Today’s podcast features Meghan Riordan Jarvis who is a clinical psychotherapist  and specializes in grief and loss using a trauma informed approach. Meghan is an author, podcaster, and advocate for change for grief in the workplace. In our conversation today, Meghan shares how she discovered her calling to work with clients who have experienced trauma, grief, and loss, and some of the approaches she uses with her clients. She also explains the model she has developed with her colleague to provide individuals who are grieving with a daily practice to help with their grief. During our time together, Meghan and I also discuss our shared interest in shifting how the corporate work environment addresses grief in the workplace.

Key Points:

Meghan describes anticipatory grief using the example of consuming small cups of water that we can slowly absorb, compared to grief that comes with a sudden or traumatic loss as a form of water boarding or trying to consume enormous amounts of water that the body is unable to absorb.

Meghan has a beautiful and easy to understand way of describing concepts related to grief including EMDR and uses analogy of removing stains.

Meghan talks about how she approaches self-care, and her decision to care for herself by getting someone to assist and help her in work and organization. This is a good reminder that self-care comes in many shapes and sizes and is unique for everyone.

I appreciated Meghan’s recommendation to block time into 3-hour increments. This is extremely helpful for those living in the aftermath of a sudden or unexpected death. Trauma leaves the mind and body so overwhelmed, that three-hour increments are a safe and manageable way to structure your day or engage in future planning when you are feeling overwhelmed by the pain or grief after the sudden or unexpected death of a loved one.

I am so thankful to Meghan for her time and sharing her insights in this interview. Meghan’s first book, The End of an Hour, her personal memoir, was released earlier this week, and her second book, Can Anyone Tell Me: Essential Questions About Grief and Loss will be released October 2024. We will have information about the first book in our Facebook group, Talking About the Podcast Untethered with Dr. Levin along with a reference to the book, The Grieving Brain which Meghan also mentions during our interview.

If you would like to connect with Meghan, please join our Facebook group Talking About the Podcast Untethered with Dr. Levin.