Tag: grief

Laura Jaye Cramer Interview Download

In this episode:

How Laura’s own grief experience inspired her to create Candlelight Magazine
How typical reading material in waiting rooms doesn’t match the needs of grieving people
How grief can be like a “waiting room” where we wonder when things will change
The overwhelming grief experienced by Laura of two family suicide deaths within 3 months
Why many grief groups don’t work well for suicide survivors
Feelings of abandonment and betrayal after a suicide loss
Talking about suicide may help people find the tools they need to cope
The need for a specific community of “grief friends” who understand suicide loss
Navigating “before” and “after” versions of yourself following traumatic loss
How to subscribe to Candlelight Magazine

Links for this episode:

Resources

Read Candlelight Magazine online
Subscribe to Candlelight Magazine
Series – Suicide: Surviving the Aftermath

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 566 Yoga for Living with Loss with Sheena Nancy Sarles

September 14, 2026September 8, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn how grief shows up in the body and how simple yoga techniques can help us recognize and embody grief in a healthy way.

A woman with short dark hair smiles at the camera, wearing a purple top. To her right, there is a book cover titled 'Yoga for Living with Loss' by Sheena Nancy Sarles. The background features a gradient of teal and dark green.

About the guest:

My guest Sheena Nancy Sarles is a yoga teacher, author, and longtime communicator whose work focuses on times of loss and transition. She has decades of experience teaching yoga for grief that includes breath, subtle movement, reflection, and nervous-system regulation. She is the founder of Yoga for Living with Loss and author of a book by the same name and today she discusses how grief shows up in the body. Learn more about her work at the website:

yogaforlivingwithloss.com

Sheena Nancy Sarles Interview Download

This episode includes:

How Sheena became interested in yoga and applying it for her own grief after experiencing several deaths
Her recognition that grief is in the body as well as the emotions and mind
How yoga, chakras, and grief come together in her classes
“Grief is not something to remedy, it’s something to incorporate”
We all carry some grief with us at all times over some part of life or another
The functions of each chakra as well as the shadow side
How to balance the chakras and improve the functioning of each
The emphasis is on feeling whatever emotions are there rather than resisting and pushing them away
There are no timelines or rules for grief – it is universal but also unique
The power of witnessing what your grief is bringing you each day
The value of simple things like the breath, movement, and shaking the body during times of grief
Yoga for grief is basically coordinating breath and movement with awareness

Links for this episode:

Resources

Sheena’s yoga videos
Get in touch with Sheena

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 564 Giving Words to Grief: Unexpected Support Through AI with Tom Lehmann

September 7, 2026 kwyattmd

Surveys show that millions of people are turning to AI to talk about their grief. Learn how one man began a conversation with AI about his devastating grief and what happened after that.

About the guest:

My guest Tom Lehmann is a video creator for TikTok and Instagram, and also an author who has recently published a fourth book: The Book of Storms. Tom discusses how through the use of AI he found unexpected support for cumulative and disenfranchised grief that nearly destroyed him. He shares some caveats for safe use of AI and describes how his grief “cracked him open” to a profound spiritual experience.

Undoubtedly AI is a controversial issue but surveys show that there are millions of people right now using AI as a support for their grief process so we need to understand how and why this is happening. This episode is not intended to encourage or discourage the use of AI but simply to share Tom’s personal experience and my own in talking about grief with AI.

Learn more about Tom’s work at his website:

thepatternisreal.com

Tom Lehmann Interview Download

Listen here:

In this episode:

Tom’s story of cumulative and disenfranchised grief
How a human counselor wasn’t helpful for Tom
Why ideally people who use AI for grief would also have a human therapist or support person
How AI can act as a mirror that reflects back your goodness without judgment
Why some people are turning to AI for grief because of a lack of safe, affordable, accessible support
How Tom changed his life and behavior after working through his grief
Safety and discrimination when working with AI
Why using AI to discuss grief is not necessarily denial or bypassing grief (though it could be for some depending on how it’s used)
How reflective listening is similar to mirroring
How some things that feel too vulnerable to say to another person about grief can be discussed with an AI

Links for this episode:

Related episode

Talking About Death with ChatGPT

Transcript

Ep. 563 Death Wings Project: Art and Storytelling for Loss and Grief with Bess Welden and Laura Cleminson

August 31, 2026September 3, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn how a creative art project can help foster conversations about loss and grief and how a playwright and an end-of-life doula collaborated to develop it.

