York City fashion week, to the Ted Talk mainstage – Filipina-American model Geena Rocero has lived an astounding life. This week on It's OK that You're Not OK, the author of Horse Barbie: A Memoir shares what it costs to suppress your true self in order to find safety and success, and why joy is powerful medicine.    Geena Rocero is a trans advocate, speaker, and author of the new book, Horse Barbie.   In this episode we cover:  Why do we have to talk about gender all the time anyway? How can parents support trans children?  The history of trans beauty pageants in the Philippines The grief involved in hiding your true self in order to stay safe Why joy - and a sense of humor - are real survival tools   Related episodes: Coming Home to Yourself with Alex Elle If I Survived, You Can Too! Author Emi Nietfeld on the Hollowness of the Transformation Narrative Over and Over Again: Illustrator Aubrey Hirsch on the Power of Storytelling Notable quotes:  “Surviving means feeling a sense of a life well lived.” - Geena Rocero   “Live your most unapologetic self. Tell that story, in the only way you know. And live that life, in the only way you know… because that's really the only way we'll get through this.” - Geena Rocero About our guest: Geena Rocero is a Filipina-American model, public speaker, author, and trans rights advocate. Ms. Rocero made history as the first trans woman ambassador for Miss Universe Nepal, and the first trans Asian Playboy Playmate of the Year. Her TED Talk, “Why I Must Come Out,” has been viewed over 3.7 million times. She's an advisory board member of SeeHer, a global coalition working to increase representation and accurate portrayal of all women and girls in marketing, media, and entertainment. She's spoken at the White House and United Nations, and has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Vanity Fair, and Variety. Her book Horse Barbie: A Memoir was named one of the Best Memoirs of 2023 by Elle Magazine.   Find her @geenarocero on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter   About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world.   Additional resources: Watch Geena's TED Talk “Why I Must Come Out”   Read Geena's book -  Horse Barbie: A Memoir   SeeHer   Want to become a more grief-informed, human-centered therapist or provider? Registration is open now for Megan Devine's 6 month online Grief Care Professional Certificate Program. Details at this link.    Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions: your questions, answered.   Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links. For a collection of all the books mentioned in the history of the show (plus other things we think are interesting or helpful), visit the affiliate store.  Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you're interested in social justice or not, there's no denying the grief simmering beneath the surface of daily life. It's in our personal lives, it's in the news, it's in our communities. The thing is - we never really talk about it: just how much grief connects us.    If we learn to lean into that grief together, we might really create the beautiful world we all long for.    Malkia Devich-Cyril knows grief from the inside out. They grew up knowing their mom would die of her illness. They grew up immersed in the grief that is endemic to being Black in America. And they cared for their wife, comedian Alana Devich-Cyril through her death in 2018.   Malkia is a poet and media activist. They are the executive director of the MediaJustice, and a co-founder of the Media Action Grassroots Network. Their writings on media, race, justice, and grief frequently appear in national publications such as Politico, The Guardian, and The Atlantic, and in the Oscar nominated documentary film, 13th.    This episode is STUNNING. It has gifts for everyone, whether you're grieving a personal loss, or you're an activist of any kind.    If you ARE an activist or organizer, you need to hear what Malkia has to say about our narrative strategies, and what it really takes to make change happen.  In this episode we cover:  The difference between sorrow and grief How “feelings aren't facts” relates to grief Is it normal to feel like you failed to keep someone alive?  Why do narrative strategists (aka: activists) need to understand grief?  Are book bans a form of grief? (spoiler: yes, but maybe not for the reasons you think) Why death is “the ultimate boundary” - and how to find hope in that Related episodes: Rage Becomes Her (and by “her” I mean US) with Soraya Chemaly Collective Grief and Communal Joy: with Baratunde Thurston Wonder in an Age of Violence: Valarie Kaur & See No Stranger For more on the shortage of compassion, see The Love Filled World: is there enough love to go around?  Notable quotes: “Sadness is a critical, crucial part of acknowledging the reality of our conditions. So I believe in sorrow. The point is not to exclude sorrow, it's to include joy. It's to include anger. It's to allow ourselves the full range of what acknowledging loss means.” - Malkia Devich-Cyril “A hurting person wants to bond with other hurting people, but they're also not gonna stay in a movement that is only dealing with pain.” - Malkia Devich-Cyril About our guest: Malkia Devich-Cyril is an activist, writer and public speaker on issues of digital rights, narrative power, Black liberation and collective grief. They are also the founding and former Executive Director of MediaJustice — a national hub boldly advancing racial justice, rights and dignity in a digital age. Their writing has appeared in publications like Politico, Motherboard, Essence Magazine, and three documentary films including the Oscar nominated 13th. Find them @culturejedi on Twitter and Instagram. Read Grief Belongs in Social Movements: We Embrace it?    About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world. Additional resources: “The Antidote to Authoritarianism” by Malkia Devich-Cyril, The Atlantic MediaJustice Media Action Grassroots Network   Want to become a more grief-informed, human-centered therapist or provider? Registration is open now for Megan Devine's 6 month online Grief Care Professional Certificate Program. Details at this link.    Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions: your questions, answered. Want to speak to her privately? Apply for a 1:1 grief consultation here.    Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links. Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever put on a face mask, expecting it to solve all your mental health problems?    That seems… unrealistic, but that's what self-care marketing tells us: get your self care right, and all your difficulties will evaporate. This week, Dr. Pooja Lakshmin breaks down what “self-care” actually means when we're living in a complex, capitalistic world. It's an exploration of grief, burnout, and exhaustion, and what it takes to care for yourself inside systems that repeatedly ignore their part in your suffering.    After leaving med school to join a wellness group that turned out more cult-like than liberating, Dr. Lakshmin went on a journey to heal herself.  Along the way, she founded Gemma, a women's mental health organization, and wrote a book called Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (warning: crystals, cleanses, and bubble baths not included).     In this episode we cover:  Why self-care doesn't work Does looking for your own answers mean you have to do things alone? Accepting help as a bid for connection How Dr. Lakshmin's definition of boundaries can help you practice real self-care The difference between eudaimonic and hedonic well-being How hope is different than optimism Related episodes: For more on systems that fail us and what to do about it: Rage Becomes Her (and by “her” I mean US) with Soraya Chemaly A fantastic discussion of the “wellness movement” and what it means for chronically ill folks: Living with Chronic Illness: A Conversation for Everyone with a Body with Sarah Ramey.   Notable quotes: “Hope is different than optimism… Hope is something you can build. It's a practice. It's a skill.” - Dr. Pooja Lakshmin About our guest: Dr. Pooja Lakshmin MD is a psychiatrist, a clinical assistant professor at George Washington University School of Medicine, and the founder and CEO of Gemma, the women's mental health community centering impact and equity. She has spent thousands of hours taking care of women struggling with burnout, despair, depression, and anxiety in her clinical practice. Her debut non-fiction book, Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included), is out now and available in e-book, hardcover, and audiobook narrated by Pooja. About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world.   Additional resources: More from Pooja Lakshmin: Gemma Women's Mental Health Community “Hope is Not a Thing to Have – It's a Skill to Practice” Oprah Daily “How Society Has Turned Its Back on Mothers” NY Times “Saying ‘No' Is Self-Care for Parents” NY Times   Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions: your questions, answered. Want to speak to her privately? Apply for a 1:1 grief consultation here.    Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links. Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're in a massive climate crisis, but it's hard to think about it, isn't it?    It's a great temptation to shut our eyes to climate change. It's overwhelming. This week on the show, climate activist and author Bill McKibben on facing the reality of the climate crisis, understanding what needs to change, and what you can do - not just to change the course of humanity and the planet, but to feel more hopeful and connected as this all unfolds.  In this episode we cover:  Is halting climate change really dependent on personal recycling and whether we use plastic straws?  Why don't we take action when the evidence of the climate crisis is literally everywhere? Is it okay to have intense emotional responses to wildfires, floods, and the inaction of those “in charge”?  How the boomer generation is using their experience and their wealth to revisit the activism of their youth (and supporting younger activists at the same time) Why the “will to act” is so important to sustained change  How talking about our fears and our ecological grief gives us common ground to fight for our future - and our present.    