Catholic Grief Coach

I’m Nichole Haugen, and I’m here to support families facing anticipatory grief and loss. Join me as we share real stories and practical advice to help you navigate this challenging journey. You are not crazy. Grief triggers are real. You’re not alone—let’s walk through this together."

If I Trusted God More, Would This Hurt Less? 01/30/2026

If I Trusted God More, Would This Hurt Less? This episode addresses one of the most painful beliefs grieving Catholics carry: that suffering means weak faith. We gently dismantle this lie and explore what trust actually looks like when everything hurts. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/39926730

When You Wake Up and Remember—Again 01/23/2026

When You Wake Up and Remember—Again Many grieving people say mornings are the hardest part of the day. We explore why grief hits so intensely upon waking and offer gentle ways to be in reality without forcing positivity or prayer you don't have energy for yet. Get hope again, book a free 30 minute consult call- /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/39828870

The Shock of Sudden Loss: Why This Hurts Differently 01/16/2026

The Shock of Sudden Loss: Why This Hurts Differently Sudden and unexpected loss brings shock, trauma, and deep disorientation. This episode explains why your body stays on high alert after loss, why disbelief lingers, and how faith can feel shaken - not because it's gone, but because everything familiar has changed. Get help at /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/39747935

Why Grief Feels Like It Breaks Your Brain 01/09/2026

Why Grief Feels Like It Breaks Your Brain Grief doesn’t just affect your heart—it changes how your brain and body function. In this episode, we talk about why grief causes brain fog, overwhelm, emotional swings, and exhaustion, and why none of this means you’re weak or failing God. You’ll learn what’s happening in your nervous system and how to meet yourself with compassion in the earliest days of loss. Need someone to talk to? /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/39659530

Grief Is Not Lack Of Faith 12/19/2025

Grief Is Not Lack Of Faith In moments of overwhelm, anxiety, despair, and disorientation, grief can make the world feel completely upside down. This can lead us to assume: If I trusted God more, I wouldn't feel this way. This episode I explain the science behind what is happening in your body during grief. I also give an example of how we can know that grieving is not distrust in God. Grab my grief guide at www.catholicgriefcoach.com /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/39468770

What To Do After An Event 11/28/2025

What To Do After An Event After an event we just start planning the next thing. We start looking ahead to the next day or weeks and depending on how this event went, we feel excitement or dread. This episode I talk about what to do after an event. We rarely take time to pause and reflect on why it went well or ended poorly. I guide you through some easy questions to help yourself know what to do for next time. Feel stuck in your grief? Get help at /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/39184200

How To Make The Holidays Special When You're Not Feeling It 11/21/2025

How To Make The Holidays Special When You're Not Feeling It The holidays are just around the corner. There is pressure to make them special. What if you are not feeling it. How do you put on a happy face when you just want to crawl in bed and cry? This episode I help you with those awful feelings. Get 20 tips on ways to make the holidays special and also honor your deceased loved one without having to fake it. Peace in the Storm: Grace for the Grieving Heart- go to /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/39112995

Is It Self Care, Or Am I Just Checking Out? 11/14/2025

Is It Self Care, Or Am I Just Checking Out? Self care is a good thing. We hear all the time how we need to have self care, but too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing. This episode I explain the difference between having self care and just trying to numb out so you don't have to feel anything. Go to to sign up for a free grief consult. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/39025485

Grief During The Holidays 11/07/2025

Grief During The Holidays Everywhere you look is Christmas stuff. This started before Halloween. This can subconsciously trigger your grief during the holidays to happen earlier and earlier. You can start to feel more dread and sadness this time of year. This episode I help you process through the grief and see it for what it is. You will learn three steps to help allow the grief instead of always trying to push it away. Grab your free consult call at /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/38940560

Should I Go, Or Stay Home? 10/31/2025

Should I Go, Or Stay Home? This time of year there are a lot of celebrations or gatherings. The thought of this makes your stomach drop. You might feel pressured to show up, smile, and pretend you are okay. Or you want to avoid it completely and stay home. You don't know what you want to do so you just spin in anxiety, stress, overwhelm, and grief. This episode I lead you through how to discern if you want to attend celebrations or gatherings. You will know how to care for yourself and how to feel at peace with the decisions you have made. Join my next , we start November 7th, 2025 /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/38848075

I Can't Stop Picturing Their Final Moments 10/24/2025

I Can't Stop Picturing Their Final Moments You keep reliving those final moments or days of your loved one. It makes you feel awful, so why do you keep doing this.There is a driving feeling behind everything we do. You may not be aware of it, but it is there. This episode I give you four steps to help find the feeling and to help you stop torturing yourself. Nothing has gone wrong, this is a natural thing to do, you just need to slow down to know what is happening. Want to find hope and healing? /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/38757410