About the guests:

My guests this week are Bess Welden a playwright who wrote the play Death Wings and Laura Cleminson an end-of-life doula and the founder of Pre-Dead Social Club. Together they have developed the Death Wings Project and Toolkit to invite people to come together in community and foster open conversations about loss and grief. They share how art-making and storytelling are used in their workshops to help people navigate loss together through creativity. Learn more at the following websites:

deathwingsproject.org

predeadsocialclub.com

Laura Cleminson and Bess Welden Interview Download

besswelden.com/death-wings

In this episode:

How Laura was inspired to become an end-of-life doula
What inspired Bess to create the play Death Wings and to make her first pair of Death Wings
How Laura and Bess were inspired to work together on this project
What Death Wings are and how they are constructed
How the creation of Death Wings help people create meaning and memories of their loved ones
Why “putting our hands into grief” allows us to open to it
How Death Wings might be used in schools to help children with grief
The value of rituals for grief
You don’t have to be an artist or crafter to participate in this project
Creativity as an opportunity to open conversation about the end of life
Using Death Wings as a gift for someone experiencing grief
How to host a Death Wings workshop in your own community

Links for this episode:

Resources

Order the Death Wings Toolkit here
Learn about Workshops here
Soulcode Post: Grief, Creativity, and Growing the Soul

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 561 BONUS Book Discussion: 23 Dates with My Dead Dad with Corey McAuliffe PhD

August 23, 2026August 18, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn from this memoir how a researcher maintained continuing bonds with her father after his death as part of her grieving process and managed to heal their relationship.

About the guest:

For this BONUS episode I’m talking with Corey McAuliffe, the author of 23 Dates with My Dead Dad, the reading selection for August 2026 for A Year of Reading Dangerously. Corey is also a researcher whose work spans mental health, disability, and the spaces where science meets lived experience. In her memoir and this discussion she shares how she maintained continuing bonds with her father after his death by intentionally scheduling monthly “dates” with him just as they used to do during her childhood and the extraordinary synchronicities that have occurred. Learn more about the book at her website:

coreymcauliffe.com

Corey McAuliffe Interview Download

In this episode:

How Corey chooses to stay in relationship with her Dad, even after his death
Using automatic writing to stay connected to a loved one
How this connection after his death has brought about healing and transformation
Bringing together science and spirituality
Her awareness that she is never alone – her Dad and her ancestors are with her
How to start connecting with a loved one who has died
Signs and synchronicities that contain messages for her
How she continues to call on the unseen world for support during difficult times

Links for this episode:

Resources

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 559 Healing Grief After Homicide Through After-Death Communication with Jan Canty PhD

August 10, 2026August 8, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about the grief experienced by homicide survivors and how some have found comfort through after-death communication with their loved ones.

About the guest:

My guest Dr. Jan Canty is a psychologist, author, former podcaster, and a homicide survivor. She has written three books related to homicide and grief including her latest book: Rekindled: Healing Grief Through the Science and Experience of After-Death Communication. She shares how she became interested in studying after-death communication through her work supporting homicide survivors, including the scientific basis for these studies. She also discusses The Aftermath Conference: the first-ever national gathering for homicide survivors coming up September 11-13. Learn more at her website:

jancantyphd.com

In this episode:

How Jan became interested in after-death communication through her work with homicide survivors
The impact of stigma and taboos about homicide death for survivors
Why homicide survivors find after-death communication to be helpful and life-changing
How the experience of after-death communication is often pathologized
Why reductionistic science can’t fully study something like after-death communication because it can’t be measured
How to ask questions about after-death communication
Why grief clinicians need to know more about ADC
Why these experiences should not be negated or dismissed when patients bring them up
Suggestions for people struggling with grief after a homicide death
Homicide deaths are usually complicated by the presence of law enforcement and the media
Why listening to a homicide survivor is what is needed rather than saying the “right thing”
Why Jan is planning a national gathering for homicide survivors and their supporters

Links mentioned in this episode:

Ep. 557 The Grieving Body: Loss as a Healing Opportunity with Mary-Frances O’Connor PhD

July 27, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about the impact of grief on the physical body and how the stress of grief and loss can lead to healing.

