Grief is a Language ™ with John Onwuchekwa

John Onwuchekwa
  • 5.0 (11)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Grief Is A Language™ is a podcast about grief, loss, love, loneliness, healing, and what it means to be human. Hosted by John Onwuchekwa, each episode weaves together powerful stories, conversations, and insights from psychologists, neuroscientists, artists, authors, comedians, and everyday people navigating loss. Together, they explore grief in all its forms—from the death of a loved one to divorce, friendship, identity, illness, and the life we imagined but never got to live. Because grief isn't a journey to finish. It's a language we learn.

  1. Sep 24

    Tembi Locke on the Grief You Can’t Escape and the Beauty You Can Create

    Tembi Locke shares how widowhood changed her relationship with grief and inspired From Scratch. Using grief as a rock in the road, she explains why she stopped trying to get around her loss and instead learned its shape, lived beside it, and eventually used it as raw material to create something new. RESOURCES: Tembi Locke  Website | tembilocke.com IG | @tembilocke John Onwuchekwa  Website | johno.co  IG | @jawn_o Grief Is A Language is produced by EPYC Media Network

  2. Sep 21

    9: When a Writer Can’t Find the Words for Grief: From Scratch Author Tembi Locke on Widowhood

    In this episode of Grief Is A Language, John Onwuchekwa sits down with Tembi Locke for a beautiful conversation about grief, language, memory, writing, love, and the slow work of turning loss into something that can hold meaning. Together, they explore why grief is not something to rush, fix, or “move on” from, but something we learn to speak with more honesty, patience, and tenderness. Tembi reflects on writing through the loss of her husband, the loneliness of not having words for grief, the friends who could and could not meet her in it, and how memoir became a way to reclaim a painful story with beauty and care.  “Grief was my first time where I had no words.” – Tembi Locke  This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt silenced by loss, rushed toward hope, or unsure how to explain the ache living inside their body. It is a reminder that grief has its own language, its own timeline, and sometimes, its own kind of beauty. KEY POINTS - Grief often begins where language ends. - Tembi shares how writing helped her “alchemize” grief into meaning. - John explains why grief is not a journey with an ending…  - They unpack why rushing people toward hope can do more harm than good. - Tembi reflects on losing friends who could not understand the pace of her grief. - Grief has a body language, heart language, and silence. - Memoir becomes a way to reclaim trauma, memory, love, and identity. - Beauty can make grief less frightening to approach. - Healing often requires patience, precision, boundaries, and permission to move slowly. QUOTES  “I was writing to better understand my own experience.” – Tembi Locke  “If we don't have language for grief, we kind of don't know what we're doing.” – Tembi Locke  “Grief is a language aimed at connection.” – John Onwuchekwa “I've got to befriend and get to know this thing that is now a part of my path.” – Tembi Locke  “The problem with both grievers and comforters is that we live in a world that is very impatient when it comes to our grief.” – John Onwuchekwa RESOURCES: Tembi Locke  Website | tembilocke.com IG | @tembilocke John Onwuchekwa  Website | johno.co  IG | @jawn_o Grief Is A Language is produced by EPYC Media Network

  3. Sep 16

    Why We Police Our Own Emotions While Grieving

    Grief and joy are often treated like opposite emotions, but what if they can exist at the same time? John Onwuchekwa and Jessica Hurley unpack the “shoulds” we place on grief, why we police our own emotions, and what it means to let grief and joy intersect. RESOURCES: Jessica Hurley  IG | @jessicahurley__ John Onwuchekwa  Website | johno.co  IG | @jawn_o Grief is a Language™ is produced by EPYC Media Network

  4. Sep 14

    8: Anticipatory Grief: Learning to Live While You’re Waiting for Loss with Jessica Hurley

