Episode 7: Why Your Grief After Losing a Child Doesn't Need Explaining
𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀: 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 & 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗲𝘀Show Notes
In this episode of Beyond the Loss: Life and Identity After a Child Dies, I explore something that often happens in the aftermath of profound loss—the way grief becomes labeled, interpreted, or explained through language that may not fully reflect the reality of what grieving parents are living. Recently, I was reminded of how quickly we reach for familiar frameworks when trying to understand grief. Words like processing, healing, stages, or closure can offer structure, but they...
More from 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀: 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 & 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗲𝘀
What happens when the ways we learn to survive after the death of a child begin shaping not only how we grieve, but how we live, work, relate, and understand ourselves? In this episode of Beyond the Loss, Dr. Sharon Spano speaks with Sally McQuillen, a licensed clinical social worker, certified alcohol and drug counselor, and author of Reaching for Beautiful. Sally is also the mother of Christopher, who died ten years ago at the age of 21. Sally brings a unique dual perspective to this conv...
What happens when the life you knew is suddenly gone, and the only way forward is to begin discovering who you are right now in this very moment? In Episode 27 of Beyond the Loss, I sit down with Jamie Casley, a high school teacher and literacy specialist from New Zealand. In August of 2023, Jamie's world changed forever when her 18-year-old daughter, Lily, collapsed and died unexpectedly from an undiagnosed electrical heart condition. In our conversation, Jamie describes that tragic night ...
In this Episode of Beyond the Loss, I introduce a new series theme: The Shape of Survival. After the loss of a child, many parents - especially high achievers - subconsciously organize themselves into high-functioning patterns. We plan, work, organize, exercise, and take care of everyone around us to create structure in an unpredictable world. In this episode, I explore the nuance between healthy functioning and denial, the invisible burden of being labeled "the strong one," a...
In Episode 25 of Beyond the Loss, I welcome Gwen Kapcia (LMSW, FT), a licensed social worker, certified thanatologist, and co-author of Not Another Lasagna: How to Truly Help a Grieving Friend. Gwen brings nearly 40 years of experience across hospice care, funeral home aftercare, and grief mentorship, alongside her own personal journey through pregnancy loss. Together, we discuss the nuances of pregnancy loss, why the word "bereaved" literally means to be cut in two, how faith communi...
What happens when a date on the calendar marks the exact place where your life divided into before and after? In this Season Finale of Beyond the Loss, I bring together the core strands of The Hidden Aftermath—examining how grief alters our bodies, our identity, our capacity, and our relationship with time. I share a deeply personal reflection on two dates that intersect every September: the national tragedy of September 11th and the private anniversary of my son Michael’s death on Septembe...