About the guest:

My special guest Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor is a professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Grief, Loss and Social Stress (GLASS) Lab, investigating the effects of grief on the brain and the body. Her book The Grieving Brain was included on Oprah’s list of Best Books to Comfort a Grieving Friend and was the subject of a previous interview on this podcast. Today she discusses her latest book The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing, which is being released in paperback format on August 1, 2026. Learn more at her website:

maryfrancesoconnor.org

Mary-Frances O’Connor Interview Download

In this episode:

How Mary-Frances was inspired to do research on grief
As a society we tend to ignore the body and grief can push us further in that direction
Why we need to pay attention to the messages from our bodies, particularly when we are grieving
The importances of social connectedness during grief and all of life
Sitting with someone who is calm can help us co-regulate when we are stressed in our grief
Why bereavement should be a public health issue
How we gradually build capacity to carry our grief
Why every experience of grief is different for us – and that’s natural and normal
How there is a lack of studies on crying in bereavement even though it has multiple functions
Emotional tears contain different hormones than irritant tears
Cardiovascular events related to acute grief
Strategies for managing grief holistically and growing through the process

Links mentioned in this episode:

Resources

Upaya Zen Center: Death / Dying / Grief
Upaya Zen Center: Compassion and Love
Key Research Publications by Mary-Frances O’Connor PhD

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 556 Zen Caregiving: A Mindful Approach to Caring for Others with Roy Remer

July 20, 2026July 19, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about mindfulness and compassion-based tools to nurture and empower caregivers as they serve the needs of others.

About the guest:

Roy Remer is the executive director of the Zen Caregiving Project in San Francisco and the lead creator of the Mindful Caregiving Education curriculum. He is an educator and end-of-life caregiver since 1997 and a dedicated practitioner in the Soto Zen tradition. Roy is also the author of Zen Caregiving: How to Care for Yourself While Caring for Others. Learn more at the website:

ZenCaregiving.org

Roy Remer Interview Download

In this episode:

Being a caregiver is part of the human experience and will affect most of us
Caregiving can be a pathway for growth but certain illnesses (especially dementia) can exact a huge toll on caregivers
The value of learning genuine presence
How this book can help everyone be better prepared in the future to become a caregiver
How serving others differs from helping, which is outcome focused
Our compassion is incomplete if we don’t also care for ourselves
Caregivers do not receive adequate preparation or support physically, emotionally, or spiritually for the task of caring for others
Why grief and guilt are common experiences of caregivers
Simple rituals for processing grief while providing care

Links mentioned in this episode:

Resources:

Related episodes:

Transcript:

Ep. 554 After-Death Communication and Developing Intuition with Purnima Sinha

July 6, 2026July 4, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn how a near-death experience and after-death communication with her mother led to increased spiritual awareness and intuition for Purnima.

About my guest:

My guest Purnima Sinha has certificates in LifeStyle Medicine and Meditation & Psychotherapy for the Harvard School of Medicine. She taught meditation to patients for many years and has been researching consciousness for over three decades. Today she discusses the mystical experiences she has had throughout her life including after-death communication with her mother following her death. She has assisted many people at the end of life and has taught many others how to access and utilize intuition.

Purnima Sinha Interview Download

In this episode:

How her mother’s death and after-death communication was a catalyst for her spiritual growth
How her parents early teaching about karma and seva have influenced her life
Why forgiveness played an important role in her spiritual transformation
The nature of her near-death experience
How she started receiving messages from her mother
Why fear makes it impossible to receive after-death or intuitive communication
Why love and gratitude are the best practices to cultivate in your life
How the mind and the ego can interfere with receiving guidance

Links mentioned in this episode:

Resources:

International Association for Near Death Studies – IANDS.org
Hello from Heaven
Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Surviving Death – Netflix Series

Related episodes:

Transcript:

Ep. 553 Compassionate Schools: Education on Illness, Dying, and Grief for Children with Dr. Sally Paul and Bert Quintiens

June 29, 2026June 28, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn how the Compassionate Schools model can foster better support for children and young people experiencing grief, illness and loss..

