Michelle Hord, author of 'The Other Side of Yet,’ recounts the devastating loss of her daughter, Gabrielle, who was murdered by her ex-husband. The conversation delves into how Michelle navigated her grief and transformed it into action, hope, and resilience. She reflects on her faith, the support of her community, and how starting the nonprofit Gabrielle's Wings has helped pain into action. Michelle also discusses the personal impact of other significant losses in her life and the importance of allowing oneself to feel joy again.Find Michelle’s book at: https://michelledhord.com/the-other-side-of-yetThis podcast is produced by Larj Media.

In this episode, we talk with Luke Lorentzen and Mati Engel about their intimate documentary, 'A Still, Small Voice'.  The film features Mati as a hospital chaplain during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The conversation delves into the emotional impact of chaplaincy, the challenges of burnout, and the importance of human connection in end-of-life care. Luke and Mati explore themes of witnessing, trauma, and the struggle to maintain presence and empathy during a healthcare disaster.Find a Still Small Voice: https://lukelorentzen.com/A-Still-Small-VoiceThis podcast is produced by Larj Media.

In this episode of Peaceful Exit, host Sarah Cavanaugh interviews Carole Fisher, who shares her deeply personal journey through experiences of grief, denial, and the healing power of community in the hit podcast The Girlfriends. Carole discusses how she and her friends processed the trauma of uncovering that her ex, Bob, was guilty of murder, and how denying harsh realities served as a temporary protective mechanism. Carole's story is one of strength and resilience, as she embraces her past, from dating a murderer to overcoming the stigma of her husband's suicide. She also shares her work with the organization No More, and in hospice care innovation.This podcast is produced by Larj Media.

In this episode of Peaceful Exit, host Sarah Cavanaugh interviews an anthropologist who immersed herself in the world of assisted dying in Oregon, Anita Hannig. Anita shares the methodology of participant observation, the emotional dynamics of end-of-life experiences, and the distinction between assisted dying and suicide. Her extensive research and personal reflections, highlight the differences in cultural practices and legal frameworks regarding euthanasia and assisted dying around the world. They also touch upon the death positive movement and the importance of discussing mortality openly.You can find Anita’s book, “The Day I Die” on her website: https://anitahannig.com. You can also find her on twitter @anitahannig.This podcast is produced by Larj Media.

Brittani Ard, from the podcast "You Probably Think This Story's About You", shares her raw, unfiltered story of navigating loss and a manipulative relationship, revealing how personal tragedy became the catalyst for her opening up  and mission to help other women. She offers a unique perspective on healing, discussing the unexpected empathy she developed for her ex-partner Kanan and what it taught her about recovery. Brittani provides an honest take on therapy, detailing what worked, what didn't, and how it shaped her journey. She explores the surprising role of laughter in dealing with grief and pain, and explains how she learned to use vulnerability as a superpower, turning perceived weaknesses into strengths.You can listen to “You Probably Think This Story’s About You” wherever you get your podcasts. And follow Brittani on social media @brittani.ard.This podcast is produced by Larj Media.

Kumi Naidoo is a prominent global activist. He is the former Secretary General of Amnesty International and Executive Director of Greenpeace. Kumi shares his life story from growing up in Apartheid South Africa to becoming a global activist for social and environmental justice. He talks about how personal tragedies, especially his mother's death by suicide when he was 15, and his son's death by suicide a few years ago, have shaped his life's purpose. Kumi reflects on his experiences as a student activist expelled from school, his time at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar, and his return to South Africa after Nelson Mandela's release. He emphasizes the importance of "artivism" - using arts and culture to inspire change - and shares his thoughts on climate activism and giving hope to young people.Kumi’s book is available for purchase: https://jacana.co.za/product/letters-to-my-mother/. You can follow him on social media @kuminaidoo. To learn more about his artivism work:https://www.instagram.com/artivismcon/This podcast is produced by Larj Media.

