December 23, 2019
Liz Diaz is the Graphic & Hand Lettering Artist behind Heart of Mercy Design which she began after losing her Mother (Mercy) 3 years ago. In this space, Liz is using her art to build community and provide comfort after loss. Liz has had the opportunity to collaborate with organizations such as Stand Up To Cancer, Stupid Cancer, & Susan G. Komen to help raise awareness in the grief and cancer communities through her art, and is currently producing content for her series, The ABC's of Grief on Instagram (@HeartOfMercyDesign) where each letter of the alphabet represents a word associated with grief.
In this episode we talk about the death of her mother, starting Heart of Mercy Design, using art and words to work through loss, ABC’s of Grief, grieving over the holidays, and grief dreams of her mother.
December 15, 2019
Debi Wobbe recently retired from 35 years as a Dental Assistant in Northern California. She currently speaks about her experience as the mother of a heart and kidney transplant recipient, and as a survivor of the wildfire destruction of her home and her town, Paradise.
In this episode we talked about waiting for organs for her daughter, the realization of getting organs through a death, meeting the mother of the donor, her house and town burning down, dreams of her old home, and grief dreams of her parents and the organ donor.
December 5, 2019
Suzanne Falter is an author, speaker, blogger and podcaster who has published both fiction and non-fiction, as well as essays. Her essays have appeared in O Magazine, The New York Times, Elephant Journal, Tiny Buddha and Thrive Global among others. Her newest book is titled The Extremely Busy Women’s Guide to Self-Care. Suzanne speaks about self-care and the transformational healing of crisis, especially in her own life after the death of her daughter (Teal).
In this episode we talk about life before and after the death of her daughter, her daughter, learning to slow down and be patient, donating Teal’s organs, the importance of self-care over the holidays, and her multiple grief dreams of her daughter.
You can find more about Suzanne at www.suzannefalter.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.
November 21, 2019
Marlie Rowell is a sassy word/mixed media artist, author, & lecturer. Her life changed after she became a suicide widow. She is now the self-proclaimed queen of suicide widow etiquette reformation.
In this episode we talk about her life with her husband, her husband’s depression, the stigma around mental illness, her husband’s suicide, the stigma around suicide, finding proper support, and her multiple grief dreams during 'night school'.
You can find more about Marlie here: www.suicidewidowetiquette.com
![E139 - Ryan Weaver - Military Aviator to Country Music Artist]()
November 6, 2019
Ryan Weaver is an All-American, rockin’ country music artist who proudly served as an active duty Black Hawk Helicopter Aviator in the United States Army. Weaver began his music career in 2005 while still on active duty, playing the club and festival circuit throughout the southeast. In 2017, Ryan signed on with the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) replacing Steven Tyler as the headlining act for the PBR World Finals at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. His music and speaking engagements are highly influenced by his journey through grief. Ryan has suffered the death of his brother (Aaron) and his brother-in-law (Randy) while they were on active duty. Both of his brothers’ ultimate sacrifices continue to fuel Ryan’s fire to accomplish his dreams in music.
We talk about being in the military, the death of his brother and brother-in-law, starting his music career, using his music to honor their memories, his song “what you think of me”, challenges after military loss (e.g., survivors remorse), and grief dreams of his brother.
You can find more about Ryan and his latest EP (Celebrate America) at
https://weavercountry.com/ and on IG @ryanweavercountry
Check out his two songs on loss
Never forgotten - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQs8khhWsro
What you think of me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sua3nWfR4LE
October 21, 2019
Dave Marteau is a mental health professional and a writer who has worked for 30 years with and for those close to death in hospital, rehab, prison and hospice settings. Between 2000 and 2012 he was clinical drug adviser to the UK government, and more recently he has worked for the European Union and the United Nations. Dave is the author of The English Book of the Dead, a personal and scientific exploration of mortality. Dave's sister Elizabeth took her own life at 31, and his son Jack was killed crossing the road aged 21, hit by a speeding driver.
In this episode we talk about working in the mental health field, mental health issues of his sister, the death of his sister and son, issues faced after both types of loss, grief dreams of his sister and son, his wife’s grief dream of their son, and his new book.
You can find more about Dave at www.englishbookofthedead.com
October 10, 2019
Mirabai Bush teaches, practices, and develops programs through the application of contemplative principles and values to organizational life. She is a cofounder of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, founding board member of the Seva Foundation, and authored many books. Her most recent book (coauthored with Ram Dass) is called “Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying”.
In this episode we talk about her new book, moments with Ram Dass, being a loving rock for the dying and bereaved, the death of her guru (Neem Karoli Baba) and her friend (Bokara), and a grief dream of Neem Karoli Baba
You can find more about Mirabai at www.mirabaibush.com
October 7, 2019
Lindsay Ciulla is an artist and musician who grew up in Medina, Ohio. Her father was her high school band director and also one of her very best friends. Also known as DJ laChewla, Lindsay hosts her own radio show on WGRN 94.1LPFM in Columbus, Ohio. She is also involved in activism through her volunteer work at the community radio station and with Vegan Shift.
