So Sorry For Your Loss: Not Your Average Grief Group

If you’re a millennial, it’s probably no surprise that the new Dear Media podcast, Back to the Beach, hosted by Laguna Beach stars Kristen Cavalleri and Stephen Coletti has shot to number one on the charts. To honor the new show launch, we’re honing in on two topics we love to talk about, pop culture and grief, and telling Kristin Cavalleri’s own story with grief.

K Cav lost her brother Michael back in 2016 and in...

Premonition can be both wildly exciting or anxiety inducing depending on what the message is. I’ve certainly felt both feelings over the past several months. On the heels of last week and resharing an episode about signs from loved ones, I’m sharing a couple more personal stories of life recently and the signs and messages that were presented to me. I detail my own journey with pregnancy and loss, how I’ve coped, allowing mys...

Are you a believer in signs? A butterfly, a coin, a rainbow, or something completely random, that immediately makes you think of your loved one above. In this previously aired episode, Jessica Hersh opens up about her grief journey and lessons she's learned after the death of her mother Sarajane from cancer in 2016. We discuss key points of the book "Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe" by Laura Lynne Jackson. I ...

We often talk about how critical it is to have support when it comes to grief yet support and asking for help is still often stigmatized in our society. When Candyce Ossefort-Russell experienced the sudden loss of her husband at the age of 30, she decided to become the therapist that she once needed. As an LPC-S, Candyce offers insights about grief, being a widow, and other painful emotions from a unique blend of personal and profe...

Reid Peterson is no stranger to grief and has had several, very different experiences with loss in his lifetime. Reid experienced death first at the age of 10 when a friend and classmate died of spinal meningitis. He went on to lose his biological father to suicide in 2006 and his stepfather to cancer in 2016. He felt compelled to help the grieving find peace and purpose after loss. Reid achieved a Masters Degree in Transpersonal P...

I speak with Candice Bock, a mom from New Jersey who lost her son in a tragic accident. While speaking with her, I quickly realized this wasn’t a typical interview. The emotion, the story, and the inspirational messages lent themselves to a different style of episode that I hope you’ll enjoy. 

After losing six-year old Edmond, Candice went through a myriad of grief and since then has not only been able to grow immensely herself but ...

If Oprah and James Cordon had a baby, raised on Dolly Parton's front porch—it would be today’s guest, Matt Marr. Matt will talk to anyone. He's the guy in the grocery store that compliments your eye makeup and then two minutes later you’re asking him for dating advice.  He is a therapist and holds a Masters of Clinical Psychology, specializing in Narrative Therapy and is also the co-host of the Reality Gays Podcast (r...

Dying is a fact of life. While emotional, there are certain logistics and practicalities that have to be dealt with: cremation versus burial, financial obligations, physical belongings, and the list goes on. This week, I’m joined by Cianna Stewart who also has a podcast on death and grief. Cianna hosts Dying Kindness, a podcast for people who are going to die someday (hint: that’s you and me, both) with the goal of helping pe...

This week's episode is a bit of a mixed bag where I sit down solo to share what’s going on lately. I start with how I’ve been dealing amidst year five of my dad’s death anniversary as well as a part of my conversation with last week’s guest, Rebecca Soffer in regards to gifting after grief. Edible Arrangements are OUT and intentional, useful gifts are IN!

Episode Highlights:

• The five partic...

I’m joined by the Godmother of Grief, the Co-Founder of Modern Loss, writer, speaker, and big inspirer of SSFYL, Rebecca Soffer. When Rebecca was 30, her mother was killed in a car accident one hour after dropping Rebecca off from a family camping trip to the Adirondacks. Four years later, her father died of a heart attack while on vacation. So much loss at such a relatively young age.

She began to navigate li...

After recording 50 episodes of SSFYL and talking about grief to countless guests, each with unique stories and perspectives, I noticed a common recurring theme that almost everyone mentioned— the power of therapy. Whether it was the loss of a parent, a child, a friend or a job, just about every guest (and myself) has recognized therapy as the best way to grasp and navigate their grief. In this episode, I’m highlighting messages and...

I’m joined by Jessica Roomberg to discuss one of the more challenging conversations around grief– child loss. Jessica and her husband Dan suffered the loss of their 17-month-old daughter Mila Gray Roomberg to a rare manifestation of NF1. After she passed away, they channeled their overwhelming grief and brainstormed a way to honor her brief but magical life. Through the Magical Mila Foundation, they are hoping to change the way blo...

Who knew that you could meet some of your best guests in an elevator in LA? That’s what happened here when I met the hosts of Famous and Gravy. Michael and Amit told me their show was about analyzing the lives of dead celebrities. Death and pop culture? Yes sir. We love that here at SSFYL. Michael Osborne is with us today! He is a climate scientist (yes, he answers whether we are doomed or not) but also a bit of a podcast connoisse...

This week I’m coming to your speakers solo to answer a handful of questions that I received from you. Missed your chance to submit a question? I’ll do another episode like this soon so DM me at @sosorrywighgianna. I’m also sharing a few grief news headlines and sharing a ton of really great resources from articles to books and podcasts. And of course, keeping you updated on all things So Sorry For Your Loss and the Grief Bout...

Even out of unspeakable grief, beautiful things can take wing which has been the case for this week's guest, Michele Benyo. Michele loved the motherhood journey so much that she decided to go back to school after the birth of her two children and receive her masters in family education in order to become an Early Childhood Parent Educator. It was shortly thereafter that grief began when her son was diagnosed with cancer a...

I’m running through what’s happening in my personal world on this solo episode because I’m entering my grief season. My dad’s birthday, deathiversary, and Father’s Day are all coming up. Plus, did the loss of a parent make you more attached to the one you have left? Did any loss in general make you realize that bad things can happen in this world? Enter: lots of anxiety. We’re talking through that as well as grief happenings ...

This week I’m chatting with author Becca Piastrelli. Becca is a storyteller, deep and present listener, and gatherer of community as well as a mother, podcast host, and more. Becca’s book called, Root & Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community & the Self was written to support you in reconnecting to a more meaningful life in this fast-paced, isolating time for humans on earth and includes rituals, ...

Episode Highlights:

• Career path changes
• The s...

Sabir M. Peele is mostly known for his style expertise and blog, Men's Style Pro but he is also quite familiar with grief. He is very vocal about the masculine perspective, vulnerability and why opening up is both helpful and necessary as a man experiencing grief. We also get into parenthood and how it affects our grief as well as how we begin to understand the depth of our parents' love once we become parents. We nee...