Alua Arthur is an entrepreneur, death doula, and New York Times bestselling author, who recently published her book, 'Briefly Perfectly Human.' Alua shares her life story from fleeing Ghana as a child to finding her calling after an unexpected conversation on a bus. In this episode, Alua discusses the transformative nature of starting conversations about mortality, the universal wisdom found in the process of dying, and the need for cultural and racial awareness in end-of-life care.Alua also talks about the importance of setting boundaries, the many emotions of grief, and the importance of humor and compassion in dealing with loss. Alua’s book, “Briefly Perfectly Human”  is available for purchase: https://www.aluaarthur.com/.  You can learn more about her work by following her on social media @alualoveslife. This podcast is produced by Larj Media.

From growing up in Apartheid South Africa to helping write the country's constitution, Louisa Zondo's life story is nothing short of extraordinary. We talk about her experiences as a young mother, her high-profile career, and the heartbreaking loss of her son Rikhado to suicide in 2022. Louisa shares openly about her grief and how she’s finding healing.You can learn more about Louisa’s amazing life and follow her on Instagram @louisazondo. Her book, “Dearest MaRiky: A Mother’s Journey through Grief, Trauma and Healing,” can be purchased on Amazon, here: https://www.amazon.com/Dearest-MaRiky-Mothers-Journey-through-ebook/dp/B0C81LH954This podcast is produced by Larj Media.

Mary-Frances O’Connor is a neuroscientist at the University of Arizona where she studies the impact of grief on the brain. Her work helps explain things like why we still expect our dead loved one to walk into the living room and why grief can feel so disorienting. As Mary-Frances explains, grief is a hormonal event, and understanding how it shows up in our brains can help us make sense of our own grief experience. In this episode, we cover how grief is really the brain learning to imagine a life with the absence of a loved one. Our brains know how to grieve. In fact, resilience is the most typical brain pattern of grieving.You can learn more about Mary-Frances’ work and find her book, “The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss,” at https://maryfrancesoconnor.org/This podcast is produced by Larj Media.

After a terminal brain cancer diagnosis, Cynthia Clark’s husband chose to have a medically assisted death when his treatment stopped working. Cynthia shares all about the grief of losing your partner while being his primary caregiver, how she parented young children who were also grieving and the nuance that comes with scheduling your death. In our last episode, we talked to Dr. Stefanie Green about her work as a MAID practitioner. My conversation with Cynthia is about what it’s like to experience MAID as a family member. She’s an advocate for families going through the MAID process and has a blueprint for how you can show up for a loved one who’s dying.You can Cynthia’s advocacy work and find her book, “The Many Faces of MAID: What to Expect When Someone You Know Chooses Medical Assistance in Dying” here: https://www.dyingwithdignity.ca/blog/the-many-faces-of-maid/This podcast is produced by Larj Media.

Stefanie Green, MD, was one of the first providers of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in Canada, when it became legal in 2016. Her book, This Is Assisted Dying: A Doctor's Story of Empowering Patients at the End of Life, chronicles her first year working in the field of MAID. In our conversation, Stefanie reflects on what has changed in her work in the past eight years, the people she’s met and how she created a national organization for physicians working in this field. She also shares how this work has shaped her own life and thoughts about death.You can learn more about Stefanie’s work and her book at https://www.stefaniegreen.com/

Claire Bidwell Smith knows grief well. When she was 14, both of her parents were diagnosed with cancer at the same time. Her mom died when Claire was only 18, and her dad died when she was 25. After getting her master's degree in clinical psychology and becoming a therapist, she worked with hospice. She's also written five books about grief, including her latest, Conscious Grieving: A Transformative Approach to Healing from Loss. In a culture that avoids sad feelings at all costs and where bereavement leave is severely inadequate, Claire gives us the tools and a map for embracing grief and incorporating it into life.You can learn more about Claire’s work and her books at https://clairebidwellsmith.com/

Julie Metzger has been teaching families about puberty for over 30 years. Her book, “Will Puberty Last My Whole Life?” and her course, Great Conversations, are amazing resources to help teens and families recognize and navigate the important transition to adulthood. In conversation, Julie and I draw parallels between puberty and death. Both are sacred experiences and periods of great transformation for our bodies and communities. We dig into the use of ritual, the importance of language when it comes to talking about the sacred, and a really fascinating thought exercise about what it means to be an adult. You can learn more about Julie’s work at https://greatconversations.com/

