Grief Refuge

The Grief Refuge podcast, hosted by Reid Peterson, features reflective conversations and helpful information about grief, loss, and managing the process. More support and access to the Grief Refuge app is available at griefrefuge.com

How Grief Impacts Self-Love—and Why Coping Can Feel So Hard After Loss 03/22/2026

How Grief Impacts Self-Love—and Why Coping Can Feel So Hard After Loss Grief doesn’t just break your heart—it can quietly change how you see yourself. In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked connection between grief and self-love, and why losing someone you love can make everyday life feel so much harder than expected. When grief enters your life, it can disrupt your sense of identity, trigger guilt and self-blame, and leave you feeling disconnected from the person you used to be. Simple things like getting out of bed, caring for your body, or asking for support can suddenly feel overwhelming. Over time, this can erode self-love and replace it with harsh self-judgment. This episode gently unpacks why that happens—and more importantly, why it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. You’ll learn how grief affects your nervous system, why your mind may confuse pain with personal failure, and how to begin separating your self-worth from what you’re going through. We also share simple, practical ways to rebuild self-love during loss—without forcing positivity or rushing your healing. If you’ve ever thought, “Why can’t I handle this better?” or felt like you’ve lost yourself in grief, this conversation is for you. Get more support at /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/40569510

Grief’s Turning Point: How to Make the Journey Less Painful and More Manageable 11/19/2025

Grief’s Turning Point: How to Make the Journey Less Painful and More Manageable Listen to explore how grief shapes your thoughts, and how small shifts can make the journey more manageable and meaningful. For more support, download the /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/39098030

Becoming a Mindful Mourner 12/16/2024

Becoming a Mindful Mourner This interview with Belinda Koch, Author of , shares insights from her professional experience as a Licensed counselor, and her personal experience as a grief companion. If you've ever thought you were stuck in grief or weren't grieving the right way, this conversation is for you. /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/34463990

Instilling Faith: A Mother's Lasting Legacy 09/20/2024

Instilling Faith: A Mother's Lasting Legacy Today's episode is an interview with Chelsea Ohlemiller. Chelsea shares pieces of her grief journey and how she took to writing to honor her mother's legacy, process her grief, and create a community for people navigating their own grief journey. Please visit to download the Grief Refuge app and learn more about Grief Care services. /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/33138452

Is it Grief or Depression That's Keeping You in Bed? 08/12/2024

Is it Grief or Depression That's Keeping You in Bed? Understanding whether you’re grieving or experiencing depression can be challenging and the symptoms for each can be similar. This episode helps you distnguish your emotnaion statle by asking yourself reflective questions and recognizing key differences to gain clarity and take important steps to care for your mental and emotional health. For more grief support, visit /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/32537762

Plant Medicine for Grief 12/21/2023

Plant Medicine for Grief Today I am joined by Lisa Marie Conine to talk about the unique way she supports people in grief. Lisa Marie uses plant medicine. She views plants as helpers when people need extra support and I find it fascinating how she approaches her work. Lisa Marie is doing special work and you’ve got to listen to hear how she does it. Also, join us for a 4-week workshop series starting January 30th learn how to use plants and herbs to help aid in your healing after loss! Details and registration here: Lisa Marie serves as a trained Death Doula, Yoga Instructor, and Plant Medicine Guide, offering 1:1 and group containers. She supports folks by providing spaces to explore transformation by leaning into the wisdom of our bodies, sacred plants, and the earth. Lisa specializes in utilizing specific plant allies to aid in one's journey alongside somatic tools for regulation and embodiment. Her work is held with the intention to honor the power of transformative rites of passage present in life and death. Calendly: Newsletter: If you need more support for your grief journey, download the for daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief (on and ). /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/29193053

Anger and Grief: Handling Intense Emotions After Loss 10/06/2023

Anger and Grief: Handling Intense Emotions After Loss Today we talk about a difficult emotion to manage when grieving. It’s anger. Anger can cause a lot of problems and when you’re grieving, and it’s a very common emotion to feel. Today, I’m joined by Sandy Linda, who is a grief and women’s empowerment coach. Sandy and I talk about her difficult experience of feeling heaps of grief related anger for over a 2 year period + the things she did to resolve that anger and heal herself. Sandy also offers some tips and techniques for managing your own grief related anger. It’s a powerful conversation I hope you very much enjoy. If you need more support right now, visit the website to download our app or learn more about our retreats, workshops, and groups. /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/28234427