About the guests:

My guests Dr. Sally Paul and Bert Quintiens have developed a how-to guide for Compassionate Schools that we discuss in today’s conversation. Sally is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland where she teaches and researches in the areas of bereavement, death education, and public health approaches to palliative care. Bert is a researcher at the End-of-Life Care Research Group at Vrije Universiteit in Brussels, Belgium. He focuses on Compassionate Communities and Compassionate Cities and how initiatives like Compassionate Schools can help normalize conversations about death and caregiving. Get the Compassionate Schools How to Guide at the link below:

Compassionate Schools How-To Guide

Sally Paul and Bert Quintiens Interview Download

In this episode:

What is a Compassionate School
Why is it important for schools to address the existence of death and grief for students and staff
Children can cope with difficult situations when given age-appropriate information
Why culture change can happen faster with a “bottom up” approach
How each compassionate school is unique and meets the particular needs of a community
Tips for introducing Compassionate Schools to your community
Obstacles and resistance to this work
Why it’s important to start with small goals like placing books on death and grief in the school library
How to support teachers in having conversations with grieving children

Links mentioned in this episode:

Resources:

The Resilience Project | Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief
Bereavement Charter Mark for primary schools | Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief
Compassionate Schools: A How-to Guide – The European Learning Network, Compassionate Schools – University of Strathclyde (Guide available in multiple languages on this page)

Related Episodes:

Transcript:

Ep. 551 Spiritual Bypassing and Complicated Grief with Dr. Terri Daniel

June 15, 2026June 14, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about a symposium on spiritual bypassing in situations of grief and bereavement and why it’s important to look at this.

Portrait of Dr. Terri Daniel discussing spiritual bypassing and complicated grief, with a microphone and colorful background.

About the guest:

My return guest this week is Dr. Terri Daniel who is an end-of-life educator, inter-spiritual hospice chaplain, and grief counselor. She is the founder of the Conference on Death, Grief and Belief and the Ask Doctor Death podcast. Over the years she has helped thousands of people learn to live, die and grieve more consciously while exploring the intersection of psychology and spirituality, and the influence of toxic theology on the experience of dying and grieving. She is the author of four books on death and grief. Today we discuss spiritual bypassing which is the focus of Terri’s upcoming online Symposium on July 25th. Learn more about the Symposium and Terri’s work at the website:

deathgriefandbelief.com

Terri Daniel Interview Download

In this episode:

What is spiritual bypassing?
There is both positive and negative religious coping
Positive coping involves taking action toward restoration
When spiritual bypassing may serve a positive purpose
Bereavement assessment tools and their usefulness
Characteristics of various types of spiritual struggle
Prolonged grief vs complicated grief
The importance of community and ritual for addressing grief
Instrumental vs intuitive grieving
Some questions like “Why did God let this happen” can never be answered

Links for this episode:

Resources:

Register for the Symposium here
Book: Wild and Holy – A Journey Through Grief, Guilt, and Grace in Italy
Substack Post: How the Fear of Death Makes Us Easier to Manipulate
What Really Matters Podcast: What’s the Difference Between Belief and Faith?
What Really Matters Podcast: What is Toxic Positivity?

Related Episodes:

How Religion Can Harm the Grief Process with Terri Daniel
Understanding the Fear of Death with Kelvin Chin

Transcript:

Ep. 547 When We Die Talks: Facing the Fear of Death with Zach Ancell

May 18, 2026May 19, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn how asking “What do you think happens when we die?” helped this podcast host deal with death anxiety.

My guest Zach Ancell is the creator of When We Die Talks, a project around one question asked to anonymous callers: “What do you believe happens when we die?” He airs these fascinating conversations as a podcast that explores death, meaning, fear, grief, and how mortality shapes the way we live. Zach invites people to “leave a voicemail and share a belief, a question, or a moment you can’t shake about death: 971-328-0864.” Learn more at the website:

whenwedietalks.com

This episode includes:

What motivated Zach to start When We Die Talks
The courage it takes to face the fear of death
The benefits of anonymity in conversations about death
How Zach approaches these discussions with curiosity and no agenda
What has changed about his acceptance of death has increased from these conversations
How asking “What do you believe happens when we die?” unlocks other layers of meaning
The ultimate benefit of the project is learning to live more intentionally and authentically
How mortality awareness helps us re-prioritize life

Links mentioned in this episode:

