Grief Out Loud

The Dougy Center
  • 4.4 (35)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Remember the last time you tried to talk about grief and suddenly everyone left the room? Grief Out Loud is opening up this often avoided conversation because grief is hard enough without having to go through it alone. We bring you a mix of personal stories, tips for supporting children, teens, and yourself, and interviews with bereavement professionals. Platitude and cliché-free, we promise! Grief Out Loud is hosted by Jana DeCristofaro and produced by The Dougy Center for Grieving Children & Families in Portland, Oregon.

  1. When Grief and Trauma Collide – Christina Babich, MA

    FEB 3

    When Grief and Trauma Collide – Christina Babich, MA

    When Christina Babich's partner, Alex, died suddenly from a brain aneurysm while they were visiting his family in Italy, her world shattered in more ways than one. In addition to the grief of losing the person she loved and the future they were building together, Christina was also left to navigate the aftermath of a deeply traumatic event - one that profoundly impacted her nervous system, sense of safety, and identity.  In this episode, Christina shares what it was like to grieve a sudden, "out-of-order" death while also navigating the derealization, hypervigilance, and other ways the trauma of his death affected her. She talks about how being a "quasi widow" shaped the care and recognition she received and why platitudes about resilience and post-traumatic growth can sometimes feel alienating rather than supportive.  Christina also reflects on how her personal experience shaped her work as a psychologist specializing in grief and trauma, including the role of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), the pressure placed on people who are grieving to "transform" their pain, and the importance of being witnessed by someone who truly understands.  We discuss The difference between grief and trauma - and how they often coexist Derealization, PTSD, and nervous system responses after a sudden death What Christina means by "quasi-widow"  Why platitudes about strength and growth can feel harmful How Cognitive Processing Therapy was helpful for her Grieving lost identities, futures, and imagined lives  Finding connection with others who can relate  Living day-to-day when the future feels overwhelming  Connect with Christina  Website: https://www.christinababich.com/  Substack: christinababich.substack.com

    51 min
  2. Echoes Of Her - Adell Coleman On Grieving Her Mother & Finding Community

    JAN 26

    Echoes Of Her - Adell Coleman On Grieving Her Mother & Finding Community

    In this episode of Grief Out Loud, we talk with Adell Coleman about her mother who was killed when Adell was just 24 years old. Adell reflects on the closeness of their relationship and how her mom's death radically shifted her sense of safety in the world. She shares how the circumstances around her mother's death, including being the person who found her, has made it difficult to remember how her mom lived, without reliving how she died.  Adell also talks about what it's been like raising two daughters who never met their grandmother, but somehow carry her presence in surprising and meaningful ways. She reflects on anniversaries 14 years later, the exhaustion of grief, and how becoming the family "grief expert" interrupted her capacity to engage with her own grief.  The conversation closes with Adell describing how community, therapy, boundaries, and creative work - including her documentary and podcast, Echoes of Her: To Mom With Love - have helped her find language, connection, and space for her grief.   We discuss Losing a mother in young adulthood and feeling "not ready" to be an adult How violent death and trauma impact grief and memory  The challenge of accessing good memories when you are dealing with traumatic imagery  Parenting while grieving and helping children connect with a grandparent they never met  Anniversaries, emotional exhaustion, and grief over time  Becoming the family "grief expert" and having to put off personal grief  Finding community after loss and why the right support can take time  Creating meaning through storytelling, connection, and creative projects Adell's documentary and her new podcast, Echoes of Her: To Mom With Love  Connect with Adell Instagram: @iamadellcoleman  Podcast: Echoes of Her Threads: @iamadellcoleman Documentary: Echoes of Her: To Mom With Love Substack: On My Momma

