Grief Dreams Podcast

E151 - Becky Aud-Jennison - The Death Dialogues Project

Becky Aud-Jennison had a lengthy career in human services, starting as a nurses aide, then nurse, then clinical mental health professional and mind-body practitioner. In 2018 Becky created The Death Dialogues Project with an aim of getting conversations surrounding dying, death, grief and the aftermath out of the closet.

 

In this episode we talk about cultural differences between USA and New Zealand, the death of her brother, having a good death, creating The Death Dialogues Project, continuing bonds with her brother and mother, grief dreams of her father, mom, brother, and Ram Dass.

 

You can find more about The Death Dialogues Project at www.deathdialolgues.net and on Instagram and Facebook.

 

 

E150 - Andrea Wilson Woods - Being a Mother for Her Sister

Andrea Wilson Woods is a writer who loves to tell stories, and a patient advocate who founded the nonprofit Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association. Andrea is the CEO and co-founder of Cancer University, a for-profit, social-benefit, digital health company. With Cancer U, Andrea synergizes her talents of coaching, writing, teaching, and advocacy. Andrea obtained her master’s degree in professional writing from the University of Southern California; her nonfiction writing has won national awards. Her newest book is a medical memoir titled Better Off Bald: A Life in 147 Days. 

 

In this episode we talk about her life as a sister/legal guardian, her sister/daughter’s depression and cancer journey, her new book, giving her loved one a good death, meeting a stranger at her loved one's gravesite, and grief dreams of her. 

 

You can find more about Andrea here: betteroffbald.com, bluefaery.org, cancer.university

 

If you use the promo code: GRIEFDREAMS at cancer.university, you will receive a free lifetime membership to Cancer University

E148 - Dr. Sarah Neustadter - Surviving the Suicide of a Beloved

Dr. Sarah Neustadter is a licensed psychologist based in Los Angeles, specializing in suicide prevention, loss, and grief, including those grieving the suicide of a loved one. She has over a decade of professional experience identifying and treating those at risk of suicide, especially teenagers. She holds a PhD in clinical and transpersonal psychology from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, California. She is the author of the Love You Like the Sky: Surviving the Suicide of a Beloved. 

 

In this episode we talk about the suicide of her boyfriend while in grad school, grieving his death, her book, suicide prevention, and grief dreams.

 

You can learn more about Sarah here: https://sarahneustadter.com/

 

E144 - 2019 Grief Dream Recaps - Part 1

In this episode (Part 1) we recap some of the dream conversations we had with guests in 2019.

Rerelease: 2017 Grief Dream Recaps - Part 2

As 2020 is fast approaching, we have decided to rerelease our past Grief Dream Recap episodes as we make our 2019 ones. In this episode we recap some of the dream conversations we have had with guests in 2017 (originally episode 56). 

Rerelease: 2017 Grief Dream Recaps - Part 1

As 2020 is fast approaching, we have decided to rerelease our past Grief Dream Recap episodes as we make our 2019 ones. In this episode we recap some of the dream conversations we have had with guests in 2017 (originally episode 55). 

E143 - Liz Diaz - Heart of Mercy Design

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.

E142 - Debi Wobbe - Life After Organ Donation

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.

 

E141 - Suzanne Falter - My Daughter The Healer

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.

E140 - Marlie Rowell - 'Night School' After A Suicide

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

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

 

E137 - Dave Marteau - The English Book of the Dead

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

E136 - Mirabai Bush - A Loving Rock

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

E135 - Lindsay Ciulla - Peaks and Valleys

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 ).

E134 - Lauren Kane-Lysak - Precious Creature

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