Pearls of the Grieving Soul 08/14/2023

Pearls of the Grieving Soul Today I would like to share a guest interview with you. My guest is Yuivany Aguilar who lives in California and has a powerful story to share about the loss of her twin daughters and how she worked through her grief. Yuivany is a caregiver by nature. She’s a professional nurse and has a lot of wisdom to share about navigating grief. Much of her wisdom has been documented in her new book titled Pearls of the Soul available on Amazon. For more grief support, download the . /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/27747882

How to Deal With Grief and Isolation 07/04/2023

How to Deal With Grief and Isolation Today I would like to share a webinar replay about grieving in isolation. The webinar shares some important perspectives from some of the world’s leading experts on grief support. If isolation has been something you’ve felt during your grief, this information is for you. As you listen in, do your best to let go of any self judgements you may have about how you’re grieving. Please enjoy the information shared regarding this important topic. /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/27366378

Help for People That Have Suffered a Tragic Loss At a Young Age 06/02/2023

Help for People That Have Suffered a Tragic Loss At a Young Age Today I would like to share a guest interview with you. My guest is Bryan Jung and he created a platform for individuals who have lost a parent as a child or teen. It’s called “This Is Why” and it’s found online at thisiswhy.life. In our conversation, Bryan shares some of the trauma he and his family endured after tragically losing his father at 10 years old. He also shares some of the things that have helped and continue to help him cope when the waves of grief hit. Brian’s heart is in the right place and I’m grateful he made This is Why for people in need. If you need more support right now, download the Grief Refuge app for daily companionship, comfort, care, and compassionate suggestions for managing grief (on and ) /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/27029436

The Need to Voice Uncomfortable Things About Grief 05/01/2023

The Need to Voice Uncomfortable Things About Grief On this Grief Refuge podcast episode, Founder and Host, Reid Peterson, shares a guest interview with you. His guest is Barb Higgins and she has a helpful perspective on giving grief a voice. She shares her journey publicly on her “A Thousand Tiny Steps” podcast and Youtube channels. One of the things that really stands out about this interview is her visual analogies for some of the harder experiences in grief. It made a lot more sense to have a metaphorical image to visualize when talking about the complex emotions involved in handling death related loss. Barb’s insights can help validate you for being your true self as you grieve and heal. You no longer have to tell yourself you’re supposed to think or feel a certain way or that somehow you’re responsible for the comfort of others in your own grief. Enjoy the podcast episode. If you need more support, download the /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/26689758

Initial Responses to Grief and Loss 03/31/2023

Initial Responses to Grief and Loss On this new Grief Refuge podcast episode, Founder and Host, Reid Peterson, shares his thoughts regarding some of the initial responses and reactions to a death related loss. These include: Shock Numbness Denial Disbelief Repression Distraction Avoidance It’s tragic. Losing someone you love so deeply or someone who had such an impact on your life is very painful. It hurts in ways that some people can’t begin to describe. And even if you had a heads up that death was coming, you still may feel unprepared and overwhelmed with all of the emotions involved. Gain the needed insights and perspective from this unique and special episode. /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/26392527

Clinical Insights for a Grieving Spouse 03/01/2023

Clinical Insights for a Grieving Spouse Today’s episode is a sequel to Episode 64: As a Grieving Spouse… but today we hear the experience, perspective and support provided by a grief counselor. On today’s episode, Carol Goldfain Davis shares what she observed in Marv’s process as he experienced anticipatory grief, deep sorrow, and his journey for coping and finding his footing in life again. Carol’s empathy clearly speaks as she shares several reflections from Marv’s journey. It’s remarkable to know there are people on this planet who can show up for others in this way! Carol and Marv also collaborated to create the book, When the Rocks Sing, which is available for purchase on Amazon. If you need more support, download the for daily companionship, comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief (on and ) /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/26062671

As a Grieving Spouse 02/01/2023

As a Grieving Spouse This new Grief Refuge podcast episode is a story and conversation of love, loss, and repair. Repair in a sense of how a person with a broken heart got support and was able to put the pieces back together again. On this podcast episode, I interview Marv Weidner, a grieving spouse who authentically articulates his grief and healing journey. There’s so much beauty in this conversation because Marv speaks from his heart, is honest, and shares important things he experienced to aid in his healing. We hope this Grief Refuge podcast episode helps support you on your own grief journey. BONUS: This is Part 1 of a 2 Part series. In Part 2, you will hear insights and reflections from Marv’s Grief Counselor, Carol Goldfain. If you need more grief support, download the Grief Refuge app for daily companionship, comfort, care, and compassionate suggestions for managing grief (on and ) /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/25793649