ALS is a heartbreaking disease. Just ask my guest Rachael King. Her husband, health care activist Ady Barkan, recently died from complications of ALS at age 39. They have two young children. Despite all that ALS took from Rachael and her family, they navigated the constant change and setbacks and found a way to live and be together for the six years that Ady lived with ALS. Rachael’s grief is still really fresh, yet she’s telling her story to carry on Ady’s legacy. She hopes to help other caregivers who are feeling overwhelmed and facing the impossible.You can learn more about Rachael’s work and her forthcoming book at: https://rachaelsking.com/

This episode is all about how to talk to kids about death. Experts Elena Lister and Michael Schwartzman both have decades of experience working with kids and families, in schools and private practice, to navigate conversations about death, dying and illness. Their book, “Giving Hope: Conversations with Children About Illness, Death, and Loss,” is both a practical how-to guide filled with tangible advice and a north star for open, honest conversations with kids about hard topics. This episode is not just for parents, it’s for anyone with kids in their life – from neighbors to coaches and teachers, aunts and uncles, etc. If you've ever been with a kid in your life and just know there's something big you want to say, and don't know how to say it, this episode is for you.You can find their book and more about their work at: https://michaelschwartzmanphd.com/https://www.elenalistermd.com/

Leslie Gray Streeter tells it like it is. Her husband, Scott, suddenly died one night when he was just 44 years old. Leslie chronicles that heartbreaking experience and the depths of her grief in her book, “Black Widow: A Sad, Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally Avoid Books with Words Like ‘Journey’ in the Title.” We discuss why humor is so essential for navigating grief, how you can’t take anything too seriously, what NOT to say to a grieving person and how she found catharsis in Keanu Reeves movies.You can find Leslie’s book and more about her work at https://lesliegraystreeter.com/

Sunita Puri is a palliative care doctor who chronicles her journey through medical school, fellowship and finding her specialty in her book, “That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour.” Sunita has an accomplished medical career and she’s also a brilliant writer. We talk about how her love of poetry and language directly serves her as a palliative care doctor, whose job it is to have hard, direct conversations with people at the end of their lives. If you or a loved one are navigating the medical system, this episode is for you. Her book is a must read if you’re considering medical school – Sunita’s candor and nuance about the grind of becoming a doctor and the opportunity to help people is refreshingly honest. You can find Sunita’s book and other work at https://sunitapuri.com/

This week, we’re re-releasing one of our earliest episodes, and still one of my favorite conversations. Author and activist Valarie Kaur shares personal stories from her work as an activist, which led her to write her book, “See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love.” Valarie’s message really resonated with me because she approaches strangers as if a part of them is a part of you that you don’t know yet. Her openness to conversations with strangers is deeply needed right now. We all need to promote love and understanding. She also shares the beautiful, tangible actions she uses for herself and her family to embrace mortality.You can find Valarie’s book and more about her work at https://valariekaur.com/

Michael Wiegers is the Editor-in-Chief at Copper Canyon Press, an independent nonprofit press that publishes award-winning poetry. Under his leadership over the past 30 plus years, CCP has published over 400 titles, including winners of the Pulizer and Nobel Prizes and the National Book Award. In this episode, Michael gives us a masterclass in poetry. If you’ve ever felt that poetry is unattainable, Michael will convince you otherwise. You’ll walk away with a reading list and his answer for why poets are always writing about death.You can learn more about Michael’s work and Copper Canyon Press at: https://www.coppercanyonpress.org/authors/michael-wiegers/