When Your Faith Seems Lacking Because It's Not Working 10/17/2025

When Your Faith Seems Lacking Because It's Not Working You feel like you have a strong faith, but you feel like it's not working. That maybe you aren't as faithful as you thought. That you should be doing something different. This episode, I talk about the ways that these lies sneak in. That we tell ourselves generalized statements. What does "it" even mean. What would it look like if it was working? Get help with your grief while staying true to your faith. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/38606575

Grieving The Moments We Took For Granted 10/10/2025

Grieving The Moments We Took For Granted After the initial shock and numbness of death wears off, you may find yourself not only mourning the future moments with your loved one, but also past memories. You may find yourself thinking, ‘I wish I had told them thank you more’, ‘Why didn’t I appreciate all they did for me instead of snapping at them.’ This episode will help you recognize when you get stuck in a guilt and shame spiral and what to do about it. Want a place to talk about your grief without having to defend your faith? Go to and sign up for the next grief group cohort. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/38534460

How To Pause and Feel 10/03/2025

How To Pause and Feel I have joined a new walking challenge. What I have realized is that I have a hard time pausing and being present. This is especially true when grief is spiraling around in our brain. Pausing feels scary. Pausing feels painful. This episode I talk about pausing more. Resting in the Lord. Allowing it to feel scary. Allowing the Lord to heal. Join my Catholic Grief Group. We start the next cohert Nov 7th. Go to /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/38441485

The Thing That Helped You Cope, Became A Problem 09/26/2025

The Thing That Helped You Cope, Became A Problem You were just trying to survive and get through the day. It was too hard to say no to food, drink, scrolling, or shopping. So you didn't. Now you are starting to see that the thing that helped you cope is getting out of control. It doesn't make you feel good, it just makes you feel guilt and shame. This episode, I talk about how those things can be helpful, but what do we do when they aren't. Learn how to cope without using a crutch anymore. Want help with this? Go to to find out more. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/38357455

Guilt from a Troubled Relationship 09/19/2025

Guilt from a Troubled Relationship For those of us on the grief journey, there is always some element of guilt that comes in. Specifically if the relationship with the deceased was not what we hoped it to be. This episode I show you how to handle the guilt that will come. I talk about how to heal the relationship, even though the person is no longer alive. For help with your grief, go to /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/38268180

This Shouldn't Be Happening 09/12/2025

This Shouldn't Be Happening There have been so many tragic losses this past week. Iryna Zarutska was brutally murdered on a train coming home from work. Charlie Kirk was assassinated. We had the anniversary of 9/11. We naturally look to why things like this happen. It feels senseless. It shouldn't be happening. Something needs to change. This podcast episode I talk about what needs to change. How all can feel hopeless. What needs to change and what you can start doing immediately to help. Looking for a place to talk. Feel like life is heavy and you are struggling alone with your grief. Go to to start to feel hope again. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/38181705

Shaming Yourself Instead Of Offering It Up 08/29/2025

Shaming Yourself Instead Of Offering It Up You are experiencing grief. Maybe it's the death of a loved one. Maybe it's the loss of a job. Maybe you child's best friend recently moved away and they are really struggling. As a Catholic, you hear that you should offer it up. So you try. You tell yourself that there are people experiencing war. You tell yourself that people are going through worse things than you are. This is not offering it up as Jesus asks of us. This is guilting and shaming ourselves in the search to try and do what is right and true. This episode I walk through how to truly offer it up. Looking for a community to help you in your grief? /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/38005020

Childhood Grief; How To Help Children With Common Grief 08/15/2025

Childhood Grief; How To Help Children With Common Grief Most of the time when we think of grieving, we think someone died. Grief is a very intricate part of life. We experience grief when we didn't get the job we applied for. We experience grief when we have a falling out with friends or family. Often we don't recognize it for what it is; grief. When our children experience grief we can sometimes dismiss it without realizing. Just like when things are painful for us and we want to feel heard, so do they. This episode I walk you through how to hear your children's grief without dismissing them or having them dwell on it. Want help with your grief? Go to to get help. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/37818196

There Is Need Of Only One Thing 08/08/2025

There Is Need Of Only One Thing There are so many things on your mind. Relationships have changed. There are things to take care of. There are the basic day to day things to get done. It all feels so heavy. It feels like you are walking through mud. This episode I talk about all the other things that we focus on. In the reading of Luke 10: 38-42, Jesus tells Martha that she is "worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing." What worries are you distracted by? Looking for a way to feel better. Join my 6 week . We focus on the one thing. The other things don't go away completely but life feels like it has hope again. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/37721395

