This episode is sacred. It is for the woman who is carrying grief that does not seem to lessen with time — and is finally ready to be met in it instead of asked to move past it. MaKenzie sits down with Mercedes "Merci" Medina, a grief practitioner, trauma-informed hypnotherapist, death doula, and the founder of Morning House — a space for those learning how to live alongside their grief. After losing her father to suicide at 18, Merci came to understand grief not as a season to survive, but as a lifelong relationship that reshapes every part of life, time and time again. Through grief support, hypnotherapy, somatic practices, death work, and grief circles, Merci helps people face their grief in an open, honest, unmasked way — making room for the ugly and complicated parts that the world wants us to hide. MaKenzie and Merci share the profound bond of both losing their fathers to suicide, and their conversation goes exactly where it needs to. Merci opens up about growing up around death from a young age (her mother's parents died in a crash when her mom was five, leaving behind eleven children), the 15 years it took her to verbalize how her dad died, and the shame she carried trying to protect his image. She teaches that grief is not just sadness — it is anger, apathy, depression, and everything in between — and that trying to reframe or tone it down is what keeps us stuck. Together, they explore how community, being witnessed, and refusing to grieve alone are some of the most healing forces available to us, and Merci shares the powerful truth that the deeper we feel our grief, the more we can love our lives. If you have lost someone and still feel like something is wrong with you for not being "over it" — this conversation is your permission slip to stop rushing yourself. What We Cover Merci's relationship with death from a young age and how she built Morning HouseWhy grief has no timeline — no matter what society tells youThe 15 years it took Merci to verbalize how her dad diedThe shame of suicide loss and the work of releasing itWhy grief is not just sadness — it is anger, guilt, apathy, and depression tooThe vicious cycle of anger and guilt after suicide lossWhy trying to censor or reframe your grief in the moment keeps you stuckHow avoiding grief creates patterns in your relationships (staying too long, walls up, fear of being left)The healing power of being witnessed in communityWhy the deeper you feel grief, the more you can love your lifeChoosing different healing modalities beyond talk therapy — hypnotherapy, Reiki, EFT, and grief circlesWhy joy, play, and creativity are part of the grief work — not separate from itGrief circles and the surprising power of doing collages while sharing heavy stories Connect with Merci Instagram: @morninggrief.house TikTok: @morninggrief.house