    In this deeply reflective episode of Grief Is A Language™, John Onwuchekwa is joined by EPYC Media Network’s founder and producer Jessica Hurley for a conversation about anticipatory grief, ambiguous loss, joy, purpose, patience, and the loneliness that often accompanies them all. Jessica shares what it was like watching her newborn fight for his life in the NICU, caring for her father through stage four cancer, navigating divorce, and wrestling with the guilt of experiencing joy while carrying grief. Together, she and John explore why grief and joy aren't opposites, why purpose can't be rushed, how patience changes the meaning of suffering, and why people don't need silver linings nearly as much as they need someone willing to stay with them. They also unpack why healing isn't a destination, why hope creates the patience we need to endure, and how learning the language of grief can transform the way we experience every form of loss. KEY POINTS 00:00 - Introduction  02:36 – Grief and joy can exist at the same time. 04:14 – Why grief makes us afraid to experience joy. 08:43 – Grief and joy aren't opposites; they intersect. 15:16 – Stop trying to assign purpose too soon. 17:18 – Patience is the missing ingredient in grief. 28:01 – Healing isn't something you finish. 38:52 – People don't need silver linings; they need presence. 50:51 – Stories create hope because our stories aren't over. 56:19 – Purpose grows like a plant, not a building. 01:15:08 – Leave space for the "almost" in your story. QUOTES  "The only person that's shaming me is me." – Jessica Hurley "People don't need silver linings. People don't need the lights on. People need something to address the deeper problem, and it is the loneliness that they feel." – John Onwuchekwa "The wealth of my experience has been the hardest grieving moments." – Jessica Hurley "The healthiest people that I know tend to use “heal” in the present tense. I am healing and I am healthy. I am not healed." – John Onwuchekwa   RESOURCES: Jessica Hurley  IG | @jessicahurley__ John Onwuchekwa  Website | johno.co  IG | @jawn_o Grief is a Language™ is produced by EPYC Media Network

  5. Sep 10

    She Hid Her Pregnancy for 20 Years. Here’s What Shame Did to Her Identity | Dr. Zoe Shaw

    Psychotherapist Dr. Zoe Shaw shares how becoming pregnant at 15, being sent away to a pregnancy home, and hiding the adoption of her first daughter shaped decades of complex shame. She explains why achievement became a way to outrun her past, why shame eventually caught up with her, and what it took to begin separating shame from her identity. GUEST RESOURCES:  Dr. Zoe Shaw Website| drzoeshaw.com IG | @drzoeshaw RESOURCES: John Onwuchekwa  Website | johno.co  IG | @jawn_o Grief Is A Language is produced by EPYC Media Network

  6. Sep 7

    7: Complex Shame™: How Unprocessed Grief and Guilt Shape Your Identity with Dr. Zoe Shaw

    Grief is like a shadow that follows you, waiting to meet you when you think you've outrun it. In this pilot episode of Grief is a language, host John Onwuchekwa welcomes Dr. Zoe Shaw to unveil the complex landscape of grief, offering a transformative perspective on emotional healing.  Dr. Zoe highlights complex shame as a deeply personal experience that goes beyond traditional understanding, revealing how trauma and unresolved guilt intertwine with identity. Grief is described as a non-linear journey that cannot be outrun—but must be embraced with vulnerability and self-compassion. Together, Dr. Zoe and John explore how individuals can recognize and process their deepest feelings. They delve into personal stories of hidden pain, demonstrating how speaking one's truth can be a powerful act of liberation. Let’s start navigating the hard truths and use these stories to enlighten us, instead of defining us. Tune in. KEY POINTS 00:00 – The difference between simple shame and complex shame 01:18 – How grief transforms our understanding of self 05:43 – The connection between complex shame, validation, codependency, and emotional connection 07:49 – The story behind Dr. Zoe’s work on shame and grief 10:00 – When grief becomes tied to identity 12:03 – Dr. Zoe’s personal story of shame and carrying a secret for decades 17:52 – Book discussion: You Are Your Best Thing and understanding complex shame 20:31 – How grief can create courage and the beginning of freedom 31:40 – Naming feelings and using language to separate yourself from your emotions 36:41 – Self-compassion, acknowledging feelings, and navigating emotional vulnerability 43:17 – Shame around anger, relief, joy, and societal expectations in grief 48:00 – Navigating grief through relationship dynamics and attachment styles 51:03 – How grief impacts intimate relationships and shared priorities 54:37 – Finding healing, freedom, and learning not to run from grief 56:46 – Moving from hiding to freedom through acknowledgment and expression QUOTES  “Grief is not something that ends. I think we can have a healthy relationship with grief.” – Dr. Zoe Shaw “When we hide, it feels good in the moment, but it will come back to get us.” – Dr. Zoe Shaw “Don't run. It's okay to sit and grief feels like it's this thing, this deep, dark pit that you're going to fall into that will never end.” – Dr. Zoe Shaw “Forgiveness is giving up all hope of a better past.” – Dr. Zoe Shaw “We talk to ourselves more than we talk to anybody else, and we talk to ourselves more than anybody talks to us.” – Dr. Zoe Shaw GUEST RESOURCES:  Dr. Zoe Shaw Website| drzoeshaw.com IG | @drzoeshaw RESOURCES: John Onwuchekwa  Website | johno.co  IG | @jawn_o Grief Is A Language is produced by EPYC Media Network