Reducing Grief to Zero 01/02/2023

Reducing Grief to Zero Are you tired of people trying to fix your grief or judging you for feeling a certain way? If so, you will want to listen to this Grief Refuge podcast conversation with Stephenie Zamora. On this podcast episode, Grief Refuge founder, Reid Peterson, and Stephanie discuss the ways grief’s “Dark and Twisty” overwhelm someone experiencing loss and not knowing who they are right now, or who they are going to be when they get their grief bearings down. This is a truly authentic conversation about grief that we hope helps you put your own loss into words, helps you feel heard and understood, and gives you insights into the deeper and darker experiences and emotions of grief: disorientation, guilt, rage, recklessness, etc. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the for daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief. /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/25478901

How Grief Opens Doors to Communication on the Other Side 12/01/2022

How Grief Opens Doors to Communication on the Other Side It’s very rare to hear of someone who works as a Clinical Psychologist and has the gift of communicating with deceased loved ones. Today’s guest, Dr. Amy Robbins is that person. Dr. Robbins is a Psychologist in the Chicago area and has a powerful story of losing her aunt unexpectedly, grieving, and opening up to communication with loved ones who have crossed over. Dr. Robbins has a very practical approach to supporting people pained by loss. Her experience is very interesting and we hope you enjoy her story and reflections on loss, grief, and communication with loved ones on the other side. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the for daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief. /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/25181811

How to Cope with Losing a Loved One Twice 11/14/2022

How to Cope with Losing a Loved One Twice There are people who feel lost and alone because their grief journey is ‘a-typical’. Today’s guest interview with Candace Cahill is filled with her story about relinquishing her son, Michael, and then grieving the loss of his death. Candace shares several examples of what helped her work through her grief so that she no longer felt lost. Part of her process led to the writing and publishing of her book, Goodbye Again. If you’ve felt like you have lost someone twice, this interview is for you. Candace’s story is compelling and filled with hope for anyone feeling lost on their grief journey. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the for daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief. /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/24991524

What to Do When Grief Weighs You Down 10/14/2022

What to Do When Grief Weighs You Down Of the many descriptions for what grief feels like, a common one is “weight that holds you down.” This is hard and painful. No one really wants to feel this way. But it happens. And people struggle when they don’t know what to do when they feel this way. On today’s episode of the Grief Refuge podcast, Founder of Grief Refuge, Reid Peterson, shares some thoughts and reflections for what to do when grief weighs you down. The tips are simple and effective. Listen to the full episode to get guidance and help alleviate what is uncomfortable, hard, and painful. /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/24685167

Believing Everything Will Be Okay When You're Grieving 09/15/2022

Believing Everything Will Be Okay When You're Grieving Life’s curve balls can seem even more tumultuous when you’re grieving. Today, Shelley Knight shares her story about the loss of her stepfather, ‘Badger’, and how it impacted her to leave nursing, get back into education, and write a book for the grieving titled “Good Grief: The A to Z Approach of Modern Day Grief Healing”. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the for daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief (on and ). /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/24376743

Sharing Your Grieving Soul on Social Media 09/01/2022

Sharing Your Grieving Soul on Social Media There’s a risk in sharing grief and mourning on social media. The risk includes how vulnerable you feel and how that vulnerability is, or is not received. Negative comments may (and often do) happen, and when vulnerable, can cause a lot of pain and hurt. Is it helpful to share your grieving soul on social media? It’s a question that has a lot of different opinions and answers. On today's Grief Refuge podcast, Reid Peterson has a conversation with Dr. Serign Marong about his grief journey and how he took the risk to post parts of his grief journey on social media channels like Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube. This grief conversation is about as authentic as any grief conversation can be. Thanks to @serendipity.md (Dr. Serign's social medial handle) for articulating the ways in which his Soul had been broken and what he needed to do in order to put it back together again. If you need more grief support, download the Grief Refuge app for daily companionship, comfort, care, and compassionate suggestions for managing grief (on and ) /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/24227730

