Good Grief with Nikki the Death Doula

Grief and menopause. What happens when these two massive life transitions collide? In this episode I dive into the under-discussed intersection of menopause and mourning.Why do hormonal shifts intensify grief symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, and insomnia? and why the cultural silence around women’s midlife transitions!! Lets talk about Practical ways to support yourself (and others) through this double-whammy of emotional and physical change.Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

TW: mentions of miscarriageIn this deeply touching episode I say down with Emily Hill of Everyday Epiphany to explore the quiet corners of grief we so often avoid; miscarriage, death work, and the stigma that still surrounds both. As a social worker, chaplain and writer, Emily brings such an amazing perspective on what it means to hold space for dying patients and grieving families all while while carrying her own personal loss. And How faith and chaplaincy shape (and sometimes complicate) our grief journeysYou can find Emily here: https://www.everydayepiphany.net/Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

TW: some light swearingIt started with losing his partner to AIDS in the 90s. And turned into a long road of losses that spanned a lifetime.Bill is a writer from Boston now living in LA. He has a feature film, 'Paradise A Town of Sinners & Saints' streaming on YoutubeMovies & GoogleTV. He also has a book series on Amazon, 'Uncle Bill's Animal Tales - Life Lessons for Adults' is the first in a series of five.Bill is 28 years clean and sober and volunteers with G4G, Gays 4 Good. He is active in his spiritual community being a member of the Agape International Spiritual Center.He has also written for National Lampoon Magazine, a kids show on PBS, and ran sketch comedy shows out of NY, Boston, and LA. He will soon be working with seniors in the LA area helping them to write their memoirs.You can find Bill here:www.paradisebluegrassmusical.comhttps://www.facebook.com/bill.robertson.3720Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

A.D. (Angie) Vancise is an award-winning author whose writing explores grief, trauma, and truth. Her semi-autobiography, Cry of an Osprey was inspired by the loss of her brother, father, and mother, while her latest novel, Hidden in the Shadows-winner of the American Fiction Award in Horror- was written from a place of deep grief for the children who never had a voice, shinning light on the hidden realities of trafficking and generational abuse. She lives in Hockley Valley with her partner, three dogs, four cats, and three step kids who mostly forgave her for skipping dinner to write one more chapter. Through her stories, A.D. (Angie) hopes to help others heal and speak the truths too often buried in silence.You can find Angie here: https://advancise.net/Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

Sharon Laflamme is the Facilitator and founder of Creating Serenity Now, LLC. She took her life’s passions of human behavior, health, nutrition, yoga, meditation and incorporated them into creating an internal space for healing. No stranger to loss and grief herself, she works with people to help resolve the lasting effects of childhood trauma on the body.You can find Sharon here: https://www.creatingserenitynow.com/Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-mond

Cortland Mullins started Grief Club after her mother died and she realized how deep grief can go. It’s a dynamic program in Columbus Ohio with all manner of programs for people facing grief. Her story is deep and powerful, touching on addiction, forgiveness and, of course, grief.You can find Cortland and The Grief Club here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/cortland-mullins-60659b217/https://www.instagram.com/wearethegriefclubhttps://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-grief-club-104414191611Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here: https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

I had an amazing conversation with the founder and director of griefcycles.org, Sean Muzzy. After losing his son Sean had a choice. He could let the grief consume him or use it to help others. He chose the latter. Men tend to get the short of of the stick when it comes to grief, but Sean refuses to let men suffer alone.You can find Sean at https://linktr.ee/griefcyclesSupport me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

What if you looked perfectly fine but had your brain rewired seven times? Jeff Pearson has.I had a lovely conversation with Jeff Person of Invisible Condition, a TV show for people living with non visible chronic conditions. We talked all things chronic, podcasting, non profits and everything in between.You can find Jeff here:https://e360tv.com/networks/play_series/invisible-condtionhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-pearson-b57a564/Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here: https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

How TV, Movies, and Books Shape Our Views on Grief and GrievingIn this episode I dive into the way pop culture influences our understanding of grief. From TV shows and movies to bestselling novels, pop culture often hands us a grief script that’s dramatic, tidy, and wildly unrealistic. (Spoiler: Grief doesn't resolve neatly in 90 minutes with soft violins.)I break down common media tropes and contrast them with the messy, awkward, and beautiful truth of real-life grieving.If you’ve cried through a movie funeral or rolled your eyes at another “grief makeover montage,” you’re not alone.Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