Related episodes: For more on activism in the face of impossible odds: Women, Life, Freedom: Grief and Power In Iran, with Nazanin Nour Wonder in an Age of Violence with Valarie Kaur & See No Stranger Notable quotes:  The climate crisis is a really interesting test of whether or not (our) big brain was a good adaptation or not. It can get us into a lot of trouble, but can it get us out? My intuition is that it's actually going to be less the size of the brain that matters than the size of the heart that it's attached to. - Bill McKibben About our guest: Bill McKibben is an American environmentalist, author, and journalist who has written extensively on the impact of global warming. His books include The End of Nature, about climate change, and Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?, about the state of the environmental challenges facing humanity. He's a contributing writer to The New Yorker (read his latest piece here), and founder of Third Act, which organizes people over the age of sixty for progressive change.    About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world.   Additional resources: Read Bill latest piece in The New Yorker  - “To Save the Planet, Should We Really Be Moving Slower?”   Check out Bill's Third Act community - Elders working together for a fair and stable planet.    Terry Tempest Williams' book Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place, and her recent NYT article on Utah's great Salt Lake (gift link, no subscription needed)   Explore Joanna Macy's work on the intersection of grief and activism at her website, or her books, including Coming Back to Life: The Updated Guide to the Work That Reconnects, World as Lover, World as Self, and Widening Circles: A Memoir Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions: your questions, answered. Want to speak to her privately? Apply for a 1:1 grief consultation here.    Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links.   Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Wonder is the root of love, the lack of wonder is the root of violence.”  Is there a way to create boundaries with someone who wishes to cause harm? Can you love them and hold them accountable? Do you have to fight for a just world for everyone? Valarie Kaur is no stranger to violence. As a Sikh, as a woman, as a person of color, violence has shaped both her activism and her deep sense of community care. Her Revolutionary Love Project is the blueprint for organizers, activists, and really - anyone in love with the world and what it could be.    This week, the activist, and best-selling author of See No Stranger joins me to talk about love, action, and the power of wonder in the face of impossible things.    We cover activism, wonder, horror, grief, acts of violence, acts of justice, parenting in an age of rampant school violence, healing family wounds, building true community - and why fighting for love and pleasure is always going to be more sustainable than fighting against hate.  “I spent the last 20 years organizing my life around hate and I want to spend the next 20 years organizing around love. The pain of the world is the pain of the world, regardless.” - Valarie Kaur   * One brief content note, Valarie's neighborhood had some construction going on, so there's more background noise in this episode than usual. Listen for the goodness, though - it's all around you.    In this episode we cover: How do you continue to work on behalf of EVERYONE for a more just and beautiful world, when some of those people cause great harm?  Getting outside of unbearable pain so you can survive Do you have to suffer in order to be of service? Being an activist for the long haul “Squad care” and what it means for activists and anyone alive in the world What do you want future generations to inherit from your time here?    Want grief support with Megan? Apply for 1:1 sessions here, or join the monthly Q&A here.  Related episodes: The Love-Filled World A Place Called Home: a conversation with child welfare advocate, David Ambroz Connection is the best medicine: with Dr. Rana Awdish Notable quotes:  “We're living in a time where we have to metabolize grief on a scale that no other generation before us has had to.” - Valarie Kaur   “Our solidarity is only as deep as our ability to love one another, and our ability to love one another is only as deep as our ability to weep with one another.” -  Valarie Kaur About our guest:  Valarie Kaur is a renowned civil rights leader, lawyer, award-winning filmmaker, educator, author of the #1 LA Times Bestseller SEE NO STRANGER, and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project. A daughter of Punjabi Sikh farmers in California, her work has ignited a national movement to reclaim love as a force for justice. See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love.  About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world.   Additional resources: Valarie Kaur's websiteThe Revolutionary Love Learning Hub   Want to talk with Megan directly? Two options: apply for one of her 1:1 sessions through the contact form at megandevine.co, or join our Patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions. Either way, it's your questions, answered.   Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links. Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.co  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can grief be an opportunity for growth and self-understanding? The answer, of course, is yes: but it's a bit more complex than that. This week, author, philanthropist, activist Rachel Cargle on survival optimism, the resilience narrative, and why questioning the stories you tell yourself - with curiosity and kindness - is a powerful path of healing.    In this episode we cover:  How was grief modeled for you growing up, and how does that affect later grief? Can your memory of childhood grief be…. entirely wrong? (or at least, inaccurate) Can you do grief wrong?  The difference between curiosity and judgment Is it ok to feel relieved when a sick person dies?  Rachel's new book, A Renaissance of Our Own   Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions: your questions, answered. Related episodes: Gabor Mate on why we celebrate trauma, aka: resilience  Illustrator Aubrey Hirsch on the power of storytelling as an act of healing   Notable quotes:  “It's a practice of kindness to ourselves when we acknowledge and lean into the both/and… So when I feel shame about the relief I feel because I no longer have this sick mother to worry about, I can actually rest with that relief because I know that probably in about 2.5 days I'm going to be on the floor crying about the fact that she's not here. It's both/and.” - Rachel Cargle   “(As) I really look at my childhood and have to dust some things off, (I'm) also cleaning off the spaces where good things are. You're not just going to the box of bones and figuring out all the hard, terrible things that happened in your childhood.” - Rachel Cargle About our guest: Rachel Cargle is a writer, entrepreneur and philanthropic innovator. Her new memoir, A Renaissance of Our Own, centers the reimagining of womanhood, solidarity and self. In 2018 she founded The Loveland Foundation, Inc., a non-profit offering free therapy to Black women and girls.  She's also the founder of Elizabeth's Bookshop & Writing Centre – a literacy space designed to amplify, celebrate and honor the work of writers who are often excluded from traditional cultural, social and academic canons.  For more on her many endeavors, visit rachelcargle.com.   About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world.   Additional resources: Rachel's book - A Renaissance of Our Own   The Loveland Foundation, Inc. - houses a collection of Rachel's social ventures    The Great Unlearn, a self-paced, donation-based learning community   The Great Unlearn for Young Learners – an online learning space for young folks launching in 2022   Elizabeth's Bookshop & Writing Centre - an innovative literacy space designed to amplify, celebrate and honor the work of writers who are often excluded from traditional cultural, social and academic canons.   Want to talk with Megan directly? Apply for one of her limited 1:1 consultations here   Or join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions: your questions, answered.   Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links.   Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do we live in a world that's at least half terrible, and that is a conservative estimate?If you recognize that line, you already know Maggie Smith. This week on the show, we're talking about writing, marriage, divorce, and why you didn't need whatever happened to you in order to become who you're meant to be: as Maggie says, “trauma does not give you a “glow up.””    If you've ever wanted to write the story of your life - including the messy, difficult parts like divorce, miscarriage, and the loss of identity - this episode is for you.    In this episode we cover:  Why it's ok if your story doesn't have a happy ending (or even a happy middle) Do kids really need to learn about resilience?  Does anything remain after devastating loss?  What's it like having your personal story out in the world for other people to talk about?  Divorce, miscarriage, and why sometimes the lemonade isn't worth the lemons   Get the best selling Writing Your Grief course and join over 15,000 people who've explored their grief - and their identity - through writing. All the details here.    Related episodes:  Kate Bowler on the difference between transactional hope and functional hope Aubrey Hirsch on the power of storytelling  David Ambroz on “A Place Called Home”    About our guest: Maggie Smith is the award-winning author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Good Bones, The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison, Lamp of the Body, and the national bestsellers Goldenrod and Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change. A 2011 recipient of a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, Smith has also received several Individual Excellence Awards from the Ohio Arts Council, two Academy of American Poets Prizes, a Pushcart Prize, and fellowships from the Sustainable Arts Foundation and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She has been widely published, appearing in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Nation, The Best American Poetry, and more. You can follow her on social media @MaggieSmithPoet. About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.    The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world.   Additional resources: Get the best selling Writing Your Grief course and join over 15,000 people who've explored their grief - and their identity - through writing. All the details here.   Maggie Smith's website Maggie's memoir - You Could Make This Place Beautiful   “What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? / The world would split open.” - feminist poet Muriel Rukeyser   Want to talk with Megan directly? Two options: apply for one of her 1:1 sessions through the contact form at megandevine.co, or join our Patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions. Either way, it's your questions, answered.   Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links.   Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Wonder is the root of love, the lack of wonder is the root of violence.”  Is there a way to create boundaries with someone who wishes to cause harm? Can you love them and hold them accountable? Do you have to fight for a just world for everyone? Valarie Kaur is no stranger to violence. As a Sikh, as a woman, as a person of color, violence has shaped both her activism and her deep sense of community care. Her Revolutionary Love Project is the blueprint for organizers, activists, and really - anyone in love with the world and what it could be.    This week, the activist, and best-selling author of See No Stranger joins me to talk about love, action, and the power of wonder in the face of impossible things.    We cover activism, wonder, horror, grief, acts of violence, acts of justice, parenting in an age of rampant school violence, healing family wounds, building true community - and why fighting for love and pleasure is always going to be more sustainable than fighting against hate.  “I spent the last 20 years organizing my life around hate and I want to spend the next 20 years organizing around love. The pain of the world is the pain of the world, regardless.” - Valarie Kaur   * One brief content note, Valarie's neighborhood had some construction going on, so there's more background noise in this episode than usual. Listen for the goodness, though - it's all around you.    In this episode we cover: How do you continue to work on behalf of EVERYONE for a more just and beautiful world, when some of those people cause great harm?  Getting outside of unbearable pain so you can survive Do you have to suffer in order to be of service? Being an activist for the long haul “Squad care” and what it means for activists and anyone alive in the world What do you want future generations to inherit from your time here?    Want grief support with Megan? Apply for 1:1 sessions here, or join the monthly Q&A here.  Related episodes: The Love-Filled World A Place Called Home: a conversation with child welfare advocate, David Ambroz Connection is the best medicine: with Dr. Rana Awdish Notable quotes:  “We're living in a time where we have to metabolize grief on a scale that no other generation before us has had to.” - Valarie Kaur   “Our solidarity is only as deep as our ability to love one another, and our ability to love one another is only as deep as our ability to weep with one another.” -  Valarie Kaur About our guest:  Valarie Kaur is a renowned civil rights leader, lawyer, award-winning filmmaker, educator, author of the #1 LA Times Bestseller SEE NO STRANGER, and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project. A daughter of Punjabi Sikh farmers in California, her work has ignited a national movement to reclaim love as a force for justice. See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love.  About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world.   Additional resources: Valarie Kaur's websiteThe Revolutionary Love Learning Hub   Want to talk with Megan directly? Two options: apply for one of her 1:1 sessions through the contact form at megandevine.co, or join our Patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions. Either way, it's your questions, answered.   Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links. Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.co  See omny.fm/listener for privacy information.

If you try to not let something define you, can it define you anyway?    You might know Chase Jarvis as an Emmy nominated photographer, founder of Creative Live, and angel investor. The world of venture capital and billion dollar deals isn't exactly known for its human side, but Chase's kindness and vulnerability are legendary.    In part two of our conversation, we get into a deep discussion over whether a successful person is allowed to feel intense grief, or if success disqualifies you. We unpack an accident that could have killed him - and how that experience shaped his life even as he tried to ignore it. Chase's willingness to explore personal, emotional territory in real time in this episode is really special.    We make a lot of invisible things visible in this episode, from the creativity of every day, to the grief of  getting what you want, to how a near-death experience can both shape your entire life AND be something you refuse to think about.    Content note: this episode contains a lot of swearing.    *Need to talk to Megan? apply for a 1:1 grief consultation with Megan Devine here*    In this episode we cover:    How to break the habit of dismissing your feelings before you even get to feel them Do successful people get to identify as grieving?  Can you revisit old issues with kindness?  What happens if you decide something MAJOR is “no big deal”?  Related episodes:  Listen to part one of Chase Jarvis here Chip Conley on the dark night of the soul, near death experiences, and finding community About our guest: Chase Jarvis is an award-winning artist, entrepreneur, best-selling author, and one of the most influential photographers of the past 20 years.  His expansive work ranges from shooting advertising campaigns for companies like Apple, Nike, and Red Bull; to working with athletes like Serena Williams and Tony Hawk, to collaborating with renowned icons like Lady Gaga and Richard Branson. He is the Founder of CreativeLive, where more than 10 million students learn from the world's top creators and entrepreneurs; CreativeLive was acquired by Fiverr in 2021. His recent book Creative Calling debuted as an instant National Best Seller.   More at chasejarvis.com  About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world.   Additional resources: Get Chase Jarvis' latest book, Creative Calling, here   Want to talk with Megan directly? Apply for one of her limited 1:1 consultations here, or Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions: either way, it's your questions, answered.   Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links. Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms.   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn. For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever felt something, then immediately “disqualified” yourself from feeling it? As if you don't have the right to feel what you're feeling?    Chase Jarvis is a very successful man. He's also kind, and thoughtful, and actively exploring his own ideas of himself. If you've heard Chase speak before, this is a very different kind of conversation.    We make a lot of invisible things visible in this episode, from the creativity of every day, to the grief of getting what you want, to how a near-death experience can both shape your entire life AND be something you refuse to think about.    5 things you'll learn in this episode (at least 5!)   The difference between Big C Creativity and little c creativity (and how it relates to hard times) How the roles we're “allowed” to inhabit get fed to us, starting in childhood Is there a grief spectrum? If so, where do you land on it?  Are you allowed to feel grief, when objectively speaking, other people have it a lot worse?  If someone sobs in your presence, that might be a very good thing.    Content note: this episode contains a lot of swearing.    Notable quotes:  “Am I worthy of becoming the person that I want to become?” - Chase Jarvis   About our guest: Chase Jarvis is an award-winning artist, entrepreneur, best-selling author, and one of the most influential photographers of the past 20 years.  His expansive work ranges from shooting advertising campaigns for companies like Apple, Nike, and Red Bull; to working with athletes like Serena Williams and Tony Hawk, to collaborating with renowned icons like Lady Gaga and Richard Branson. He is the Founder of CreativeLive, where more than 10 million students learn from the world's top creators and entrepreneurs; CreativeLive was acquired by Fiverr in 2021. His recent book Creative Calling debuted as an instant National Best Seller.   More at chasejarvis.com  About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world.   Additional resources: The long dark night of the soul is commonly understood as a time of spiritual dryness and existential doubt and loneliness. For more on the “long dark night of the soul,” Check the wiki page. Chase's book - Creative Calling Chase references Ram Dass, and the quote, “We're all just walking each other home.”    Want to talk with Megan directly? Apply for one of her limited 1:1 consultations here, or join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions: either way, it's your questions, answered.   Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links. Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms.   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn.   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What would a meaningful life look like for you? According to Death Doula Alua Arthur, conversations about death can be the most enriching conversations we have. It's not about accepting death, or avoiding grief - it's about building a relationship with yourself and others that doesn't hold anything back. Why should you listen? Yeah, because you're mortal and one day you'll die, but more importantly: because one day, hopefully in the far off future, you'll look back at this life you've lived. Conversations about death can make that life so much better.    7 things you'll learn in this episode:    What's a Death Doula?  Does being honest about death give you access to joy? Should you tell someone that they're dying, or does that remove hope?  Why living each day like it's your last is unrealistic (and what to do instead)  Should you reach for a “meaningful life”? Why hope sets you up for disappointment - and why hope is dangerous at end of life The linking of death and grief: Death and grief are married, but grief definitely dates around.  Related episodes:  Trauma Surgeon Dr. Red Hoffman on the surprisingly broad umbrella of palliative care   The co-founders of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care on supporting burnout & stress among healthcare professionals & caregivers   Notable quotes:  “I'm the only one who's going to have to contend with all the choices I made at my deathbed. Nobody else.” - Alua Arthur   About our guest: Alua Arthur is a Death Doula, recovering attorney, and the founder of Going with Grace, a Death Doula training and end-of-life planning organization that exists to support people as they answer the question, “What must I do to be at peace with myself so that I may live presently and die gracefully?” She's been featured in the LA Times, Vogue, Refinery29, The Doctors, and alongside Chris Hemsworth on the docuseries, Limitless.    Find her at goingwithgrace.com and on Instagram @going_with_grace    About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world.   Additional resources: The Going with Grace website Megan mentions this book -  Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia   Want to talk with Megan directly? Two options: apply for a 1:1 consultation through the contact form, OR Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions: either way… it's your questions, answered.   Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links. Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Midlife has a lot of messy stuff in it: divorce, the death of your parents, menopause, health scares, empty nests, career changes, feeling increasingly irrelevant - “midlife” has terrible branding, according to author, modern elder, hospitality expert, and CEO and co-founder of Modern Elder Academy Chip Conley.    What if midlife (and beyond) could include an ever deepening sense of self and more satisfying connections - right alongside all that cascading loss?    Chip and Megan start out talking about midlife, and wind their way to the power of telling the truth about your own life. In the middle, there's grief: scary diagnoses, the deaths of friends, a near death experience, and some personal wake up calls to the meaning of life.    It's Ok that You're Not Ok in the mixed bag of midlife.    6 things you'll learn in this episode: How “hospitality” manifests itself inside grief (and life) How suicide deaths in your friend group impact the rest of your life What it's like facing a cancer recurrence *just* as you're feeling yourself come back to life Why community is crucial to our survival Coming out as a gay man in the 1980's, and what coming out to yourself might mean now Why you want multigenerational relationships, no matter how old you are now Content note: this episode contains mention of suicide, along with brief mention of the method.    Related episodes: Baratunde Thurston on the power of community Notable quotes:  “One of the challenges with grief is the feeling like it will never end. If you can actually understand what it means to be in that messy middle, you can actually move through the grief more in a more natural, humane, and accelerated fashion.” - Chip Conley   “It is not required that you change the world because of what you've experienced in your life.” - Megan Devine   About our guest: Chip Conley is a strategic advisor for hospitality and leadership at Airbnb, founder of the Modern Elder Academy, which helps people in their ‘third age' find a new path forward, and author of Wisdom @ Work: The Making of a Modern Elder. He was a founder board member for Burning Man. Find him on social @ChipConley About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world.   Additional resources: Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions: your questions, answered. Chip's book - Wisdom @ Work: The Making of a Modern Elder Modern Elder Academy Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl The Rumi Collection: An Anthology of Translations of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi   Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links. Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Look, there are some things in life - a LOT of things in life - that just can't be fixed or made better, you have to figure out how you're going to live with them. If you've ever felt othered and invisible because of an illness or disability - this episode is for you. If you've ever loved someone with a chronic illness, or you're a medical provider in any capacity, this episode is 3000% for you. And if you're grieving some other loss or hardship, you'll recognize so much of yourself in this conversation: that human desire to be seen, loved, and supported, exactly as you are.    Sarah Ramey spent DECADES trying to find answers for why her body was falling apart. Her book, The Lady's Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness, describes the complex, convoluted path through conventional and alternative medicines, her frustrations with being deemed a liar and hypochondriac, and the overlapping issues of misogyny, ableism, and well meaning but unhelpful support.    5 things you'll learn in this episode:  What it's really like having a chronic, invisible illness (and if you have one, you'll feel seen!) How truly messed up the medical system is: Sarah's years' long efforts to be believed by doctors, and at a minimum: not be overtly harmed while seeking care How does being in a female body shift your odds of being believed - for ANYTHING, but especially mysterious, chronic illnesses?  Sarah's music was featured in the hit show “Wednesday,” on Netflix. Can you be a successful musician and have a disability?  Why hope is a complex concept when your life is constrained by illness or disability (and why hope is still REALLY important) To join the next embodied writing course mentioned in the show, sign up at roottherapymaine.com Notable quotes:  So much of the experience of having one of these illnesses is sort of having to turn yourself inside to make everybody else be able to see what you can feel, but they can't see. - Sarah Ramey   There's just this incredible dehumanization that has sort of taken over medicine. If you have a problem that is disbelieved by medicine, it often feels like, why did I come at all? Why am I paying even a single dollar to be made to feel like I am a worthless, bad person, who's a liar and a malingerer? - Sarah Ramey   You have to start with believing what the people living it are telling you. Nothing else can happen unless you listen, and you believe. - Megan Devine  About our guest: Sarah Ramey is a writer and musician (known as Wolf Larsen). Her work has been featured in The Paris Review, NPR, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Ms. Magazine, and the Netflix show, Wednesday. Her book, The Lady's Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness was a starred selection for Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Booklist. Learn more at sarahmarieramey.com and wolflarsenmusic.com. Sarah has been living with serious chronic pain and illness for seventeen years.    About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.    The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world.   Additional resources: To join the next embodied writing course mentioned in the show, sign up at roottherapymaine.com   Read Sarah's memoir: The Lady's Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness    Listen to Sarah's solo album: Quiet at the Kitchen Door    Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions: your questions, answered.   Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK that You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links. Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can you heal pain by focusing on joy?    Baratunde Thurston gave what's been called “the greatest TED talk of all time.” He's written about being Black in America, he's got a podcast about community involvement called How to Citizen, and he's got a television show that explores the beauty and diversity of America.    There's a duality running through all of this work, and in Baratunde's personal life: mourning and celebration. From the early death of a parent, to men's emotional health, to violence against Black men and boys, to the healing power of play and community, this week's episode is a fascinating discussion of both grief and celebration - and why you don't get one without the other.    In this episode we cover:    Baratunde says he's “wired for optimism” - which makes identifying his own grief… complicated Transactional emotions - for example, feeling your grief so you can “get beyond it” The need for Black male role models How you can lose a parent at a young age and not recognize the impact until you're an adult Why seeing other people be good parents can bring up grief What it's like to see violence against people who look like you - over and over and over Black joy and mens' community (plus the hashtag #BlackMenFrolicking) Why is it hard to play as an adult - and find other adults to play with?  How to use your powerpoint slides to keep emotions in check (and why Baratunde isn't using slides in his talks anymore)  The nature of our interconnectedness as a species and a planet  Notable quotes:  “I'm looking at other joyful, hopeful ways of being that don't require waiting for someone to (change), or accepting suffering as the main narrative. Those don't fit me anymore. And so I acknowledge parallel paths to freedom - things like joy and silliness.” - Baratunde Thurston   “We're about men's business which is stoicism and pain and suppressed human experiences. That's what it is to be a man.” - Baratunde Thurston   “My hope is grounded in our creative possibility, in our own creativity. We can be destructively creative, but I also think we can be beautifully, you know - hopefully, creative.” - Baratunde Thurston About our guest: Baratunde Thurston is an Emmy-nominated, multi-platform storyteller and producer operating at the intersection of race, tech, democracy, and climate. He is the host of the PBS television series America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston, creator and host of How To Citizen with Baratunde, and a founding partner of the new media startup Puck. His comedic memoir, How To Be Black, is a New York Times best-seller. In 2019, he delivered what MSNBC's Brian Williams called “one of the greatest TED talks of all time.”    Baratunde serves on the boards of BUILD.org and the Brooklyn Public Library and lives in Los Angeles, California. Find more at baratunde.com About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world.   Additional resources: Baratunde's book - How to be Black  Baratunde's TED talk How to Deconstruct Racism, One Headline at a Time  ‘America is addicted to watching me die…' - Article in Puck  Black Men Frolicking Baratunde's Podcast - How To Citizen PBS America Outdoors Baratunde's website Baratunde's media outlet, Puck.news Baratunde mentioned Valarie Kaur - get her book, See No Stranger, and tune in to her episode on It's OK that You're Not OK later this season   Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK that You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed    Books and resources may contain affiliate links. Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.co  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is there really a way to understand politics if you understand grief? In this bonus episode with Dr. Gabor Maté, we explore the interconnections of grief, trauma, politics, and policies. If you think politics and grief have nothing in common (or you think you don't care about politics!) this short conversation might change your mind.    