The Friends We Make In Grief
Grief Out Loud
When Cassie arrived at Dougy Center for her first peer grief support group for young adults after her dad died, she sat in the parking lot wondering if she could even walk inside. When she did, she found people her age who understood what it meant to have a parent die - people who would end up shaping her life in ways she never imagined. In this episode, Cassie talks about how grief changed her, what it was like to find community in a peer support group, and how those friendships continue to support her years later. Now, as a volunteer facilitator in a peer grief support group for children,...
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Caring For The Caregivers
Grief Out Loud
When you’re grieving, “Take care of yourself,” might be the last thing you want to hear. So what does self-care actually look like for a parent or caregiver who is grieving? Rebecca Hobbs-Lawrence, MA, who coordinates the Pathways Program at Dougy Center for families facing an advanced serious illness, joins us to share practical tools for caregivers who are trying to balance taking care of others with tending to themselves, along with crucial advice for friends and family who want to provide truly...
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Mourning Air - Leena Magdi On Grieving Her Brother And Her Homeland
Grief Out Loud
When Leena Magdi’s younger brother, Hamoodi, was killed, her world shifted entirely. In her debut book , Leena explores how grief reshapes identity, faith, and love. In this conversation, Leena shares what it meant and means to be Hamoodi’s sister, how sibling grief is often dismissed, and how writing helps her navigate the grief. Leena also shares about her family’s forced displacement after war broke out in Sudan less than a year after Hamoodi’s death - and how she’s learning to grieve both her brother and her home. We discuss: What it means to be a sister after a sibling...
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Grieving A Sudden Or Unexpected Death With Dr. Jennifer Levin
Grief Out Loud
When someone you know dies suddenly, everything changes in an instant. The world you once knew can feel unfamiliar and unsafe, and finding your way back to even the smallest sense of stability can feel impossible. In this episode, we talk with , therapist, educator, podcast host, and author of . Jennifer specializes in supporting people grieving sudden or unexpected deaths that can completely upend how we see the world and shift our sense of safety. We discuss: The differences and overlap between the terms: sudden, unexpected, and traumatic How grief affects the...
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Grief Is Forever, But So Is Love: Tiriq Rashad On Loss & Creativity
Grief Out Loud
When , artist, poet, and performer, sits down to write, he’s not just telling his own story - he’s carrying his daughter, his brother, and his mother with him. In this conversation, Tiriq shares the layered ways grief has shaped who he is: from the death of his first child before she was born, to growing up caring for his brother who lived with cerebral palsy and autism, to the sudden death of his mother. Through it all, Tiriq’s foundation in caregiving, service, and community continues to guide him - both in his personal life and in his art. His new album, Kiss My Art, is...
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Now I’m An Adult Orphan: Tyler Feder On Dancing At The Pity Party, Again
Grief Out Loud
When was 19, her mom died of cancer, an experience she captured years later in her bestselling graphic memoir . In the years since, Tyler has described herself as a “dead mom person” - reflecting just how much of her life was shaped by the death of her mother. But this past winter, Tyler’s dad also died, adding a new aspect to her identity, this time as an adult orphan. In this episode, we discuss: The contrast between her parents’ personalities – mom (quiet, creative, cat-like), dad (gregarious, emotional, dog-like) - and which of those aspects Tyler carries...
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Rabbit Heart - A Mother's Murder, A Daughter's Story
Grief Out Loud
In 1986, when was eight years old, her mother was abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered in Oklahoma. Decades later, Kristine tells her story in , a memoir weaves together her fragmented childhood memories, growing up with grief, and then as an adult, reckoning with the painful details of her mother's death. The course of the book shifts when there is a break in the cold case of her mother's murder, leading to a trial and eventual conviction of Kyle Eckhart, one of the men responsible. In this conversation Kristine reflects on what it means to grieve for her mother and for the violent way...
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Relief With Some Grief - When An Abusive Parent Dies
Grief Out Loud
When someone dies, the story is often one of sadness, longing, and loss. But what happens when the person who died was also someone who caused great harm? For Kathy, who was sexually and emotionally abused by her father, his death when she was 11 brought more relief than grief. In this conversation, Kathy shares how her early experiences with grief and trauma shaped her path as a social worker and volunteer, including her current work with teens and tweens who are grieving. We explore: What it was like to have her dad die while carrying the painful secret about his abuse...
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Befriending Grief: Why She's Your Guide, Not Your Enemy – Dr. Jamie Eaddy
Grief Out Loud
How do we move from seeing grief as something to fix or overcome, to understanding it as a lifelong companion and guide? In this conversation with Rev. educator, death doula, founder of , and creative force behind she invites us to reimagine grief as a friend who helps us navigate loss, change, and transition. Drawing from her personal lineage of grief through the deaths of her grandmother, cousin, and uncle, Dr. J. shares how these experiences shaped her work supporting individuals and communities, especially those living at the intersections of marginalization and oppression. ...
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One Last Stroller Walk - Navigating Pet Loss
Grief Out Loud
Welcome to a special "podcast takeover" episode. This week, , creator of and , steps in to interview Jana. Their conversation centers on Jana's beloved Boston Terrier, Captain, who died in December 2024 at the age of 15. Lindsey understands this heartache well, as her own sweet dog, Birch, died in May 2022. As a skilled interviewer and a thoughtful friend in grief, Lindsey was the perfect person to explore Jana's experience of loving and grieving for Captain. Together, Lindsey and Jana delve into how Captain came into Jana's life, the complexities of caregiving for an aging...
info_outlineIn this episode, Camila returns to Grief Out Loud six years after her first appearance to share how grief continues to evolve. What began with the sudden loss of her mother at age 21 has now expanded to include the ongoing grief of caregiving for her father, who is living with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Camila discusses the unique challenges of long-distance caregiving, the differences between sudden loss and gradual decline, and how these two types of grief intersect in her life. She also discusses navigating major life milestones—including getting married during the pandemic—without her mother's presence.
We Discuss:
- The difference between sudden loss and the "slow grief" of watching a parent decline
- How grief has shifted in the 15+ years since her mother's unexpected death
- Losing her father as the co-archivist of her mother's life and their family history
- Managing long-distance caregiving
- The failures of the elder care system in the U.S.
- The role of chosen family and support
- Wedding planning and the question of how to honor her mother's memory
- The complexity of being a queer person in traditionally heteronormative grief support spaces
- Feeling like she no longer has parents, even though her father is still alive
- The therapeutic value of pets
- Finding moments of connection and joy with her father despite his condition
- Using poetry as a processing tool for grief
About the Guest:
Camila is a poet who has published three books of poetry:
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The Progression of Grief (about losing her mother)
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New Waters (about falling in love and healthy relationships)
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The Longevity of Grief (about caring for her father and how different types of grief intersect)
This episode is the third in our 2025 three-part series highlighting the voices of communities who have historically been underrepresented in the grief world. The series is part of an ongoing collaboration between Dougy Center and The New York Life Foundation. We are deeply grateful for New York Life Foundation's tireless support and advocacy for children and teens who are grieving.
Grief Out Loud is a production of Dougy Center, the National Grief Center for Children and Families in Portland, Oregon.