Welcome back to Season 6! I’m getting back to my roots this season.Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

We’re wrapping up season 5! In this episode of Good Grief with Nikki the Death Doula, we unpack the messy, beautiful, and often misunderstood truth about healing. Spoiler alert: it’s not about “getting over it” or tying your pain up in a neat little bow.I’ll dive into the myths we’re fed about healing, and what it actually looks like in real life.We talk about the pressure to be "okay," and the quiet victories that count as progress. This one’s for anyone who’s been told to "stay strong" when they really needed space to fall apart.Whether you're grieving a death, a diagnosis, or a life that didn’t go to plan, this conversation is your permission slip to heal in your own time, in your own way.Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

Grief isn’t always about death. I met Mike of the Coffin Talk podcast a couple months back and I knew immediately I had to have him on my show. Mike and I talk all about non-death loss and all the emotions it can bring.Please follow Mike here:https://mikeyopp.substack.com/And check out his podcast, it’s amazing! https://mikeyopp.substack.com/podcastSupport me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

Edy and I delved into one of the only subject morestigmatized than grief or death. Sex. But it’s not what you think, there are somany layers to us as humans and our grief.(TW mentions of SA)Edy Nathan, MA, LCSW, CST, is a licensedpsychotherapist, certified sex therapist, and grief expert who guides peoplethrough the terrain most avoid—grief, trauma, and sexuality.Edy is the author of It’s Grief: The Dance ofSelf-Discovery through Trauma and Loss, and is currently writing her secondbook, Dare to Live: The Sexual Grief Effect — Reveal the Shadow Wounds fromLoathing to Liberation to Love.You can find Edy here: https://edynathan.com/Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here: https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/Music: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

Let’s face it, talking about death can feel like trying to bring up a tarantula at a dinner party. Most of us would rather not. But the truth is, avoiding these conversations doesn’t make death go away. It just leaves everyone guessing when it matters most.Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

I had a wonderful conversation with the man behind Buriedinwork.com, Adam Zuckerman all about end of life planning and why it’s so important! Please check out www.buriedinwork.comSupport me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

Vanessa Abraham was a speech therapist who lost her voice — literally.A rare neurological disease — a form of Guillain-Barré Syndrome — left her completely paralyzed and unable to speak. What followed wasn’t just a physical recovery, but an emotional and spiritual reckoning with identity, isolation, and medical trauma that no one prepares you for.Today, Vanessa is a neuromuscular practitioner, helping others heal after their own health crises — but survival was only the beginning of her story.She written a memoir, Speechless: https://a.co/d/b4YGrQCyou can find Vanessa here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-abraham-10a1661a3Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speechless_slp/Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/Speechless-SLP-61569361746127/Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

You can get Susan's Book here: https://amzn.to/3ETn3Ko(This is an affiliate link)Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

In this tender and deeply honest conversation, I sat down with speaker Steve Gamlin to talk about one of the hardest experiences of his life: losing his soulmate.Steve opens up about the moment everything changed, the grief that followed, and how he's been navigating the heartbreak one breath, one memory, and one day at a time. With his signature blend of wisdom and wit, he shares how love doesn't end with loss, and how he’s finding ways to honor her memory while continuing to live a life of purpose.You can connect with Steve here: https://stevegamlin.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevegamlin/Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGet merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

“Why are they posting photos of their brunch when I’m still hurting? In this episode we're getting into one of the most gut-punch parts of grief that nobody really warns you about: that moment when it feels like the whole world has gone back to normal... but you're still in the thick of it.Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGo to https://betterhelp.com/nikkithedeathdoula for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help #sponsored Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

I sat down and had a lovely conversation with Kevin O’Connor, author of Two Floors Above Grief, an autobiography about growing up living above a funeral home.You can find Kevin and his book here: https://www.kevinoconnorauthor.com/(Sign up for his newsletter, it’s great!)Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠You can find me here:https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoulaGo to https://betterhelp.com/nikkithedeathdoula for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help #sponsored Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday