![E171 - Patricia de Picciotto - Neshama Journey]()
September 16, 2020
Patricia de Picciotto was born in Hong Kong from Lebanese parents, and raised in Geneva, Switzerland until she graduated from college with a BA in Marketing and Communication. She then spent a couple of years in London to study for her GIA (graduate gemologist) and worked in Jewelry. Patricia then lived in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for ten years, where she met her husband, had three kids and founded a jewelry line, Pasha Joias. She moved to New York over five years ago, where she became an art guide in the City. Since her mother’s passing after a two year battle with pancreatic cancer, she is dedicated to normalize grief and raise grief consciousness through her @neshamajourney project on Instagram and beyond.
In this episode we talk about living in multiple places, being in Brazil with her mother, her love of art history, her mother and stepfather getting sick, the death of her stepfather and mother, the Jewish funeral and mourning process, grief dreams of her mother, and her Instagram account.
![E161 - Gary Alan Shockley - My Heart Sings A Sad Song]()
June 26, 2020
Gary Alan Shockley is an award winner artist, author and grief counselor living in Boiling Springs Pennsylvania. He has two master’s degrees, one in theology and another in Spiritual Formation and Counseling. Gary has served as a pastor and a professional Healthcare Chaplain aligned with two Inpatient Hospice Units in North Carolina where he worked with dying patients and their families. From decades of walking alongside people in their journeys of dying and of death, and supporting children in their grief, Gary published his most recent children’s book, My Heart Sings a Sad Song. Gary has also authored three books focused on leadership and spiritual development and 5 other children’s books.
In this episode we talk about being drawn to helping others, what those at end-of-life talk about, challenges for those at end-of-life and their family during the pandemic, children’s grief, his first experience of death as a child, his new children’s book “My Heart Sings a Sad Song”, a grief dream from a past client, and grief dreams he had of his best friend, child (from a miscarriage), and other family members who have died.
You can find more about Gary here:
www.hopespring.biz
www.sandartistry.com
https://www.facebook.com/gary.a.shockley
IG @Gary.a.shockley
June 5, 2020
Erica Buist is a journalist from London, England and writes mostly for the Guardian. February 2021 will see the publication of her first book, This Party's Dead, in which she investigates death anxiety by travelling to seven death festivals following the sudden loss of her father-in-law.
In this episode we talk about the death of her father-in-law, her agoraphobia following the loss, visiting 7 death festivals around the world, her book, and grief dreams.
You can find more about Erica here:
Website: thisisnotajourney.com
Facebook page: facebook.com/ericabuistwriter
IG: @ericabuist and @thispartysdead
Her book can be found here: https://unbound.com/books/this-partys-dead/
May 30, 2020
Chelsea Rushton holds a BFA in Creative Writing and an MFA in Visual Art. Her art practice integrates somatics, ritual, and spirituality to explore how creative process can document and facilitate personal and collective growth and evolution. She works as a Technical Writer in the Department of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. Her parents both died suddenly, within eight months of each other, in 2018, when they were 69 and 71.
In this episode we talk with Chelsea about her passion for creative writing and visual art, the death of both her parents, the challenges of grieving multiple losses, her art series called The Other Side, and grief dreams of her parents.
You can find more on Chelsea at www.chelshotel.com or on IG @chelshotel
A video link to know more about Hilma af Klint (the person Chelsea wants to dream about) https://youtu.be/CHdud9km7bQ
May 14, 2020
Lisa Keefauver spent the past 2 decades as a clinical social worker and narrative therapist. She witnessed first hand the unnecessary suffering of so many individuals because their families, communities, and culture weren’t supporting them in their grief. And then, it happened to her too. At 40, Lisa became a widow. In 2011, her husband Eric died in her arms, leaving her a single mother to their 7 year-old daughter. Just a few years later, she was by the bedside of a close friend when he succumbed to the ravages of Muscular Dystrophy. Lisa is the Founder & CEO of Reimagining Grief and host of the podcast, Grief is a Sneaky B!tch.
In this episode we talk about collective grief during the pandemic, reframing the concept of productivity, sitting with your emotions, the death of her husband and friend, and grief dreams of them.
You can find more about Lisa at https://reimagininggrief.com/
May 2, 2020
Dr. Sharon Prentice is a psychotherapist and spiritual counselor whose work focuses on helping patients process the grief of losing a loved one. Becoming Starlight is her memoir of healing from the devastating loss of her daughter and husband. She experienced a unique spiritual experience, known as a Shared Death Experience (SDE), which gave her a peek into foreverness and a sense of peace that was otherworldly.
In this episode we talk about meeting her husband, her pregnancy with her daughter, the death of both of them, her Shared Death Experience, and grief dreams of her daughter and husband.
For more information on Sharon, please visit https://sharonprentice.com
April 18, 2020
Lisa Bonneville has been volunteering and working in palliative care for about 7 years and her current work life includes a hospice, a funeral home, and caring for palliative Catholic Nuns. She currently holds certificates in Thanatology, as a Death Doula, and as a personal support worker.
In this episode we talk about life during the pandemic, changing her life path, the death of her grandma, uncle, and friend, funerals and grieving during the pandemic, her grief dreams, and her mother’s and uncle’s grief dreams.
You can find her Facebook Group here: Loss and Grief During COVID-19
March 29, 2020
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]()
March 19, 2020
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
March 11, 2020
Janna Lopez has over 25 years in media, communications, and editorial endeavors. She has spent the last ten years as owner, publisher and editor of several regional magazines. As a word enthusiast, she's helped multi-million dollar companies craft their stories, and currently leads workshops and coaches clients about midlife identity loss and grief. She is the author of the new book, Me, My Selfie, & Eye: A Midlife Conversation about Lost Identity, Grief, and Seeing Who You Are.
In this episode we talk about midlife identify loss and grief, her midlife issues (grandmother loss, divorce, and job loss), reflecting on her own mortality, who are we beyond roles, her new book, a grief dream of her grandmother, and a dream during her midlife issues.
To know more about Janna visit www.jannalopez.com
February 10, 2020
We rereleased this episode (E73) as our next episode features an update on the guest.
Dr. Christopher Kerr is the Chief Executive Officer & Chief Medical Officer for Hospice Buffalo. Dr. Kerr’s research examines patient’s dreams and visions at the end of life. The results of his studies generated enormous response in the non-medical community, both nationally and internationally. Dr. Kerr has overseen the integration and expansion of palliative care into local hospitals and developed one of the nation’s largest home-based palliative care programs, Home Connections, and Essential Care for Children. In this episode we talk about his journey becoming a doctor, dreams and visions at the end of life, the death of his father, and a dream he would like to have.
Here is the link to his TEDx Talk “I See Dead People: Dreams and Visions of the Dying?” https://youtu.be/rbnBe-vXGQM
This link is to Hospice Buffalo https://www.hospicebuffalo.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
![E133 - Mahoganie Hines - The Art of Dying]()
September 13, 2019
Mahoganie is an active and ardent member of the Palliative Care community. She currently volunteers her time to act as the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario’s Policy and Political Action ENO for both the Niagara Chapter and Palliative Care Nurse’s Interest Group for the past 3+ years. She has also sits on the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Nursing Group as Secretary/Treasurer. She currently works as a Registered Nurse at McNally House Hospice in a casual capacity, as well as, working full time as a Palliative Pain and Symptom Management Consultant (PPSMC) throughout the Niagara Region. Additionally, Mahoganie writes a blog called “The Art of Dying” and is a roller derby referee.
In this episode we talk about roller derby, finding direction in life, working in the palliative care field, the death of her first patient, uncle, and family dog, and grief dreams.
You can find more about her at:
Blog: “The Art of Dying” dyingdreads.wordpress.com
LinkedIn: Mahoganie Hines
Instagram: nurse_stax
Twitter: @nursestax
She will be the closing speaker at the CHPCA – CHPC NG “Inspiring Nursing Leadership” Satellite discussion on Thursday Sept. 18th, 2019 at 8:30am - 12:30pm in Newbridge.
Find more about PPSC at www.pccnetwork.ca/what-is-a-ppsmc/
![E121 - Dr. Pei Grant - The Good Doctor]()
June 10, 2019
Dr. Pei Grant is the Research Director at Hospice Buffalo, one of the largest hospice and palliative care organizations in Western New York. Her research encompasses a diverse range of projects from programmatic studies to psychosocial research, to medical projects. Her work has been recognized nationally and internationally to be innovative and enhancing quality of care to new levels. She believes that while it is important to find ways to lead a meaningful life, she advocates for people to focus on what it takes to have a meaningful death.
In this episode we talk about how she got started working at Hospice Buffalo, her research on end-of-life dreams and visions, her research on the Photographs of Meaning Program in family caregivers, the death of her grandparents and baby through miscarriage, and a grief dream of her maternal grandmother.
You can find her on Twitter @Peigrant and IG @Peicgrant . Here is a link to Hospice Buffalo’s research page https://www.hospicebuffalo.com/healthcare-providers/research/
To hear more about Hospice Buffalo's research on end-of-life dreams and visions, just download Dr. Christopher Kerr's episode on this podcast (episode 73).
May 3, 2019
Brent Birkhoff recently received his Master of Science from Marian University in Thanatology, and is Certified in Thanatology from the Association of Death Education and Counseling. He and his wife, Tina, recently started Heart Strings by Legacy Leaders, which is dedicated to ensuring that all individuals have their story told before death.
In this episode we talk about the 2019 International Death, Grief and Bereavement conference, starting Heart Stings, reflecting on legacy, their multiple losses, and Tina’s grief dream of her grandmother.
You can find more information at http://www.heartstringsmemories.com/