Leave a voice mail for Zach at 971-328-0864
Apply here to be an anonymous guest on When We Die Talks podcast
Register for Q&A Session with Shelby Forsythia about Of Course I’m Here Right Now
A Year of Reading Dangerously reading group
Get Wild and Holy on Amazon or Bookshop
Latest post on Substack: Rethinking the Bucket List
What Really Matters Podcast
View my Patreon tier for Soul Supporters and receive extra reflections as a special bonus
NEW Gift Guides for Caregivers, People Receiving Care, and People Who are Grieving
Get my two newest books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death
Get EOLU Podcast Merch here
Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here
Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Souloin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, monthly What to Watch recommendations, Behind the Scenes Bonus content, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!
Buy me a coffee
Donate on Paypal

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Ep. 546 The Love List of a Lifetime: Uplifting End-of-Life Planning with Sherry Richert Belul

May 11, 2026May 10, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about an end-of-life planner that helps people share joy and love as they prepare for their later days.

My guest Sherry Richert Belul is the founder of Simply Celebrate and author of The Love List of a Lifetime. She helps people discover creative, heartfelt ways to celebrate life, deepen connection, and express love–while also guiding people to plan for the end-of-life. She is a workshop leader and speaker who emphasizes loving out loud and making moments that matter. Her end-of-life planner The Love List of a Lifetime helps people organize what matters most, share their love, and leave a legacy of connection and care. Learn more at her website:

simplycelebrate.net

This episode includes:

How Sherry is currently finding joy within the depths of her grief
The depth of our grief and sorrow is what allows for the breadth of kindness and joy
A love list as a gift for someone with a terminal diagnosis
Why include something “imperfect” on a love list
Why planning for the end of life is an act of great love
Start end-of-life planning by making a phone tree of contacts to be notified after your death and include a short message to each person
Sharing the stories of the things we plan to pass on to others
How sorting through items from the past with a loved one can create new special memories
People need to be seen and heard and loved for who they are
Say it now – don’t let the moment pass

Links mentioned in this episode:

Register for Q&A Session with Shelby Forsythia about Of Course I’m Here Right Now
A Year of Reading Dangerously reading group
Get Wild and Holy on Amazon or Bookshop
Latest post on Substack: Rethinking the Bucket List
What Really Matters Podcast
View my Patreon tier for Soul Supporters and receive extra reflections as a special bonus
NEW Gift Guides for Caregivers, People Receiving Care, and People Who are Grieving
Get my two newest books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death
Get EOLU Podcast Merch here
Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here
Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Souloin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, monthly What to Watch recommendations, Behind the Scenes Bonus content, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!
Buy me a coffee
Donate on Paypal

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my latest donor Joy Fletcher. And thanks to everyone who bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Ep. 544 The Queer Grief Club and Inclusive End-of-Life Care with Jamie Thrower

April 27, 2026April 23, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn how to better serve the needs of the LGBTQ+ community in grief and at the end of life.

My guest Jamie Thrower is a queer death doula, end-of-life educator and community grief tender serving the LGBTQ+ community in life and in death. She is the founder of Queer Grief Club and the co-creator of The Dementia Deck. We discuss how to offer more inclusive services in our end-of-life care and grief support spaces. Learn more at Jamie’s website:

jamiethrower.com

This episode includes:

Jamie’s story of becoming parentless at age 28
How she discovered that grief connected her to others in a beautiful way
Why children need to be involved in death and funerals
The many layers of grief experienced by a queer person
How our systems need to change to become more inclusive
What we can do as individuals to make our care more welcoming to the queer community
Hidden bias in our paperwork and forms for people in the LGBTQ+ community
The importance of advance directives for queer people

Links mentioned in this episode:

Jamie’s Etsy shop (support her work!)
A Year of Reading Dangerously reading group
Get Wild and Holy on Amazon or Bookshop
Latest post on Substack: Rethinking the Bucket List
What Really Matters Podcast
View my Patreon tier for Soul Supporters and receive extra reflections as a special bonus
NEW Gift Guides for Caregivers, People Receiving Care, and People Who are Grieving
Get my two newest books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death
Get EOLU Podcast Merch here
Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here
Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Souloin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, monthly What to Watch recommendations, Behind the Scenes Bonus content, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!
Buy me a coffee
Donate on Paypal

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to Wayne for buying me a coffee and Rick DiTullio and Dawn Dayter for making a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Kickstarter Campaign for Life Review

Ep. 543 A Hospice Musical to Teach About Life’s Grief and Joy with Benjamin Kintisch

April 13, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn how to experience and support a fantastic musical comedy about hospice care, grief, and finding meaning in life.