    41 min
  3. Why Grief Isn't A Journey (And What It Is Instead) - John Onwuchekwa

    JAN 8

    Why Grief Isn't A Journey (And What It Is Instead) - John Onwuchekwa

    What if grief isn't a journey for us to eventually finish, but more a language we become fluent in? In this first episode of 2026, we talk with writer, storyteller, and social entrepreneur, John Onwuchekwa, whose life was profoundly shaped by the death of his brother Sam in 2015. John shares how Sam's death altered not just his relationships and priorities, but his understanding of grief itself.  Rather than framing grief as a journey with an endpoint, John offers a different metaphor: grief as a language that we learn over time, one with past, present, and future tenses. He explores how grief comes through not just in our words, but our bodies, our reflexes, and our relationships, showing up in ways we often don't consciously choose.  We discuss: The limitations - and harm - of common grief metaphors The shifts in John's priorities and perspective that occurred after Sam died  How loneliness often sits at the center of grief  The ways grief can show up in our bodies, before our minds understand what's happening Holding grief and hope at the same time  Connect with John  Website: https://www.johno.co/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jawn_o/?hl=en  We Go On: https://www.andwegoon.com/  Blog: https://www.johno.blog/   Podcast: Four In The Morning https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...   Portrait Coffee: https://www.johno.co/ventures#portrait

    44 min
  4. Time Keeps Moving, But She Doesn't: Mackenzie Galloway-Cole On Grief And New Year's

    2025-12-22

    Time Keeps Moving, But She Doesn't: Mackenzie Galloway-Cole On Grief And New Year's

    In the fall of 2023, Mackenzie Galloway-Cole was living out her rom-com-worthy love story with her wife Megan in New York City. Then, on an ordinary night in November, Megan collapsed and died a few hours later from a sudden cardiac event. In the aftermath, Mackenzie had to find her way in this newly shattered world without Megan, her anchor and biggest cheerleader.  Mackenzie reflects on the shock of becoming a young widow, the added layers of grief that come with queer partner loss, and the painful realities of navigating death care systems that often default to heteronormative assumptions. Together, Jana and Mackenzie talk about the isolating nature of sudden and unexplained death, the importance of finding people who "get it," and the ways time itself becomes a particularly painful aspect of grief. Mackenzie also shares why New Year's can feel like a uniquely brutal grief milestone, how absence accumulates as life continues, and how Megan's love still shapes the way she takes care of herself today. This conversation holds space for heartbreak, dark humor, love stories, and the not-so-quiet ways grief rewires daily life - especially when the person you most want to turn to is the one who died. In this episode, we discuss: The story of how Megan and Mackenzie met and fell in love Sudden death and the trauma of an ordinary day turning catastrophic The intersection of being a young, gay widow Navigating hospitals, funeral homes, and death administration as a queer spouse Why the small, everyday moments can hurt more than the big ones How the second Christmas can feel even harder than the first New Year's as a "sneaky" grief holiday How the choices you make in life can reflect and honor your person who died Mackenzie Galloway-Cole writes about grief at Good Gay Grief on Substack and can also be found on Instagram at @deadwifeclub

    50 min
  5. Brennan Wood On How Grief Is To Feel, Not Fix - Even At The Holidays

    2025-12-11

    Brennan Wood On How Grief Is To Feel, Not Fix - Even At The Holidays

    It's our annual holiday episode, this time with Dougy Center Executive Director and TEDx speaker Brennan Wood. Brennan first encountered Dougy Center after her mom, Doris, died of breast cancer three days after Brennan's 12th birthday. She has since navigated almost four decades of holiday seasons with grief along for the ride. She shares about the early years that were awful; the young-adult years she spent volunteering away from family; and how, as an adult, she's learned to hold both grief and joy while creating new traditions for her own family. Whether this is your first or 41st holiday season with grief, this conversation offers validation, tangible suggestions, and new ways to think about this time of year.   We discuss:  How attending a peer grief support group as a teen introduced Brennan to the idea that grief is to feel, not fix. Accepting that not everything has to be bright and shiny, especially during the holidays.   Recalling the first Christmas after her mom died and why it felt awful.  New traditions she's created as an adult with her own family.  Grounding rituals Brennan uses, especially during the holidays.   Why it's okay to be mad at holiday traditions you used to love.  Need additional tips and suggestions for this time of year? Check out our past episodes and our Holiday Grief Tip Sheet & Worksheet  It's Okay That It's Not the Same: Grief at the Holidays  It Can Be So Awkward: Holidays & Grief  The Not- Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Holidays & Grief  Grief And The Holidays   Under Pressure – Grief & December Holidays  Watch Brennan's TEDxPortland Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN4zP5baJrg Read her A Kid's Book About Grief - https://dougybookstore.org/products/a-kids-book-about-grief Learn more about Brennan - https://www.dougy.org/about/team-dougy/executive-director