Feeling Joy Again After A Loss 08/01/2025

Feeling Joy Again After A Loss This summer has been amazing. I have been telling myself a lot that 'I love my life.' I have been practicing being present in the moment. I have been practicing enjoying the moment. After the death of a loved one, it can often feel scary to enjoy life. It might feel like if you enjoy it, then something bad will happen. This episode I talk about 6 years later, how I am emotionally in a great place and how you can be too. Join my 6 week . Find healing with community. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/37625515

The Effects Of Celebrity Deaths 07/25/2025

The Effects Of Celebrity Deaths When celebrities die, it can effect us. A lot. We may feel confused by this and wonder why we are so affected when we didn't even know them. This episode I talk about how we may feel when celebrities pass away. You are having feelings about a relationship you didn't even know about! Searching for community in your grief? Go to to sign up for the next grief group. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/37538325

The Importance Of Having Masses Said For The Dead 07/18/2025

The Importance Of Having Masses Said For The Dead The Catholic Mass is the highest form of prayer. For many grieving Catholics, this is a sacred but sometimes underappreciated tradition. This episode I talk about how to have a Mass said for someone and the importance of this. Longing for community? Go to to sign up for my next grief group. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/37447285

Grief Is Complex 07/11/2025

Grief Is Complex Grief is complex. We think if we can just understand it then we can fit it in a box and move on. That is not how it works. It feels frustrating that the stages are not one and done. That all the feelings can circle around and show up over and over again. It can feel like you are doing grief 'wrong'. Or that you are being punished. This episode I talk about how complex grief is. Since it's complex, it can also feel lonely. Learn simple steps that you can do to start processing the grief. You will start feeling hope again. Join my grief group /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/37365800

I Can't Sleep 07/04/2025

I Can't Sleep Not being able to sleep is a terrible thing. When you are grieving and unable to sleep, it is life altering. The thoughts just won't stop. You feel dread and anxiety in your body. This shouldn't be happening. This episode I talk through what is happening and how to get some sleep. for Catholics who are grieving. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/37275900

It's Never Good Enough 06/27/2025

It's Never Good Enough It often feels like it's never enough. There are never enough finances, there is never enough time in the day, there is never enough rest, and everyone wants something from us. This can cause you to spiral and feeling like nothing is going right. Especially if you are tired or hungry. This episode I talk about how to recognize this for what it is. That your brain is made to look at all the negatives to keep you safe. This doesn't feel very good and sometimes can last for days or longer. Learn how to recognize this and how to feel better, faster. Want more tips? Go to to get help. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/37168585

I Have Gained So Much Weight 06/20/2025

I Have Gained So Much Weight When you are taking care of others, you forget to care for yourself. You are so tired and overwhelmed that you turn to food, or other vices to numb those feelings. You forget about what it is that you enjoy and love and instead just try to check out at the end of the day. This episode I talk about the first steps to take in caring for yourself. Starting small is enough. Instead of letting days, months, weeks and sometimes years go bye before we know something needs to change, I encourage you to start now. These tips are small, yet powerful. Want to get 1:1 coaching to help you lose weight? /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/36975215

If Your Grief Was An Image 06/13/2025

If Your Grief Was An Image If your grief was an image what would it look like? What would that image have looked like 2 or 3 years ago? What does it presently look like? What could it look like in 3 years if you invited God into that space? This episode I walk you through an exercise to see what your grief looks like. How are you doing to heal yourself on your own? What ways does God want to be invited into that healing and you are turning away. Maybe you have invited him in, but his timeline looks different than yours. Join a community that understands you to find healing. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/36974480

When Life Is Consumed With Death 06/06/2025

When Life Is Consumed With Death When someone dies, the immediate days that follow are consumed with death. There are arrangements to be made, and people to be notified. After a couple weeks all of that settles down. What do you do after the tasks have all been completed. What do you do with the silence that now seems to creep in. At first you didn't have time for the emotions, now they don't seem to want to stop. This episode I will talk through what to do next and what questions to start asking yourself. Join my . Find community without compromising your faith. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/36870475

God, Where Were You? 05/30/2025

God, Where Were You? When you are grieving, you feel abandoned by God. You know that He is there but you don't feel Him. The pain is too great. This episode I talk about why it's OK to question God, how to look to scriptures and the Saints, how to pray in the midst of suffering and where to find hope. Join me for a Catholic grief group to find others going through the same struggles. The pain of missing your loved one is still there but you don't feel so alone. /episode/index/show/564d0344-0c85-4833-9523-23268e44c3f5/id/36774950

Catholic Grief Coach

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