Good Grief with Nikki the Death Doula

A couple of death doulas have recently been challenged on their work. What does that mean for the rest of us?

Thank you for your patience as I had no time for a full episode. But I didn't want to leave you with nothing!

An episode dedicated to just hospice! What is it, what is it not?! Why are so many people scared of the word itself. Let’s dive in.

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We love our furry companions and they love us too. So much so they feel grief as much as we do! How can we support them in their grief? Let’s talk about it!

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I’m always saying we need to take care of ourselves and give ourselves some breaks when we can. Well here are 7 GREAT ideas for some self care and connection.

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I had a great conversation with my long time friend Tori about her struggles with chronic disease and pain and the grief involved in losing the life you one thought you’d have.

This week a lovely conversation with a fellow death doula, Emily who shared her story of the grief associated with the ending of her marriage. We talk divorce, pet loss, woo-woo and everything in between! (TW: small mention of pet death)

You can find Emily here:

Everyone’s two most favorite topics!! (Don’t worry no politics here) But unfortunately these go hand in hand. So buckle up buttercup, we’re gonna get some tips on how to handle the green before you’re under the green. See what I did there?

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This week my dear friend Andrew from Our Last Meal and I are doing a little feed swap. I really love his show and appreciate him and what he's doing and want to share it with all of you. Andrew is a kind and compassionate man who helps people share their stories of grief, love and the meals we share. Please check him out at https://www.ourlastmeal.com. He's on all the socials at @ourlastmealpod

I am often asked “what do I say to them?!” when a loved one is dying. Or “can they hear me?” Let’s find out the answers to these and other questions about approaching someone who is dying.

I sat down to have a great conversation with another grief specialist, Hope Reger of Grief2Hope. She shares her story of how she turned tragedy into an opportunity to help.

You can find Hope here:

What happens when an expected death comes suddenly? Was it expected or not? Let's discuss this paradox a bit. Mentioned in the episode:

We're all a little scared of dying. Heck, I face it all the time and it still scares me! It's normal. But how can we cope with this innate fear?

Another look back at a prior episode! I say it at the top of every episode.  So what is it I do?  We'll take a quick break from grief to learn more about this quasi-new profession and what it means.

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A look back at a prior episode.

Grief actually plays a big role in recovery from addiction.  But can also big a big cause.  Let's dive in!

We're going about grief all wrong. What can we do to improve our outlook on love and loss?

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I know, talking about death stinks, but we HAVE to do it!! Why? Let's find out.

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It's uncomfortable. It's awkward. But we need to have these conversations with our parents and elder loved ones.

Mentioned in the episode: https://theamateursguide.com/2023/11/29/6-uncomfortable-but-necessary-questions-to-ask-your-older-parents/

A look back at my episode from last year. The holidays can amplify our grief. How can we cope with loss during "The most wonderful time of the year"?

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I had a great conversation with my dear friend Kari, the music therapist.

Kari O'Briant has been practicing as a board certified music therapist for more than 13 years. She has worked with a variety of clinical populations in that time; currently she supports individuals and families in early intervention and pediatric palliative care. Originally from Virginia, Kari received her bachelor's in music therapy from Radford University and her master's in music therapy from Temple University. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, son, and best dog Reshi.

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I talk a lot about honoring our loved ones to remember them after they are gone. But what does that look like? What can we do?

I was so happy to bring Andrew back on for another great conversation. Andrew discusses the loss of his grandmother, her cornbread, and the impact of her on his family.

You can find Andrew and his amazing podcast here: https://www.ourlastmeal.com

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Grief can do a number on our minds, but it can affect us physically too! Let's talk about it.

I had another beautiful conversation with Kami of the new non profit here in Columbus, Let the Light In, on pregnancy loss. Obviously TW: pregnancy loss and miscarriage.

You can find All the information you want about Let the Light in here: https://www.ltli.org And please note Giving Tuesday is 11/28! We'd love your support to help grow this very needed organization. You can donate right here: https://givebutter.com/l621zz

What is grief like months or years down the road? How does it change over time? Let's find out!

A little rewind for you today, as it felt appropriate to re-air this on the day before dia De Los Muertos! What is Day of the Dead?  Let's learn about a beautiful annual celebration honoring those we've lost.

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Are you dealing with aging parents along with children and maybe even grandchildren? Well welcome to the crappiest generation! Let's discuss what it means to be here and what we can do to alleviate some of the stress.

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If you're a pet parent eventually you may be facing this decision and it's not always straightforward. But we can at least make an informed decision.

I had an AMAZING conversation on grief and faith withe Nicole. She's a burnout coach with a history in ministry. Nicole Havelka:

Feeling gratitude during grief feels weird, doesn't it? Do you ever feel a little bad about feeling grateful for things when you've suffered a loss? That's perfectly normal and ok!! Let's talk about.

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Felicity is a professional Cuddler! And in this new world of social distancing, human contact is more precious than ever. Let's hear all about it.

You can find Felicity's podcast here:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0VNEwimEff336jFTdRKAmP?si=21b21eeafb44406b

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Dr Jaydee tells us all about his relationship with his father and how it lead to his path to becoming a Doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

You can find more on Dr Jaydee and his practice here:

https://freestylehealing.com/

You hear me talk a lot about how I love nature and the outdoors. Studies have shown it can boost your mood! But how?

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Almost everyone will say they'd rather die at home in their own bed. How feasible is this and what all makes it possible? It's not as simple as you'd think!

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I wanted to re-post my most popular episode this week!

It's hard to find the right words sometimes, isn't it?  How do you talk to someone who is grieving without sticking your foot in your mouth?  Let's talk about it!

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/14/smarter-living/what-to-say-and-what-not-to-say-to-someone-whos-grieving.html

Tommy, from the Post Humpday Podcast shares his amazing journey through addiction, loss, grief and sobriety, and what life after all this is like.

Check out the PHD podcast!

Angelina is no stranger to loss, losing both her grandfather and father to same disease. We talked about love, loss and what it's like to have a big Italian family.

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What is collective grief? And what can we do about it? Let's find out!

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Angry about your loss? Totally ok. Feeling a little ragey somtimes? That's ok too!! Anger can be good for us. Let's find out why.

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Bekah of The Yooman Podcast and I had a beautiful conversation about the sudden death of a dear friend and delaying grief.

TW: There are mentions of suicide in this episode.

I sat down and had a lovely conversation with a beautiful soul who endured SO much. We discussed broke families, abusive relationships, sibling loss and coming out on the other side.

Stop trying to heal your grief! Wait, what?

This week we're diving into the interesting phenomenon of shared death experiences and how they impact grief.

Mentioned in the episode:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33813876/

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2014/12/us/shared-death/#:~:text=Symptoms%20of%20a%20near%2Ddeath,bed%20coincidences%2C%E2%80%9D%20researchers%20say

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We all seek comfort, it's instinct. But can we have too much? Let's find out!

Another subject under the giant umbrella of disenfranchised grief. Megan talks about the traumatic and sudden loss of her stepchild, the painful stereotyping of stepmothers, and learning to cope with PTSD. I cannot thank Megan enough for sharing her story.

Mentioned in the episode: check out our good friends at It's All Been Done Presents https://www.iabdpresents.com/radio-hour-podcast

Sometimes some knowledge about scary things can make them less scary and take the sting out of grief. So let's look at some common myths about dying.

Mentioned in the episode: https://www.today.com/health/hospice-nurse-common-misconceptions-death-rcna88538

Sorry!!! I don't have a new episode this week so here is one of my faves back from my early days.

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Failure to plan is planning to fail. Getting a plan in place for those bad days can really lessen the blow. Let's make our plan!