Grief Dreams Podcast

E155 - Lisa Keefauver - Reimagining Grief

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/

E154 - Dr. Sharon Prentice - Becoming Starlight

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 

E153 - Lisa Bonneville - People Need People

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

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

E149 - Janna Lopez - Midlife Identity Loss and Grief

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

Rerelease: E73 - Dr. Christopher Kerr - End-Of-Life Dreams and Visions

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

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

E133 - Mahoganie Hines - The Art of Dying

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. 18^th, 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

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).

E116 - Brent and Tina Birkhoff - Heart Strings

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/

Episode 108 - Kevin Toolis - The Irish Wake

Kevin Toolis is a BAFTA winning film maker and writer of the acclaimed death guide My Father’s Wake: How the Irish Teach Us to Live, Love and Die. Toolis has reported on famines, wars and plagues all over the world for The New York Times and The Guardian. As a documentary maker he has filmed in the middle east and directed the Emmy-nominated Cult of the Suicide Bomber television history series. He is also producer/ director of a compelling new stage work Wonders of the Wake that revives the lost art of Irish keening and celebrates the ancient rite of the Irish Wake.

 

In this episode we talk all about the Irish Wake, the death of his brother and father, grief dreams in the Irish culture, grief dreams in families of suicide bombers, and his own grief dreams of those he reports on.

 

You can find more about Kevin at www.myfatherswake.com or on Twitter @KevinToolis

 

Here is his BBC video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALT8zbjnjkY

Episode 96 - Jan Warner - Grief Speaks Out

Jan Warner is the author of Grief Day by Day: Simple Practices and Daily Guidance for Living With Loss. When her beloved husband Artie died nine years ago, she felt as though she had died too. To give her life meaning after the loss she started the Grief Speaks Out Facebook page, that is a supportive worldwide community with over 2.5 million likes.   

 

In this episode we talk about her relationship with her husband, his death and her grief, authoring her first book on grief, differences she has noticed in people’s grief, and her grief dreams of her husband.

Episode 88 - Barbara Morningstar

Barbara Morningstar began serving in the hospice field over twenty years ago. During that time she worked on staff at three different hospice societies within the province of British Columbia, Canada. Over her many years in the hospice field, Barbara has supported thousands of people during their tender life transition. She recently wrote a book titled “Honoring the Mystery; Uplifting Insights from the Language, Visions, and Dreams of the Dying.” In this episode we talked about how a grief dream of her friend shaped her life, experiences working in the hospice field, her new book, the death and grief dreams of her husband, and a grief dream she wants to have.

 

To find more about Barbara visit www.inautumnscocoon.com

Episode 86 - Dr. Sameet Kumar

Dr. Sameet Kumar is a clinical psychologist who has worked with adults who have cancer as well as their caregivers and families for nearly 20 years. He specializes in palliative, end-of-life and bereavement care. His professional interests also include meditation, spiritual coping, resilience and well-being. He is the author of the bestselling Grieving Mindfully: A Compassionate and Spiritual Approach to Coping with Loss, The Mindful Path Through Worry and Ruminationand the workbook Mindfulness for Prolonged Grief. In this episode we talk about working with the dying and the bereaved, mindfulness, the death of his mother, and grief dreams of her.

 

You can find more about Dr. Sameet Kumar on twitter (@sameetkumar) and Facebook (Sameet Kumar, Ph.D.). He will be speaking next in Toronto at the International Death Symposium which goes on from Sept 21-23, 2018 (http://www.torontodeathsociety.org).