In this episode we cover:    Why people get uncomfortable connecting grief & politics How evidence of trauma shows up in politics (and what Megan and Hillary Clinton have in common) Why conversations about emotions, emotional skills, and mental health have to include conversations about policies and politics    About the guest: Dr. Gabor Maté is a renowned speaker and author, with expertise in trauma, stress, addiction, and child development. He's the NYT best-selling author of The Myth of Normal, the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, and many other books.    Find him at drgabormate.com   About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world. Additional resources:   Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed   Books and research mentioned in this episode  The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté Article on Hillary Clinton's traumatic family history  NYT Fighting Maternal Mortality Among Black Women Books and resources may contain affiliate links.    Get in touch:   Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.co     Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions: your questions, answered.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did anyone teach you that understanding your grief is the key to being (or becoming) a healthy human being? Probably not.    In this expansive episode, Megan speaks with world-renowned author and physician Gabor Maté about the role of trauma and grief in our personal lives and in society at large.  Dr. Gabor Maté on grief, this week on It's OK that You're Not OK, the podcast.    In this episode we cover:    What is “personal agency” and why does losing personal agency create disease?  Why calling grief a disorder has social, relational and political ramifications How do elephants grieve? Is it really so different from humans?  Women as the emotional shock absorbers for the rest of the world Why we often ignore other peoples' pain to make ourselves comfortable Does taking pain seriously make you more hopeful?  Dr. Gabor Maté's conversation with Prince Harry (!)    About the guest: Dr. Gabor Maté is a renowned speaker and author, with expertise in trauma, stress, addiction, and child development. He's the NYT best-selling author of The Myth of Normal, the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, and many other books.    Find him at drgabormate.com About Megan:  Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world. Additional resources: Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed     Books and research mentioned in this episode  The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté Scattered Minds by Gabor Maté The Wisdom of Trauma - documentary exploring Gabor Maté's work to understand the connection between illness, addiction, trauma, and society.   Jaak Panksepp researched connections between human emotion processing and other mammals Hold Onto Your Kids by Gordon Neufeld & Gabor Maté Research on early trauma in elephants The Washington Post article about Megan's loss NYT Mothers are The ‘Shock Absorbers' Of Our Society  Article on Hillary Clinton's traumatic family history  NYT Fighting Maternal Mortality Among Black Women   Books and resources may contain affiliate links. Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.coSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What would be different if we could all just tell the truth about our lives?   Welcome to SEASON THREE of It's OK that You're Not OK: the podcast (formerly known as Here After with Megan Devine).    I started this show to talk about grief, and it's grown to be so much more than that - it's become a place for real conversations about life, and love, and loss, and even… hope.   In season three, episode zero, we cover the name change (FKA: Here After with Megan Devine), explore the worlds we create when we decide to talk about difficult things, and get a little preview of this season's guests.    This season is FULL of deeply fascinating conversations with wonderful people. Guests include:   Baratunde Thurston on the twin arcs of grief and celebration that weave through his work as an author, speaker, and TV host.  Musician Sarah Ramey shares the joy of having her song featured in an episode of the hit series Wednesday, and the grief of being a person with a chronic illness in an industry that doesn't care if you're too sick to create more music.  Creative Live founder Chase Jarvis talks about whether a financially successful, able bodied white male is really allowed to feel grief or exhaustion.  Trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté describes how disallowing grief creates a disconnected, often violent world - and of course, what we can do about it.  And so many more conversations with kind, thoughtful people, like Rachel Cargle, Maggie Smith, Valarie Kaur, Pooja Lakshmin, Bill McKibben… the list is long, and I can't wait for you to meet them all.    About your host:   Psychotherapist and bestselling author Megan Devine is recognized as one of today's most insightful and original voices on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don't call grief. She helms a consulting practice in Los Angeles and serves as an organizational consultant for the healthcare and human resources industries.  The best-selling book on grief in over a decade, Megan's It's Ok that You're Not OK, is a global phenomenon that has been translated into more than 25 languages. Her celebrated animations and explainers have garnered over 75 million views and are used in training programs around the world.   Additional resources:   Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions: your questions, answered.   Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed  Get in touch:   Thanks for listening to this week's episode of It's OK that You're Not OK. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, tag us on social with your thoughts, and share the show with everyone you know. It's OK that You're Not OK - you're in good company.    Follow the show on TikTok @itsokpod and use the hashtag #ItsOkPod on all social platforms   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and follow Megan on LinkedIn   For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at megandevine.co  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're on break, creating all new episodes for season 3. In the meantime, here's one of our favorite episodes from the past year. See you soon.   In this final episode of season two, we answer the central question from episode one: is there any hope? Okay, well we don't answer it. But we do review what we've learned. Turns out, everyone has an opinion about hope - from the creative to the bleak to the functional. Maybe one of these versions speaks to you.   Click here for the episode webpage.   Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions. All the info at this link.    About our guest: Megan Devine is a best-selling author, psychotherapist, grief advocate and podcast host. Her book It's OK that You're Not OK is the go-to resource for over half a million people. Her animated short, “How to Help a Grieving Friend,” is used in training programs around the world. She's been published in GQ, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, and has served as a grief expert for major media outlets including NPR, iHeartRadio, and the PBS documentary, Speaking Grief.   For the full episode from each of the guests you heard from in the show:    Nelba Márquez-Greene  Rebecca Woolf  Dr. Rana Awdish  Emily X.R. Pan  Emi Nietfeld  Aubrey Hirsch  Koshin Paley Ellison  Leanne Pedante  Alex Elle    Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed.   Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Here After with Megan Devine. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, send in your questions, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.   Have a question, comment, or a topic you'd like us to cover? Visit megandevine.co to get in touch.   For more information, including clinical training and consulting, visit us at www.megandevine.co   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok   Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions. All the info at this link.    Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're on break, creating all new episodes for season 3. In the meantime, here's one of our favorite episodes from the past year. See you soon.   Nobody likes to talk about pet loss… but everybody wants to talk about pet loss. What a difficult scenario that is! Veterinary oncologist Dr. Renee Alsarraf joins us to talk about grief, professionalism, and the importance of being human - on the job and off.    In this episode we cover:    The whole truth about loving - and losing - your pets The terrible advice Dr. Renee Alsarraf's grad school teacher gave her (and why she refused to listen)  Why veterinarians and other professionals should really NOT check their human emotions at the door When it's time to welcome a new love into your life (human or otherwise) How Dr. Alsarraf's experience with veterinary oncology did (and didn't) prepare her for her own cancer diagnosis Click here for the episode webpage. Notable quotes:    “I think we tend to see our pets - especially when they're ailing - more like our little babies, and so we want to protect them. That's our innate role. And yet we can't protect them from the inevitable. That's really hard.” - Dr. Renee Alsarraf   “You can't push emotions down and expect them to not pop back up in other places.” - Megan Devine   About our guest:  Dr. Renee Alsarraf is a veterinary oncologist, lecturer, and philanthropist. Her new book Sit Stay Heal is a moving and uplifting memoir of an esteemed veterinary oncologist fighting to save her four-legged patients while making sense of her own unexpected cancer diagnosis.   Find Dr. Alsarraf on IG @reneealsarraf  and read more about her book at sitstayhealbook.com Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Here After with Megan Devine. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, send in your questions, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Have a question, comment, or a topic you'd like us to cover? Visit megandevine.co   For more information, including clinical training and consulting, visit us at www.megandevine.co   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok   Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions. All the info at this link.    Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're on break, creating all new episodes for season 3. In the meantime, here's one of our favorite episodes from the past year. See you soon.   “Getting people to feel angry with me makes me feel less alone, less helpless. (It) makes me feel like, okay, there's a whole team of us. We're all gonna do it.” - Writer and illustrator, Aubrey Hirsch    The world is such a hot mess: every day a new disaster, a new human rights catastrophe. It can just feel… endless. Illustrator Aubrey Hirsch joins us to talk about outrage and trauma and community building - it's like the greatest hits of modern culture. But mostly, she joins us to talk about art - specifically, the ways that storytelling helps us band together and work towards the world we all want.    PS: Listen all the way through so you don't miss Aubrey's slightly sinister but ultimately functional ideas on hope.  In this episode we cover:  The relationship between rage and creation: when there's so much wrong with the world all you can do is scream Why taking action to change things matters - even if your actions won't save everyone Women and anger: hoo boy, it's a whole thing.  Why healing inside trauma is actually kind of… boring.  Connecting through the power of storytelling   Click here for the episode webpage. Notable quotes:  “I feel very helpless and I don't wanna feel like that because I know that to be f*cked is a spectrum and we can be more f*cked than we are now or less f*cked. It's not a binary. I want us to move in the right direction (less f*cked),  and I want to be a part of that movement - even if my action comes too late for some.” - Aubrey Hirsch About our guest: Aubrey Hirsch is the author of Why We Never Talk About Sugar, a collection of short stories, and This Will Be His Legacy, a flash fiction chapbook. Her stories, essays and comics have appeared widely in print and online in places like American Short Fiction, Vox, TIME, The New York Times, The Rumpus, The Toast, and in the New York Times bestselling anthology, Not That Bad. Her essay on trauma and surviving gun violence is a must read. Find it here.    Additional resources Aubrey occasionally teaches comics for “non-artists.” Check her TW @aubreyhirsch for announcements. She publishes new comics and essays on Roxane Gay's substack, The Audacity.    Aubrey's written on so many topics relevant to human life. Find a long list of awesome essays on her website, https://aubreyhirsch.com   Get in touch: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Here After with Megan Devine. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, send in your questions, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Have a question, comment, or a topic you'd like us to cover? Visit megandevine.co to get in touch.   For more information, including clinical training and consulting, visit us at megandevine.co   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok   Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions. All the info at this link.    Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're on break, creating all new episodes for season 3. In the meantime, here's one of our favorite episodes from the past year. See you soon.   If you've lived through horrific trauma or abuse, is it really fair of us to say that the ways you've learned to cope are “bad,” or to use clinical speak, “maladaptive”? This week on Here After, Stephanie Foo, author of What My Bones Know, joins me to talk about complex PTSD and the ways we pathologize human responses to trauma. You'll also hear how claiming your own messy, complex coping mechanisms can help you build a community that sees you and loves you.    If you're haunted by any type of trauma, or know someone who is, this conversation is a great introduction to complex PTSD, and the work of survivorship.  In this episode we cover:  Why pretending to be a high-performing badass is maybe not in your best interest How storytelling can make you feel less freakish and alone The real problem with most books on trauma and C-PTSD   Click here for the episode webpage. Notable quotes:  “People are like, oh, you're so brave to have shared your story. And I was like, I burned down my whole life. There was nothing to lose anymore, so there was nothing to be brave about.” - Stephanie Foo About our guest:    Stephanie Foo is a C-PTSD survivor, writer, and radio producer, most recently for This American Life. Her work has aired on Snap Judgment, Reply All, 99% Invisible, and Radiolab. A noted speaker and instructor, she has taught at Columbia University and has spoken at venues from Sundance Film Festival to the Missouri Department of Mental Health. She lives in New York City with her husband.   Read Stephanie's book, What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma Find her at stephaniefoo.me and follow her on Instagram @foofoofoo and Twitter @imontheradio  Find a great conversation about What My Bones Know on Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper at this link  Additional resources   It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand is a book for grieving people, those who love them, and all those seeking to love themselves—and each other—better. (available in paperback, e-book, & audiobook)   For a collection of tools and coping skills related to grief and trauma, check out my illustrated guided journal, How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed. (available in paperback and for Kindle)   Get in touch:   Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Here After with Megan Devine. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, send in your questions, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Share the show on your social networks! Use #HereAfterPod so we can find you. Have a question, comment, or a topic you'd like us to cover? Visit megandevine.co to get in touch.   For more information, including clinical training and resources, visit us at www.megandevine.co   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok   Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions. All the info at this link.    Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest Info/Bio: Welcome back for part 2 of my conversation with Megan Devine in our series on grief and loss. Psychotherapist Megan Devine believes that making the world a better place starts with acknowledging grief, rather than seeking to overcome it. She advocates for a revolution in how we discuss loss – personally, professionally, and as a wider community.Megan is the author of the best-selling book, It's OK that You're Not OK: Meeting Grief & Loss in a Culture that Doesn't Understand, and her guided grief journal, How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed. Her animated “how to help a grieving friend” video distills a complex issue into simple, actionable steps in just over three (adorable) minutes. Gaining over 50 million views in its first few months, the animation is now used in training programs all around the world.Megan's work has been translated into 15 languages, and is featured widely in the media, including the New York Times, Marketplace, The Atlantic, Washington Post, GQ, Harvard Business Review, and Bitch magazine. She's a sought after expert when grief erupts in the public sphere. Her latest collaborative project, the PBS documentary Speaking Grief, is out now. Guest (selected) Publications: It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand” Guest Website/Social Media: www.refugeingrief.com Facebook: @refugeingrief Twitter: @refugeingrief Instagram: @refugeingrief Theme Music by: Forrest Clay “Does God & Recover” found on the EP, Recover.You can find Forrest Clay's music on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, or anywhere good music is found!This episode of the Deconstructionists Podcast was edited, mixed, and produced by John Williamson Stay on top of all of the latest at www.thedeconstructionists.com Go there to check out our blog, snag a t-shirt, or follow us on social mediaJoin our Patreon family here: www.patreon.com/deconstructionists Website by Ryan BattlesAll photos by Jared HevronLogos designed by Joseph Ernst & Stephen PfluigT-shirt designs by Joseph Ernst, Chad Flannigan, Colin Rigsby, and Jason Turner. Starting your own podcast? Try Riverside! https://riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_1&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=john-williamsonOur Sponsors:* Check out Factor 75 and use my code deconstruct50 for a great deal: https://www.factor75.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-deconstructionists/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We're on break, creating all new episodes for season 3. In the meantime, here's one of our favorite episodes from the past year. See you soon.   What if you were just about to get divorced, but your partner gets sick? Like really sick? Rebecca Woolf was just about to leave an unhappy marriage when her husband got sick and died. What followed was a crash course in performative grief, and the dismantling of one life in order to build the next. In this episode, we cover love, sex, marriage, divorce, grief, shame, assumptions (both internal and external), and personal agency - it's QUITE the conversation. Sensitivity note: this episode contains the F word, and references sex.  In this episode we cover:  The conventions of marriage and grief that trap people in inauthentic versions of themselves How you can love someone AND be relieved they're dead Why everyone has an opinion about how soon is too soon to date, have sex, or otherwise live your life after someone dies Grieving the time you lost living someone else's life Building your own “house of hope,” according to your own desires   About our guest: Rebecca Woolf has worked as a writer since her teens - it's the way she understands both herself and the world. Her essays have appeared on Refinery29, HuffPost, Parenting, and more. She currently authors the bi-weekly column Sex & the Single Mom on romper.com. Her latest book, All of This: a Memoir of Death and Desire, hits the shelves last month.    Find her on IG @rebeccawooolf (with three o's) and at rebeccawoolf.com   Additional resources It can be hard to find information about grieving the loss of a complicated relationship (an abusive parent, or an estranged partner, for example). Check out this post on grieving people you didn't always like.    Get in touch:   Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Here After with Megan Devine. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, and share the show with everyone you know. Talking about difficult things gets easier with practice, and that's why we're here. Together, we can make things better, even when they can't be made right.    Have a question, comment, or a topic you'd like us to cover? Visit megandevine.co to get in touch.   For more information, including clinical training and consulting, visit us at www.megandevine.co   For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok   Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A sessions. All the info at this link.    