"Healing Erika: The Silent Depths of Grief" Not My Sister!
Release Date: 09/30/2023
The Grief Men Are Never Taught to Talk About with Coach Martize
Grieve That Sh!t
Episode Description “Grief does not disappear when you ignore it. It just gets heavier when you carry it alone.” In this episode of Grieve That Shit, Sharon Brubaker, grief specialist and founder of The Grief School, opens an honest conversation about men, grief, and emotional pain. After losing her nephew Austin, Sharon learned that grief is not just sadness. It is a full-body experience that affects thoughts, emotions, and the nervous system. And while grief impacts everyone, many men are taught early that strength means silence. This episode challenges the belief that “big boys...
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How to Grieve a Mother Who Was Your Best Friend with Nikki Part 2
Grieve That Sh!t
“She was more than her ending. And healing didn’t mean letting her go. It meant letting the pain stop running the show.” In Part 2 of this deeply personal episode of Grieve That Shit, Sharon Brubaker, grief specialist and founder of The Grief School, continues the raw conversation with Nikki about grieving a mother who was also her best friend. This episode moves beyond the loss and into what happens after the world keeps spinning and you’re still stuck. Nikki shares what it was really like to resist grief work, to believe that suffering was the only way to honor her mom, and to carry...
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How to Grieve a Mother Who Was Your Best Friend with Nikki Part 1
Grieve That Sh!t
“You were never meant to grieve quietly. Your emotions didn’t show up to hurt you. They showed up to help you process what just happened.” In this episode of Grieve That Shit, Sharon Brubaker, Certified Grief Specialist and founder of The Grief School, sits down with Nikki to talk about a kind of loss that cuts straight to the core. The loss of a mother who was also a best friend. After losing her nephew Austin, Sharon learned that grief isn’t one-dimensional. There are layers. And one of the most overlooked layers is the grief that comes from losing the person who knew you,...
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Your Grief Brain vs Your Grieving Heart
Grieve That Sh!t
“Your brain didn’t break when your person died. It’s just doing what it knows—trying to protect you from pain. But grief doesn’t live in your brain. It lives in your heart.” In this episode of Grieve That Shit, Sharon Brubaker, Certified Grief Specialist and founder of The Grief School, dives deep into one of the biggest truths about grief: you can’t think your way out of it. After losing her nephew Austin, Sharon discovered firsthand that grief isn’t logical—it’s emotional. Your brain tries to reason, fix, and explain the unexplainable, while your heart just breaks wide...
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How to Stop Treating Grief Like a System with Dr. Elijah Frazier Part 2
Grieve That Sh!t
In Part Two of this Grieve That Shit conversation, Sharon Brubaker and Dr. Elijah Frazier move past introductions and into the heart of what grievers struggle with most: choice, accountability, faith, emotions, and permission to heal. This episode challenges one of the most damaging beliefs grievers carry—that grief is something they must endure forever. Sharon and Dr. Frazier speak directly to the idea that pain is inevitable after loss, but staying trapped in suffering is not the only option. They talk honestly about how grief can steal joy, peace, and energy when we are not aware of the...
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How to Stop Treating Grief Like a System with Dr. Elijah Frazier Part 1
Grieve That Sh!t
In this episode of Grieve That Shit, Sharon Brubaker introduces a defining moment for The Grief School and the podcast. For the first time, she welcomes Dr. Elijah Frazier and shares the news that The Grief School is now powered by The Frazier Group. This is not an announcement episode filled with buzzwords or credentials. It’s a conversation about people, pain, and what real care actually looks like when someone is at their breaking point. Sharon and Dr. Frazier talk openly about why grief cannot be handled by systems, scripts, or one-size-fits-all solutions. They explore the difference...
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What Grief Is Not
Grieve That Sh!t
“Grief is not a mental illness. It’s not weakness. It’s not a checklist to finish or a line you’re supposed to move through. It’s love—with nowhere left to go.” In this episode of Grieve That Shit, Sharon Brubaker, Certified Grief Specialist and founder of The Grief School, gets brutally honest about everything grief isn’t. For too long, society has treated grief like a disorder to diagnose, a problem to medicate, or a series of stages to climb. But grief isn’t logical, linear, or tidy—it’s wild, unpredictable, and deeply human. Sharon unpacks why labeling grief as...