Staying Heart-centered Through Death and Loss 08/15/2022

Staying Heart-centered Through Death and Loss “Death is not a medical experience. It’s a human one.” That is a quote from Suzanne O’Brien, my guest for this Grief Refuge podcast episode. If you haven’t met Suzanne O’Brien, you’ll be glad you listened to this podcast episode. Suzanne is the Founder of Doulagivers, an organization that trains people who care for other people at the end of their life. Suzanne is a very passionate person who is here to help make the dying process more graceful. On this Grief Refuge podcast episode, Reid and Suzanne discuss many aspects of “bedside wisdom,” which are the qualities that help caregivers feel more aware, comfortable, and equipped to care for their dying loved ones. The conversation naturally flows from death to grief, helping you to gain more “grief wisdom.” I hope you enjoy the conversation and interview. Suzanne is filled with passion and sometimes just listening to someone like Suzanne is inspirational. If you need more grief support, download the Grief Refuge app for daily companionship, comfort, care, and compassionate suggestions for managing grief (on and ) /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/24053307

How to Sit With Stories of Death 08/01/2022

How to Sit With Stories of Death Long before I put my professional experience out on the air waves, I listened to the Grief Out Loud podcast. It’s hosted by Jana DeCristofaro and is produced at the Dougy Center. If you are not familiar with the Dougy Center, it is an organization in Portland, OR that provides support to grieving children, teens, and young adults. The Dougy Center is highly acclaimed for their work. In fact, many other organizations throughout the United States base their work off of the model provided by the Dougy Center. Today, I am proud to share my interview with Jana DeCristofaro from the Dougy Center. Our conversation entails Jana’s commitment to 20+ years of consistent efforts to de-stigmatize grief and grieving. I deeply respect Jana’s professional expertise. It was an honor to interview her. For more support and companionship on your grief journey, download the to get daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief (on and ). /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/23909028

What it Means to Be a Grief Companion 07/15/2022

What it Means to Be a Grief Companion Getting grief support can be a very difficult thing. You may find some available resources but they can come with strings attached. Often, people that are grieving feel like they have to be a certain way or they will be judged for what feels more authentic to them. Kind of like a “my grief must fit in this box in order to feel accepted in order to experience a sense of healing.” In order to heal and to re-integrate loss into life moving forward, grievers need to authentically express their emotions regarding their loss… And that includes all of the pains, confusions, and uncertainties just as much as the hopes, gratitudes, and rationalization to “move on.” On today’s Grief Refuge podcast, Reid has an authentic conversation with Marian Boyd, Co-Author of a six-book series for navigating loss and grief. Reid and Marian share their experiences and earned wisdom regarding what it means to be a grief companion. Grief companioning is special because it’s one of the few experiences that invites grievers to be their authentic selves. For more support and companionship on your grief journey, download the to get daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief (on and ). /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/23730857

Creative Ways Language is Used in Grief 07/01/2022

Creative Ways Language is Used in Grief Often in grief, the language used to support another is well intended but hard to receive. The language used to communicate is filled with cliches and platitudes that are painful to hear, not relatable at all, and frequently upsetting to people who are grieving. How can language be used to help grievers be more supported? And how do the supporters learn language that is authentic and helpful? On today’s Grief Refuge podcast, I interview and converse with Randi Wolfson, Author of the book Eddie's Brave Journey and writer of the popular social media page Grief and Grits. Randi shares more about her ways of navigating lifelong grief and how she writes to help both grievers and supporters of grieving persons. Randi is so kind and her writing is amazing. Please enjoy our conversation for it provides more support and deeper understanding for the grief experience. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the for daily comfort, care, and to feel soothed as you navigate your day-to-day living while experiencing grief (on and ) /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/23578493

A Comforting Resource for Pregnancy and Infant Loss 06/15/2022

A Comforting Resource for Pregnancy and Infant Loss As a parent, there are timelines that start long before your child is born. When you lose a child during pregnancy or infancy, the timelines often get dismissed and written off as “less than” losses by our society. TEARS is an amazing resource that provides financial and emotional support to families that want to honor their child and make sure they are never forgotten. On today’s Grief Refuge podcast episode, Reid interviews and converses with Kim Freeman, the AZ chapter leader for TEARS. Kim shares more about her personal story and the ways that TEARS helps families honor their child. This is a must listen to. Kim’s wisdom and compassion speak so eloquently. Please listen to our conversation for more support and deeper understanding. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the for daily comfort, care, and to feel soothed as you navigate your day-to-day living while experiencing grief (on and ). /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/23418446

