Approximately 85% of those trafficked in Massachusetts have been involved with the Department of Child and Family Services. Just by being in DCF care indicates a history of trauma before being trafficked. Wherever there is trauma there is grief. Lisa co-developed and co-executive directs My Life, My Choice. The program she has developed incorporates a survivor led staff focusing on values of empowerment, equity, community, and unconditional love to name a few. Enjoy this episode? Please give us a 5-star rating and share with someone who could benefit. Thanks for helping us get the show to more ..read more

People can come to know us through the activities we engage in. What happens to our identity when we are absent from those activities? When we sustain a physical injury that prohibits us from doing the things we like to do, we lose a little piece of who we are. Physical therapy may heal the physical problem but what about the psychological part? That can take longer, extending our time away from ‘who we are’. Jane is a psychologist well versed in the psychological response and recovery from physical injury. She shares her knowledge with Ken in this episode. Enjoy this episode? Please give us a ..read more

Loss is continuous throughout our lifetime. Even though we know this our instinct might be to push away this reality. When we have had complicated, continuous and/or traumatic loss these can trigger additional mental health issues. There are many interventions and paths to help reduce the suffering. When “nothing works” the use of Esketamine in conjunction with treatments can aid in ‘treatment-resistant’ clients. Kurt is a social worker and the vice president of community partnerships at the Brattleboro Retreat in Vermont. He and Ken talk about the impact of loss, use of esketamine, and the ne ..read more

Cory is a news anchor for NBC10 Boston. He has also worked as a field and investigative reporter during his career. In this episode Cory, an Edward Murrow and Emmy award winner, describes how many stories in the news involve grief – from death or non-death losses. Covering loss can have an impact on the mind and soul of the reporter. Reporters are humans too and when your job requires you to engage traumatic scenes and talk with people who are having “maybe the worst day of their life” it’s a lot to manage. Reporters do this daily! Cory speaks with dedication and clarity of how to do the work ..read more

When Sasha was 7 years old, she knew she experienced things differently than others her age. She had visions and images of those in another world. While this felt confusing, overwhelming, and scary, over time she cultivated this gift into being a conduit between those grieving someone who had died and the deceased. She knows when she gets the vibrational feeling connecting into others and when she doesn’t. With genuine authenticity and unrelenting compassion Sasha describes the healing process that comes through for psychic mediums and how they help grievers. Enjoy this episode? Please give us ..read more

While some people are familiar with birth doulas not many are aware of death doulas. Birth doulas help prospective parents bring a child into the world, death doulas assist people in helping their loved ones exit the world. Pamela is a certified death doula and describes how they help the bereaved embrace loss through empowerment and awareness of options to celebrate a life. “Living wakes” and the use of psychedelic assisted support are among the many options discussed in this episode. Enjoy this episode? Please give us a 5-star rating and share with someone who could benefit. Thanks for helpi ..read more

After the sudden and tragic losses of her brother and teenage son within a short period of time, songs Deb had written previously took on new meaning and purpose. Further, the need for movement, expressing through art and nature and connecting with others was never more paramount. This culminated with her book, Book of Walks. In this spirited episode Ken and Deb discuss this process of moving through highly intense and acute grief to having a shared experience with nature and others.  To view a video of Deb's contribution to the Solstice Celebration at Mount Auburn Cemetary, click this li ..read more

In 2022 the Grief in Brief podcast engaged in discussions with Authors Rebecca Soffer and E.B. Bartels. Also presented in back-to-back format is Rebecca discussing Modern Loss: Candid Conversations About Loss: Beginners Welcome in the previously re-broadcasted episode, and E.B. leading us through pet loss conversations in Good Grief; On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter in this one. Enjoy this episode? Please give us a 5-star rating and share with someone who could benefit. Thanks for helping us get the show to more people who need it!  Follow Ken on Instagram HERE Download Ken’s free ..read more

In 2022, the Grief in Brief podcast engaged in discussions with Authors Rebecca Soffer and E.B. Bartels. Also presented in back-to-back format is Rebecca discussing Modern Loss: Candid Conversations About Loss: Beginners Welcome and in the next episode, you'll hear E.B. leading us through pet loss conversations in Good Grief; On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter. Enjoy this episode? Please give us a 5-star rating and share with someone who could benefit. Thanks for helping us get the show to more people who need it!  Follow Ken on Instagram HERE Download Ken’s free PDF, “What to say wh ..read more

Following up on two episodes back with author Colin Campbell we decided to rebroadcast Grief in Brief episodes featuring authors Susan Verde and Maria Sirois. In the previous episode, you will hear Susan discuss her book Say One Kind Thing, Lessons in Acceptance, Love and Letting Go and in this episode, Maria will talk about positive psychology and its influence on her book A Short Course in Happiness After Loss.  Follow Ken on Instagram here Download Ken's free PDF, "What to say when you don't know what to say" here ..read more