Check out Megan's best-selling books - It's OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest Info/Bio:Welcome to 2023! We're back! To kick off the year I welcome the amazing Megan Divine to kick off our series on grief and loss. Psychotherapist Megan Devine believes that making the world a better place starts with acknowledging grief, rather than seeking to overcome it. She advocates for a revolution in how we discuss loss – personally, professionally, and as a wider community.Megan is the author of the best-selling book, It's OK that You're Not OK: Meeting Grief & Loss in a Culture that Doesn't Understand, and her guided grief journal, How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed. Her animated “how to help a grieving friend” video distills a complex issue into simple, actionable steps in just over three (adorable) minutes. Gaining over 50 million views in its first few months, the animation is now used in training programs all around the world.Megan's work has been translated into 15 languages, and is featured widely in the media, including the New York Times, Marketplace, The Atlantic, Washington Post, GQ, Harvard Business Review, and Bitch magazine. She's a sought after expert when grief erupts in the public sphere. Her latest collaborative project, the PBS documentary Speaking Grief, is out now. Guest (selected) Publications: It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand” Guest Website/Social Media: www.refugeingrief.com Facebook: @refugeingrief Twitter: @refugeingrief Instagram: @refugeingrief Theme Music by: Forrest Clay “Does God & Recover” found on the EP, Recover.You can find Forrest Clay's music on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, or anywhere good music is found!This episode of the Deconstructionists Podcast was edited, mixed, and produced by John Williamson Stay on top of all of the latest at www.thedeconstructionists.com Go there to check out our blog, snag a t-shirt, or follow us on social mediaJoin our Patreon family here: www.patreon.com/deconstructionists Website by Ryan BattlesAll photos by Jared HevronLogos designed by Joseph Ernst & Stephen PfluigT-shirt designs by Joseph Ernst, Chad Flannigan, Colin Rigsby, and Jason Turner. Starting your own podcast? Try Riverside! https://riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_1&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=john-williamsonOur Sponsors:* Check out Factor 75 and use my code deconstruct50 for a great deal: https://www.factor75.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-deconstructionists/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Grief is a part of all life, we cannot escape it.  Communicating to people we love in their grief is challenging. We want our words to bring comfort, we need to get comfortable being uncomfortable and show up with love and words that connect or maybe silence is the answer.  Listen for ideas of what to say and what not to in these uncomfortable moments.     Episode Quotes and Links:  https://www.instagram.com/nicole_bachle/ "Grief is not a medical disorder to be cured. Grief is not spiritual crisis to be resolved. Grief is not a social woe to be addressed. Grief is, simply, a matter of the heart — to be felt.”  “When we love deeply, we mourn deeply; extraordinary grief is an expression of extraordinary love. Grief and love mirror each other; one is not possible without the other.”  “Others may tell us that it's time to “move on” or that this is “part of some bigger plan” — because our shattering makes them feel uneasy, vulnerable, at risk. Some may avoid us, others pity us. But this grief is ours. We have earned this grief, paying for it with love and steadfast devotion. We own this pain, even on days when we wish it weren't so. We needn't give it away or allow anything, or anyone, to pilfer it.”  Joanne Cacciatore, Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss, and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief   “We need to talk about the hierarchy of grief. You hear it all the time—no grief is worse than any other. I don't think that's one bit true. There is a hierarchy of grief. Divorce is not the same as the death of a partner. Death of a grandparent is not the same as the death of a child. Losing your job is not the same as losing a limb. Here's the thing: every loss is valid. And every loss is not the same. You can't flatten the landscape of grief and say that everything is equal. It isn't.” “There are losses that rearrange the world. Deaths that change the way you see everything, grief that tears everything down. Pain that transports you to an entirely different universe, even while everyone else thinks nothing has really changed.”  “The reality of grief is far different from what others see from the outside. There is pain in this world that you can't be cheered out of. You don't need solutions. You don't need to move on from your grief. You need someone to see your grief, to acknowledge it. You need someone to hold your hands while you stand there in blinking horror, staring at the hole that was your life. Some things cannot be fixed. They can only be carried.”  “There is not a reason for everything. Not every loss can be transformed into something useful. Things happen that do not have a silver lining.”  Megan Devine, It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand    “Grief is a heart-wrenchingly painful problem for the brain to solve, and grieving necessitates learning to live in the world with the absence of someone you love deeply, who is ingrained in your understanding of the world. This means that for the brain, your loved one is simultaneously gone and also everlasting, and you are walking through two worlds at the same time. You are navigating your life despite the fact that they have been stolen from you, a premise that makes no sense, and that is both confusing and upsetting.”   Mary-Frances O'Connor, The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss 

Grief comes in many forms - it's a universal experience. But, do you really know how to handle it? Psychotherapist and grief expert, Megan Devine joins Call Her Daddy to discuss her own journey with grief after the sudden loss of her partner. Megan provides tangible advice to support yourself and others managing grief. She shares exactly what NOT to do when it comes to supporting a grieving friend and offers the best ways to show up and support someone. Megan speaks about the importance of setting boundaries while grieving and shares some personal boundaries she created in the aftermath of losing her partner. She talks about the feelings associated with grieving a toxic person, and has advice for navigating the mix of feelings that come with that experience. Megan challenges the idea that grief is something to overcome and normalizes - it's okay to be really fucking sad. Whether you are recently grieving, years out or looking to support someone who recently experienced loss, Megan provides the insight we all need to hear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 173 Honoring a Husband's Legacy by Finishing His Work on a Documentary About Rare Disease Acute Flaccid Myelitis and Her Own Grief Along the Way with Sarah Potter Sarah Potter's husband Scott got sick and passed away while he was in the middle of creating a documentary about a rare disease called Acute Flaccid Myelitis and the families affected by it. Sarah has immersed herself into film making to finish Scott's documentary, all while working through her grief. The film is called When The Lotus Blooms and it will be released in Fall 2023. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Can you tell us about your rare disease and grief journey? My husband was working on a film about a rare disease called Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM), sharing the stories of affected families not having answers about the cause or treatment. We experienced something similar when my husband had a medical event and was hospitalized for several months before we lost him in July 2020. Because he was so passionate, I knew the story had to continue to be told. It's been a wonderful way for me to honor his legacy and do the good in the rare disease community that he set out to do.  What is your husband's connection to the AFM community? He was active in our local live storytelling community where there were monthly storytelling events and that's where he met a professor with an expertise in epidemiology. When she learned my husband was a filmmaker, she approached him with a story of a mom in her network who had a little boy with AFM and she asked for his thoughts on how to create a film to make an impact and create change around the disease. He was hooked and worked for the better part of a year to gain funding and do research before the filming began. How does your grief align with families in the rare disease community? There are a lot of parallels and I have the ability to connect with them, understanding what it's like to be going along with your day-to-day and suddenly something changes in a split second that your world is different.  What advice do you have for families who want to make a film? If you have a desire to tell your story, think about your takeaway, audience, how you want them to feel and what you want them to do. Everyone in the rare disease community has two elements of a wonderful story-- something unique and something inspiring. If you have an engaged patient advocacy community, I would recommend crowdfunding to fund the film production. LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED Sarah Potter on Twitter https://mobile.twitter.com/storyofthelotus/with_replies How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed: A Journal for Grief https://www.amazon.com/How-Carry-What-Cant-Fixed/dp/1683643704 It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand https://www.amazon.com/Its-That-Youre-Not-Understand/dp/1622039076/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Megan Devine on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/refugeingrief Megan Devine on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/refugeingrief/ Becky Sansbury on Twitter https://twitter.com/AftrTheShock After the Shock: Getting You Back On the Road to Resilience When Crisis Hits You Head On https://www.amazon.com/After-Shock-Getting-Resilience-Crisis/dp/0692447571 The Rare Disease Film Festival  https://www.rarediseasefilmfestival.com/ Follow the AFM Documentary  https://afmfilm.com CONNECT WITH EFFIE PARKS Website https://effieparks.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/OnceUponAGene Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onceuponagene.podcast/?hl=en Built Ford Tough Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1877643259173346/ Interested in advertising on Once Upon a Gene? Email advertising@bloodstreammedia.com for more information!