  7. Sep 3

    Why This Hospital Chaplain Stopped Trying to Fix People’s Grief

    Hospital chaplain Joon Park explains how to support someone who is grieving without trying to fix their pain. He and John explore why grief has no timeline, how well-intentioned advice can add another burden, and why quiet presence may be what a grieving person needs most. GUEST RESOURCES:  J.S. Park Website | jsparkblog.com IG | @jspark3000  RESOURCES: John Onwuchekwa  Website | johno.co  IG | @jawn_o Grief Is A Language is produced by EPYC Media Network

  8. Aug 31

    6: What Witnessing 1,000 Deaths Taught Hospital Chaplain Joon Park About Grief, Faith and Loneliness

    Some people catch dreams, but others catch grief — holding space for pain, honoring loss, and ensuring no one suffers alone. Today, host John welcomes Joon Park, a hospital chaplain who has witnessed over 1,000 deaths, for an insightful conversation about being a “grief catcher.” As the author of the book "Take As Long As You Need: Permission to Grieve", Joon shares his unique approach of providing presence and space for those experiencing profound loss, emphasizing that grief is not something to be fixed but to be witnessed. He explores the complex emotional landscape of supporting individuals through their most challenging moments, revealing how chaplains create safe spaces for authentic grieving.  Their conversation also delves into the importance of storytelling, the power of human connection, and how simply being present can be more healing than offering solutions. Joon challenges traditional notions of grief support — giving emphasis on the need to make room for all emotional responses, whether that means singing, crying, or expressing anger.  Don't miss this powerful episode about compassion, vulnerability, and the sacred work of accompanying people through their darkest times. Discover how Grief Is A Language through the profound art of being a grief catcher and how we can all learn to support each other more meaningfully during loss. KEY POINTS 00:00 – Joon Park’s work as a hospital chaplain and “grief catcher.” 05:29 – How Joon still finds laughter after witnessing over 1,000 deaths. 08:53 – Why grief needs presence instead of fixing. 13:06 – Walking beside someone through the darkness. 14:52 – How grief clichés can add another burden. 21:07 – Creating space for every expression of grief. 23:34 – Helping someone without trying to solve their pain. 31:29 – Why chaplains must release the need for answers. 37:29 – Making room for anger, rage and unexpected grief responses. 53:18 – Carrying the grief home and becoming a safe person. QUOTES  “Grief catching is also when the expressions of grief, the pain, the sorrow, the gravity of the loss, are so much that I'm vicariously absorbing all the pain that they're experiencing.” – Joon Park “When we sit with somebody who's grieving, when we see someone's loss, it always reflects back to ourselves mortality and loss, that the abyss is really coming for us all.” – Joon Park “The unbearable can be made slightly more bearable if you have someone to bear with you.” – Joon Park "Every diagnosis has a name... except for loneliness." – Joon Park “Through the gears of this machine that doesn't stop, we can find each other. We can reach through those gears, and we can stretch out our hands for one another.” – Joon Park GUEST RESOURCES:  J.S. Park Website | jsparkblog.com IG | @jspark3000  RESOURCES: John Onwuchekwa  Website | johno.co  IG | @jawn_o Grief Is A Language is produced by EPYC Media Network

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5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Grief Is A Language™ is a podcast about grief, loss, love, loneliness, healing, and what it means to be human. Hosted by John Onwuchekwa, each episode weaves together powerful stories, conversations, and insights from psychologists, neuroscientists, artists, authors, comedians, and everyday people navigating loss. Together, they explore grief in all its forms—from the death of a loved one to divorce, friendship, identity, illness, and the life we imagined but never got to live. Because grief isn't a journey to finish. It's a language we learn.

Information

  • Creator
    John Onwuchekwa
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026

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