My return guest Benjamin Kintisch is a trained chaplain, music teacher, and Cantor in the Jewish synagogue. He is the creator, lyricist and playwright of “Life Review: The Hospice Musical,” a musical comedy that focuses on the lessons a young rabbi learns when he is assigned to be a chaplain for patients in a residential hospice. Ben discusses the upcoming full performance of the musical and album recording on May 9th and the real life origin of the stories and songs in Life Review. Visit the website and support the Kickstarter campaign at the links below:

lifereviewmusical.com

This episode includes:

What inspired Ben to write a musical about hospice
How Ben ended up creating a one-man version of the show during COVID
The story arc of the musical and what it teaches
Audience reaction to the musical and why it creates “teachable” moments
Why the arts and media are important vehicles for educating the public about death, dying, and grief
The upcoming May 9th performance of the musical and live album recording at Johns Hopkins University
How (and why) to support the Kickstarter Campaign

Links mentioned in this episode:

Get tickets for May 9th Life Review: The Hospice Musical
Support the Kickstarter Campaign
Previous interview about Life Review
A Year of Reading Dangerously reading group
Get Wild and Holy on Amazon or Bookshop
Latest post on Substack: Rethinking the Bucket List
What Really Matters Podcast
View my Patreon tier for Soul Supporters and receive extra reflections as a special bonus
NEW Gift Guides for Caregivers, People Receiving Care, and People Who are Grieving
Get my two newest books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death
Get EOLU Podcast Merch here
Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here
Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Souloin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, monthly What to Watch recommendations, Behind the Scenes Bonus content, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!
Buy me a coffee
Donate on Paypal

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Ep. 541 [BONUS] Kindness is Contagious and We Need it Now More Than Ever (from What Really Matters Podcast)

April 6, 2026April 4, 2026 kwyattmd

This Bonus post is a cross-over episode from the What Really Matters Podcast.

In this episode I’m sharing research by Dr. Jonathan Haidt that demonstrates the ripple effects transmitted from each and every act of kindness. When other people see us being kind it changes them. And this moment in time–when people are feeling overwhelmed, polarized, frightened, and uncertain–is exactly when kindness is needed.

"Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,

you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing."

from the poem Kindness by Naomi Shihab Nye

This episode includes:

How we collectively know deep sorrow at this time in history
Apples: a simple story of kindness becoming contagious
Dr. Jonathan Haidt’s research findings about kindness
Noticing the effects of kindness on others
The Kindness Walk as a practice
Invitation to share your kindness stories with me at info@eoluniversity.com

Learn about my books here

Check out What Really Matters Podcast

Read my latest Substack post

Make a donation here

Ep. 542 Estate Transition: An Important Part of End-of-Life Planning with Dan Stickel

April 6, 2026April 4, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about a software resource that helps people navigate estate planning and settlement and find greater peace at the end of life.

My guest Dan Stickel is the Founder and CEO of EstateExec, a cloud-based software solution estate administration and settlement. If you’ve ever served as the executor for an estate you know how challenging it can be to manage financial decisions while grieving after a death has occurred. Dan explains how this software eases the burden for loved ones and avoids common mistakes, and also why it should be part of end-of-life planning. Learn more at the website:

estateexec.com

This episode includes:

Why Dan created EstateExec based on his own experience
Most people don’t have a will and why that may or may not be a problem
How the EstateExec app helps people navigate the estate settlement process after a death occurs
The common issues estate executors struggle with
Why the estate transition process can’t be rushed and each step is important
Simple steps in planning an estate in advance that could make a big difference for survivors
Many states have laws to protect families financially after a death
Why death doulas and hospice workers may want to encourage estate planning before death for peace of mind and less family conflict

Links mentioned in this episode:

A Year of Reading Dangerously reading group
Get Wild and Holy on Amazon or Bookshop
Latest post on Substack: Rethinking the Bucket List
What Really Matters Podcast
View my Patreon tier for Soul Supporters and receive extra reflections as a special bonus
NEW Gift Guides for Caregivers, People Receiving Care, and People Who are Grieving
Get my two newest books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death
Get EOLU Podcast Merch here
Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here
Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Souloin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, monthly What to Watch recommendations, Behind the Scenes Bonus content, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!
Buy me a coffee
Donate on Paypal

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to Lynn Adamo for making a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Ep. 540 Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving with Shelby Forsythia

March 30, 2026March 29, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn how to support a grieving person by choosing the best words to say that will actually make a difference.