Themes: Grief, Loss, Bereavement, Pain, Mental Health Summary:  Join me for a thoughtful conversation with Megan Devine: best-selling author, psychotherapist, and grief advocate. With over 20 years in the field - and deep personal experience of grief - she is the go-to authority for grievers, supporters, and industry professionals. Her pioneering work provides a professional, inclusive, and realistic approach to grief, one that goes beyond pathology-based, reductive models. If you're currently feeling the deep pain of loss or are looking for ways to support someone who is, this episode is for you. Megan's book It's OK that You're Not OK has sold over 250K copies and is available in 16 languages. New York magazine's The Strategist named the book in their “Top 16 Grief Books Recommended by Psychologists in 2021.” Her animated short, “How to Help a Grieving Friend,” has been viewed over 70 million times and is used in training programs worldwide. She's been published in Psychology Today, The New York Times, and The Washington Post and has served as a grief expert for major media outlets, including NPR, iHeartRadio, and the PBS documentary, Speaking Grief. Discover: Megan's personal experience with grief What not to say to someone who is grieving and how to be truly supportive instead The problematic way society responds to pain and grief and how this contributes to rising loneliness, substance abuse and suicide rates Why looking for the silver lining in a painful experience, while well-intentioned, isn't helpful 00:00 Intro  01:20 Megan's story 07:09 How society responds to grief  09:11 You don't need to find the silver lining 13:03 Movies modeling the happy ending 15:17 The fallacy of suffering as punishment 20:25 The “nobility” of suffering 24:33 The history of dealing with pain 31:21 How medicine handles grief 36:43 Timeline of grief 38:16 Why do we avoid sadness? 43:54 How to actually support someone who's grieving 47:46 Expanding your idea of what grief is Links: Website | refugeingrief.com & megandevine.co Instagram | @refugeingrief Facebook | @refugeingrief Book | It's OK That You're Not OK Podcast | Here After with Megan Devine  Sponsors: LMNT | Get a FREE LMNT sample pack with any purchase at drinklmnt.com/createthelove Create the Love Cards | Use code CTLCARDS15 for 15% off at createthelove.com/cards See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's that time of year when tv commercials and store decorations implore you to feel merry and jolly (words we only use this time of year). And if you do feel that way without any complications or nuance, well, good on ya. But for people who live with depression, anxiety, problematic stress reactions, this season can be a real minefield.We're joined this week by two therapists who are also friends of the show.Dr. Ksera Dyette talks about strategy come holiday time and how to protect yourself from toxic or problematic family members as you head into those visits. Megan Devine takes on the subject of grief and she has some notes of constructive criticism on the option of “I'll just get super drunk and feel nothing.”Learn more about Dr. Ksera Dyette by visiting her website, www.cupofteacounselling.org. Follow Dr. Dyette on her Instagram @cteacounselling and on TikTok @drdyette.Learn more about Megan Devine and get your copy of her book, It's OK That You're Not OK by visiting her website, www.refugeingrief.com. Listen to Megan's podcast, Here After with Megan Devine, wherever fine podcasts are found.Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun.Check out our I'm Glad You're Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com!Hey, remember, you're part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org.Help is available right away.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALKCrisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlinesThe Depresh Mode newsletter is available twice a week. Subscribe for free and stay up to date on the show and mental health issues. https://johnmoe.substack.com/John's acclaimed memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is now available in paperback. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250209566/thehilariousworldofdepressionFind the show on Twitter @depreshpod and Instagram @depreshpod.John is on Twitter @johnmoe.

Couch Talks is the bonus episode of You Need Therapy where Kat answers questions that listeners send to kathryn@youneedtherapypodcast.com. This week, Kat spices things up with some holiday cheer by creating a gift guide full of meaningful gifts that give back for everyone on your list!    1. Able Able's mission is to create go-to wardrobe pieces that empower both the women who wear them and the women who make them.  2. Affirmators  These affirmation cards were created by comedian Suzi Barrett and are sad to Providing the fun of a horoscope with a little less woo-woo which  3. F%^ck Meditation  For the loved one in your life is who going through some stuff and finds relief by throwing out a couple of F bombs every now and then.  4. How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed  A journal written by Megan Devine that “contains no clichés, timetables, or checklists of stages to get through; it won't help you “move on” or put your loss behind you. Instead, you'll find encouragement, self-care exercises, and daily tools to help you manage and explore your grief.” 5. ArtbySharyl Custom water color paintings! 6. Propagated Plant  7. Musee  Musee makes handcrafted, natural bath products in Madison County, Mississippi with the mission of restoring lives by providing dignified work for vulnerable people in our community. Musee partners with a local organization called Crossroads to help provide jobs for women coming out of spending time in prison, treatment centers or abusive situations AND Schools of Haiti to provide teacher salaries, new books, new desks, uniforms and one meal every day for the students. 8. Nashville Blanket Project For every blanket purchased a blanket is donated to someone in need!  9. 4 Things Gratitude Journal & I'm Fine Puzzle Perfect gift to offer someone who is going through some tough stuff and doesnt want to be so serious all of the time OR for someone you love who wants to count their blessings with a little more intention- all while helping support organizations in Haiti! 10. Cuddle And Kind  A company started by a family of 5 that's mission is to help provide meals for children in need. They sell dolls hand knit by women in Peru and Nepal that are ADORABLE and while you are giving the cutest gift to someone you are helping sustain jobs for women and supplying 10 meals to a child in need!   Follow Kat on Instagram: @Kat.Defatta Follow the podcast Instagram: @YouNeedTherapyPodcast Have a question, concern, guest idea, something else? Reach Kat at: Kathryn@youneedtherapyodcast.com Heard about Three Cords Therapy but don't know what it is? Click here!   Produced by: @HoustonTilleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the '5th Thing' with Amy & Kat!! Today's quote is: "I've learned to hold on to me. My favorite version of myself. Don't lose yours, okay?" - Amy in Holiday Harmony (the Christmas movie that she is in...it comes out on HBO Max in 2 days...eeeeeekkk!!!!) That line isn't exactly what Amy ended up saying in the movie, but that was the original script and we love that it's a reminder to stay true to ourselves....our favorite versions of ourselves!!!!!! This Thursday's 4 Things episode will be a special Thanksgiving episode with Kat joining in a little, along with the writer/producer of Holiday Harmony and the main character...can't wait for y'all to hear that! Amy heard a woman humming while she peed. It wasn't like a musical hum…it was like she was peeing and hummmmmming to make it possible since she was in a public restroom. Seemed like she had to hum to pee. Or it was a meditative type thing. Not sure. Also, did you know we aren't supposed to squat to pee?? Squatting over instead of sitting down on the toilet can change the mechanics of urinating; over time that can increase the risk of lowering urinary tract symptoms including pelvic floor dysfunction and infections. Amy share's an email from a listener that just lost 2 loved ones this year so the grief is super heavy...and she's trying to hold it together for her family & 2-year-old. Amy recommends Megan Devine's grief journal (link below) and Kat shares her thoughts on showing emotion/grieving/crying in front of our kids. How to Carry What Can't Be Fixed: A Journal for Grief:https://www.amazon.com/How-Carry-What-Cant-Fixed/dp/1683643704  Thank you licensed therapist, Kat Defatta, for joining us with her wisdom. You can find her on Instagram: @Kat.Defatta + @YouNeedTherapyPodcast. Best places to find more about Amy: RadioAmy.com + @RadioAmy   Send emails for the '5th Thing' to 4ThingsWithAmyBrown@gmail.com!   P.S. '4 THINGS' CUSTOM CHRISTMAS PULLOVERS ARE AVAILABLE: This is a limited time thing and super cute for the holidays!! You can put whatever 4 things you love about Christmas on the red pullover (just has to be 13 characters or less) and these make great shirts for holiday events + matching family pajamas + gifts for friends!   4things.com to make Christmas pullovers and for other 4 Things gifts that give back to Haiti. You can also check out ShopEspwa.com or TheShopForward.com for gifts that give back!! So many cute, high quality, meaningful items...including all 4 things items, PIMPINJOY, and more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Psychotherapist and author Megan Devine joins Jameela this week to discuss what grief is, how it can affect us physically, what we can say to those in our lives who are grieving, and how we can actually help, and then wrap things up by answering your questions about grief and healing.   Check out Megan's podcast - Refuge in Grief - wherever you get your podcastsYou can get Megan's book - It's Okay That You're Not Okay - wherever books are sold. You can follow Megan on Instagram & Twitter @refugeingrief