Grieving the Loss of Someone You Didn't Like 06/01/2022

Grieving the Loss of Someone You Didn't Like There’s a term in grief support called “disenfranchised grief.” It means that your grief experience isn’t accepted or doesn’t fit in with the greater societal attitudes about how a death related loss is handled. In essence, disenfranchised grief stops you from feeling fully supported. When you don’t feel supported, the emotional pain progresses and you can feel more isolated and lonely. One aspect of disenfranchised grief is that of losing someone you didn’t like. Whether permanent or situational to the time of their death, it’s still disenfranchised. You’re less likely to get grief support when you grieve someone you didn’t like or for something (a type of relationship) you never had. On this episode of the Grief Refuge podcast, my guest Carol Schoneberg shares her perspective on the ways disenfranchised grief makes the process more difficult. Carol has grief counseled for over 30 years and continues to love her work each day. If you’ve felt lonely or isolated in your grief journey, perhaps your grief is being disenfranchised. Please listen to our conversation for more support and deeper understanding. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the for daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief (on and ). /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/23273012

How Relationships Change After Traumatic Loss 05/15/2022

How Relationships Change After Traumatic Loss For many, there’s a moment in grief when you realize the experience is much bigger than you. You realize grief can’t be bottled up, avoided, or even controlled. You realize that grief is better served by befriending it, giving it space to better understand, and expressing it by sharing it with other people who won’t judge you for feeling the way you feel. And then there’s trauma… Trauma breaks trust. It breaks trust with people, the world, nature, and sometimes even a higher power. On today’s Grief Refuge podcast, author and speaker Bill Jenkins shares what he’s come to know about traumatic loss and how it changes relationships. Bill offers a ton of insight for how to work through a traumatic loss while deeply grieving. Bill also shares his personal experience regarding the tragic and traumatic loss of his son, William. Deep gratitude and special thanks to Bill for sharing his knowledge and personal experience. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the for daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief (on and ) /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/23115164

How Complicated Relationships Impact Grief, Mourning, and Healing 05/01/2022

How Complicated Relationships Impact Grief, Mourning, and Healing In your grief, have you ever asked yourself “Who am I without my special person?” Have you thought about certain things that made your relationship complicated and how that might impact your grieving process? If so, you will love this guest interview with Kate Burns. On today’s Grief Refuge podcast, Kate opens up to share some of the hard truths about the loss of her mother and the journey she’s embarked on to embrace a self-identity that comes from within. I am deeply touched by Kate’s vulnerability, honesty, and insightfulness. This is a deep conversation that makes you think about the many complications we encounter in a relationship; even more so with someone who suffers from an addiction. To get more support for navigating your grief journey, download the for daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief (on and ). /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/22948010

Grieving Well, Actively Mourning, and Reclaiming Your Life 04/15/2022

Grieving Well, Actively Mourning, and Reclaiming Your Life In grief, some peoples’ hearts are broken so wide open, that as they get repaired, their hearts fill with compassion. So much so that the innate desire to help others grows and gets louder and louder until it seems like there’s no longer a choice. Something must be done to help. Today’s Grief Refuge podcast guest is Sadie Beyl. Sadie’s life plans changed forever when her husband Paul died only 3 days before they were scheduled to move from South Africa to Italy. Sadie shares parts of her story of loss, her desire to grieve well, and the process of reclaiming her life. She also shares an announcement for her upcoming Mourning to Light grief support summit. When you listen to the stories of other grievers, you gain perspective on how to reclaim your own life. It all helps to learn how to manage and navigate your grief journey. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the for daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief (on and ). /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/22785395

Yoga Therapy for Grief 04/01/2022

Yoga Therapy for Grief There are times when words just can’t explain what you are feeling. These are the times when your grief has too strong of a grip over you. These are also the times when moving your body to express your emotions is very helpful. The embodied movement helps to process grief, release tension, and help create internal shifts that make grief more manageable and bearable. Today’s Grief Refuge podcast guest is Breanna Stutheit. Breanna is a Yoga therapist in Canada and the creator of the Move with Grief yoga program. Breanna shares more of her personal story and the losses that guided her to the work she now does; as well as a deeper understanding into the body’s wisdom for healing grief. Stress, tension, and pain in the body are real. Often when felt, there isn’t something wrong with you but your grief may be the source of the discomfort. Hopefully, this interview and conversation with Breanna will help with understanding grief from a physical, emotional, and Spiritual perspective. If you need more support for your grief journey, download the for daily comfort, care, and compassionate inspiration to help manage grief (on and ). /episode/index/show/griefrefuge/id/22610702

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