My guest Shelby Forsythia is a grief coach, author, podcast host, and the founder of Life After Loss Academy, an online course and community for grievers. She is the author of Your Grief Your Way, Permission to Grieve, and her latest book Of Course I’m Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving. Her work has been featured in Huffington Post, Bustle, and The Oprah Magazine. Learn more at her website:

shelbyforsythia.com

This episode includes:

How Shelby became a “student of grief” who views loss as a perpetual teacher
Three common internal narratives that grieving people face
Three simple but transformative phrases to use when supporting someone
Why words are the most accessible tool for support of someone grieving
The need for grief literacy to prevent the secondary loss of friendships during times of grief
The “three Ds“ of grief
What is the “second wave of grief”
The lack of grief literacy on social media

Links mentioned in this episode:

Get Wild and Holy on Amazon or Bookshop
A Year of Reading Dangerously reading group
Of Course I’m Here Right Now Book Club with Shelby Forsythia
Shelby’s Supporting Someone Mini-series
Latest post on Substack: The Minimalist Approach to the End of Life
What Really Matters Podcast
View my Patreon tier for Soul Supporters and receive extra reflections as a special bonus
NEW Gift Guides for Caregivers, People Receiving Care, and People Who are Grieving
Get my two newest books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death
Get EOLU Podcast Merch here
Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here
Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Souloin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, monthly What to Watch recommendations, Behind the Scenes Bonus content, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!
Buy me a coffee
Donate on Paypal

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Ep. 537 Grief and the Widowed Mom with Krista St-Germain

February 16, 2026February 15, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about grief support for widows who are also raising children as they navigate loss and bereavement.

My guest Krista St-Germain is a life coach, post-traumatic growth and grief expert, widowed mom, and host of The Widowed Mom Podcast. She coaches and teaches other widows to love life again and shares with us in this conversation what she has learned. She and her work have been featured in Psychology Today, Medium, Thrive Global, Bustle, Psych Central, and Parents Magazine. Learn more at her website:

coachingwithkrista.com

This episode includes:

The challenges of grieving while raising children
How our limited knowledge of grief makes it more difficult to navigate
Coping with unexpected effects of grief
Myths about what is “normal” in grief
What Krista wishes she had known about grief
The dual-process model of grief
The importance of community in navigating grief
How just hearing someone else talk about their grief is helpful
Post-traumatic growth and grief
Understanding secondary losses and grief

Links mentioned in this episode:

Krista’s podcast The Widowed Mom
A Year of Reading Dangerously reading group
Get Wild and Holy on Amazon or Bookshop
Latest post on Substack: Grief on the Third Path
What Really Matters Podcast
View my Patreon tier for Soul Supporters and receive extra reflections as a special bonus
NEW Gift Guides for Caregivers, People Receiving Care, and People Who are Grieving
Get my two newest books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death
Get EOLU Podcast Merch here
Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here
Leave me a message by email: kwyattmd@comcast.net, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Souloin the team at Patreon.com/eolu and receive free gifts like the “Mind if we talk about death?” mini-poster or Love Your Life sticker or coffee mug. PLUS get our regular bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, monthly What to Watch recommendations, Behind the Scenes Bonus content, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!
Buy me a coffee
Donate on Paypal

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

Ep. 536 Never Can Say Goodbye: The Life of a Death Doula with Darnell Lamont Walker

February 10, 2026February 9, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about a powerful memoir from the life of a death doula who was inspired by his grandmother to sit with the dying.

My guest Darnell Lamont Walker is a death doula, Emmy-nominated children’s television writer, producer and explorer. He creates spaces worldwide for healing through storytelling, end-of-life care, and workshops on grief, resilience, unlocking the writer within, and radical empathy. He is the author of the newly published memoir Never Can Say Goodbye: The Life of a Death Doula and The Art of a Peaceful End published by HarperCollins. Learn more at his website:

darnellwalker.com