    44 min
  6. Beyond Silence: Kyndal Parks On Honoring Her Grandfather & Advocating For Better Grief Support

    2025-12-04

    Beyond Silence: Kyndal Parks On Honoring Her Grandfather & Advocating For Better Grief Support

    When Kyndal Parks' grandfather died on Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving – she lost one of her biggest supporters and confidants. While navigating her grief, Kyndal was also navigating life as a college student where she often felt unseen in her grief by faculty and the wider institution. What began as a class assignment turned into a powerful audio piece about loss, legacy, and the urgent need for grief-informed spaces on college campuses, particularly at HBCUs where collective trauma, silence, and resilience intertwine.  In this conversation, Kyndal shares about her grandfather's extraordinary life - from his childhood in the 1940s, to living with a disability, to his time as a Black Panther, a gardener, a traveler, and the steady source of love that shaped her into the person she is today. She talks about the traditions they built together, how her grief shows up even from 2,000 miles away, and why vulnerability and community care are essential if we want to build environments where students who are grieving feel supported.   Kyndal also explores the cultural and historical patterns of grief in Black communities, the pressure to "push through," and her vision for a world where grief is met with connection, not silence.  We discuss: What made Kyndal's grandfather such an influential figure  How his death reshaped her understanding of family, holidays, and identity What grief looked like at her college, and within her family and community Why she created her audio piece and what she hopes listeners take from it  The need for vulnerability, community support, and grief-informed care at HBCUs and beyond  How her grandfather continues to guide her today  Check out News Ambassadors, the program that helped connect us with Kyndal and her audio piece.

    48 min
  7. Going To College With Grief - Loss In Young Adulthood

    2025-11-25

    Going To College With Grief - Loss In Young Adulthood

    When Hilary was 18, her oldest sister, Kelly, died from a rare cancer called DSRCT (desmoplastic small round cell tumor). In the same year, Hilary left for college and her parents divorced - three life-altering events that reshaped her relationships, sense of stability, and the early years of adulthood.  In this episode, we talk about: Growing up as the youngest of three sisters and the creative, nurturing bond she shared with Kelly  Navigating Kelly's diagnosis, treatment, and death while still in high school  Trying to appear "fine" in college while carrying immense grief  The ways her family dynamics shifted after Kelly's death and her parents' divorce  How grief continued to evolve across developmental stages, from early adulthood into her mid-30s  The unexpected moments - like baking bread or bringing home a new pet – that bring new waves of grief  How her experience shaped her work as a therapist supporting others in pain  Hilary also shares what she wishes she had known about grief at 18, how exhausting it can be, and how she learned to make space for grief that shows up differently over time.

    47 min
  8. The Friends We Make In Grief

    2025-11-14

    The Friends We Make In Grief

    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, Cassie reflects on what it means to come full circle - turning the care she received into care she now offers others.  We Discuss:  The early days and weeks after her dad's death How grief can be physically painful Finding connection and laughter in a support group Building lifelong friendships with people who "get it" Learning to make space for grief on purpose The importance of rituals and traditions What it's like to return as a volunteer to support children who are grieving The unexpected gifts of friendship Cassie's discovered in grief Learn more about Dougy Center's peer grief support groups and resources for Young Adults ages 18-40.

    45 min
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4.4
out of 5
35 Ratings

About

Remember the last time you tried to talk about grief and suddenly everyone left the room? Grief Out Loud is opening up this often avoided conversation because grief is hard enough without having to go through it alone. We bring you a mix of personal stories, tips for supporting children, teens, and yourself, and interviews with bereavement professionals. Platitude and cliché-free, we promise! Grief Out Loud is hosted by Jana DeCristofaro and produced by The Dougy Center for Grieving Children & Families in Portland, Oregon.

Information

  • Creator
    The Dougy Center
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    347
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Grief Out Loud

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