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Forever Changed But Not Broken
Grieve That Sh!t
“When your person died, a part of you died too. Not your whole self—but the version of you that only existed in connection with them. That’s the part grief takes. That’s what forever changed really means.” In this episode of Grieve That Shit, Sharon Brubaker, Certified Grief Specialist and founder of The Grief School, opens her heart about what it truly means to be forever changed—but not broken. After losing her nephew Austin and later her best friend Sharon, her life split into two: before and after. But in this episode, she invites you into the middle—the space between who you...
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When a Memory Hits You Like Fear
Grieve That Sh!t
Episode Summary: This episode cracks open one of the most frightening and misunderstood parts of grief: when a memory hits your body like a shock. You’re sitting still, lost in a moment with your person, and suddenly your stomach drops, your breath tightens, your heart races, and you remember all over again that they died. It feels like you’re grieving in two places at once. Sharon Brubaker takes you inside the neurobiology behind that jolt. She breaks down how the hippocampus pulls old memories like scenes from a movie, why the amygdala tags those memories as danger, and how your brain...
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Why Noise Feels Like an Attack In Grief
Grieve That Sh!t
Episode Summary: In this episode of Grieve That Shit, Sharon Brubaker talks about something most grievers never see coming: why normal sounds suddenly feel like an attack. The kids laughing, the microwave door slamming, a choir starting at church, a car alarm in the parking lot. Things you used to handle just fine now hit your body like lightning. Sharon walks you through what is really happening inside your grieving brain. She breaks down the amygdala, the nervous system, the HPA axis, and why grief flips all of them into survival mode. This is not you “being dramatic.” This is biology....
info_outline"Healing Erika: The Silent Depths of Grief"
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of our podcast. Today, we’re diving deep into a story of resilience, self-awareness, and the journey towards healing. It’s a tale about my past client, Erika, and the silent depths of grief.
Let me start by setting the stage. Imagine a vivacious, spirited individual, who despite carrying the weight of two immense losses in her life, couldn’t quite put a finger on the nature of her pain. That's Erika. Referred to me by another client, Erika initially didn’t believe she was grappling with grief. She was under the impression that what she felt was mere depression.
Isn't it interesting? Sometimes, our feelings can be so overwhelming and tangled that we can't see them for what they truly are. That was Erika’s state of mind. She assumed therapy could be a way out, but traditional methods didn’t give her the solace she sought.
Fast forward six months, a world grappling with a pandemic, Erika reached out again. There’s something about global crises – they hold up a mirror to our personal ones. And this time, together, we embarked on a journey of what I call "heart work".
Erika's journey was one of self-realization. As we peeled back the layers, it became clear that she was battling profound grief. The loss she had experienced wasn’t just an emotional void; it was affecting her everyday life, her decisions, her perspective on the future
What’s crucial here is the acknowledgment that grief doesn't have a one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one might not work for another. And while therapy can provide tools, true healing comes from within, from the "heart work".
As we navigated the sessions virtually amidst the pandemic, it became more than just therapy. It was a lifeline. Erika wasn’t just dealing with her personal losses but also the shared sense of loss and uncertainty that the world was feeling.
It was during these months that Erika learned the power of acceptance, the significance of acknowledging pain, and the strength in vulnerability. She not only worked through her grief but also reshaped her perspective on life and its many trials.
Erika's journey is a testament to the fact that sometimes, we might not recognize the source of our pain. But with persistence, self-reflection, and the right guidance, healing is within reach.
Today, Erika stands tall, not as someone who has forgotten her losses, but as someone who has made peace with them. She’s a beacon of hope for all who feel consumed by emotions they can't name.
To everyone listening, remember, it's okay to seek help. It's okay to admit you don’t have all the answers. And it’s okay to do the heart work. Because, at the end of the day, that's where true healing begins.
Thank you for joining me today. I hope Erika's story resonates with some of you and brings you hope. Stay strong, stay connected, and until next time, keep healing.