In this episode we talk about being a musician, her radio show, her life with her father, his death, and her many grief dreams.
Her show, Peaks and Valleys streams live every Sunday night at 9pm EST on www.wgrn.org.
Here is her father conducting his jazz band the Stardusters on his last band trip to Disney World in 2015 ( https://youtu.be/VqYReDOU5A8 ) and this is footage from his last year as the marching band director ( https://youtu.be/01SVXxRVoF8 ).
September 26, 2019
Lauren Kane-Lysak is an Pet Taxidermist, Mortician, artist, and animal lover. After high school, she worked in a funeral home where she found that the corporate nature and lack of creative opportunity left her drained. She became interested in taxidermy after meeting a bird taxidermist in real life while volunteering at the San Bernardino County Museum. Lauren has made it her goal to work with pets, and preserve their tangible memory for eternity.
In this episode we talk about her journey into pet taxidermy, all things pet taxidermy, the death of her pet rat and grandmother, and grief dreams of her grandmother.
You can find more about Lauren here:
Website: www.preciouscreaturetaxidermy.com
Instagram:@preciouscreature
August 23, 2019
Jonathon Aslay is a Midlife Dating & Relationship Coach. He helps women recognize and distinguish the difference between men who are emotionally unavailable from those who are truly ready for love. He is also the author of 4 books. His newest book is titled What The Heck Is Self-Love Anyway?
In this episode we talk about his humbling events (divorce and job loss), becoming a dating coach, dating, self-love, his new book, the death of his son, and a grief dream of him.
You can find more about Jonathon's book at http://www.jonathonaslay.com/love/
August 10, 2019
Marlene Rodgers works as a story editor on feature films and documentary television series, and makes short films driven by her personal passions. Her most recent film is a collaboration with her husband, Franco Pante. DREAMS OF THE DEAD tells the story of Marlene’s journey in the aftermath of the sudden and accidental death of her grandmother, Baka, and the vivid dreams that were intrinsic to navigating that loss. Visit the film’s website at www.dreamsofthedead.com to post your own memory of a loved one, and view the 18-minute film at www.nsi-canada.ca/2019/07/dreams-of-the-dead/.
In this episode we talk about how she got started working in film, her newest film ‘DREAMS OF THE DEAD’, the death of her grandmother, her grandmother's house, and grief dreams of her.
August 3, 2019
Nikki Wilson works full time at an electricity company whilst also studying full time at The University of Melbourne. She will be graduating with a Bachelor of Environments degree (currently in her final Semester). While in university she has been taking creative writing classes as elective subjects. This semester she has been writing for a non-fiction class and decided to write about Grief Dreams after having personal experiences with them.
In this episode we talk about her university assignment on grief dreams, her multiple deaths (friend, step sister, and uncle), her grief and grief dreams following each loss, and lessons learned from her grief process.
You can find her creative writing assignment on Grief Dreams at the bottom of this web page http://www.griefdreams.ca/pop-culture
July 6, 2019
Dr. Sherry Cormier is a licensed psychologist and a professor emerita in the Department of Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling, and Counseling Psychology at West Virginia University. She is a certified bereavement trauma specialist, the author of two textbooks, and the producer of over 100 training videos for Cengage Learning. Her new book, Sweet Sorrow: Finding Enduring Wholeness After Loss and Grief was written by her in the decade following the loss of her husband, father, mother, dog, and only sibling.
In this episode we talk about how she became interested in the field of psychology, inspiring others on their journey, the power of acknowledgment and love, loneliness in life and after loss, her new book, her multiple losses, and grief dreams of her husband and others.
You can find more about Sherry here https://www.sherrycormierauthor.com/
June 16, 2019
In this Father’s Day episode, Shawn Ram talks with Dr. Joshua Black and Darwyn Dave about the Toronto Raptors (NBA) and St. Louis Blues (NHL), players on those teams with a dead father, what it’s like not having a father here for important moments, and grief dreams we think the players would like to have of their deceased father.
To find more about Darwyn visit http://www.dealingwithmygrief.com/
May 31, 2019
Tracy McCubbin is the author of Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Book On Decluttering You’ll Ever Need (releasing Tuesday June 4, 2019). While working for a major television director in Los Angeles, Tracy discovered she had the ability to see through any mess and clearly envision a clutter-free space. Before she knew it, dClutterfly was born. Ten years and thousands of clients later, dClutterfly is Los Angeles’ premier organizing and decluttering company. Tracy is a regularly featured expert on Hallmark's Home & Family, has a column on MindBodyGreen, and has regular declutter segments on Fox 5 and ABC Eyewitness News, KTLA Morning Show, KCAL9, and Good Day Sacramento.
In this episode we talk about getting into the decluttering business, her new book, clutter blocks, decluttering after a loss, her own losses, and grief dreams of her grandmother.
To find more about Tracy visit https://tracymccubbin.com/ or IG @tracymccubbin