In her memoir, Poor Your Soul, Mira Ptacin explores the grief associated with losing a baby which is often hidden behind closed doors. Instead, she cracks it open and shares all the heartbreaking details of her grief. Just like our conversation, her book moves fluidly through time and shares another profound loss that shaped her family’s life. The particularly tender way her family grieved openly and continued living is profound. If you’re grieving, her honesty about how consuming grief can be is really validating. We also look at how grief and the stories we tell evolve over time, how Mira uses ritual in her own life, and even discuss her next book about the long-standing Spiritualist community in Maine and their take on the afterlife. You can find more of Mira’s recent writing and her two books at https://www.miramptacin.com/

Don Rosenstein and Justin Yopp are both psychiatrists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They started a support group for widowed fathers of young kids, whose partners died from cancer. The group was supposed to meet for six sessions, but ended up meeting regularly for nearly four years. Their book, “The Group: Seven Widowed Fathers Reimagine Life,” details the participants’ experiences and the role the support group played in grieving and healing. In this interview, Don and Justin reflect on the men’s unimaginable loss, recount key conversations they had together, and share what helped the men each find a path forward. The group found solace in their very specific shared experience as widowed fathers, but the insights about grief in this interview are relevant to a much wider audience.https://widowedparent.org/

Katy Butler is a journalist and author of two books, who spent years listening to hundreds of people’s stories of good and difficult deaths. She’s talked to countless experts in palliative care, geriatrics, hospice and oncology. Her conversations and research, paired with her own family’s story of being unable to turn off her father’s pacemaker at the end of his life, come together in her deeply practical and existential book, The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life. In this episode, Katy shares what she learned from each of her parents’ deaths, what she wants at the end of her life, what the research says most people want in their final chapters, and some specific and tangible advice for how to get there.

Lynne Twist is a globally recognized philanthropist and author of two books, including “The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life.” Death and money are two of the most difficult subjects to talk about with our loved ones. With Lynne's years of experience working with people of many different cultures, she shares a deep understanding of the role money plays in our lives. Lynne talks about money as a tool for peace in alignment with our values, and what to do with it when we die. There’s no right, one-size-fits-all answer, but we provide a roadmap of some of the questions we should ask ourselves, the decisions that must be made, and how to get started.

Dr. Edward Creagan spent four decades at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, working as a cancer specialist and then helping to develop the Mayo Clinic’s palliative care program. In his book and our conversation, Dr. Creagan shares his deep knowledge about how to navigate the medical system with refreshing honesty. He embodies a human-centered approach to medical care that focuses on quality of life and recognizes each person’s priorities and desires.

In our holiday episode, we’re highlighting some of my favorite conversations from this year, in hopes that you hear what you need. The holiday season can be a hard one for many of us, for so many different reasons. We revisit conversations about ritual, everyday awe, talking about end of life wishes with family, love and saying goodbye, and even the most recent science that explains how our brain works. If you need soothing words or something to talk about at the dinner table, we’ve got you covered.

If you’ve ever felt like you needed permission to grieve, or your grief just wasn’t understood by others, this book and this episode is for you. In her first book, The Dead Are Gods, Eirinie Carson opens the door on the shock and grief she felt after learning that her best friend died unexpectedly at age 32. In the midst of her confusion, sadness, and anger, there is also love. Eirinie and I get into the particular sting of losing someone young and the complicated job of remembering our loved one as a whole, flawed, messy, wonderful person.You can find Eirinie’s book and other writing here: https://www.eiriniecarson.com/

Larisa Garski and Justine Mastin are practicing therapists who have authored two books together. Their narrative approach to therapy centers on rewriting the stories about our lives that aren’t working and how play and fan fiction are some of the best tools for reimagining a better future. We talk about collective grief and public spaces, therapists taking on roles traditionally reserved for clergy members, and how they have dealt with their own grief alongside their clients. Justine and Larisa are great examples of how grace and humor help us navigate the hard parts of life.You can find their books here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/724011/the-grieving-therapist-by-larisa-a-garski-lmft/

Barbara Karnes is a pioneer of the modern hospice movement in the United States. She got her start as a hospice nurse when medical professionals didn’t know how to pronounce the word hospice, let alone understand what care it could provide their patients. Thirty five years ago when Barbara was helping set the standard of care for people at the end of their lives, she wrote Gone From My Sight. It is a little blue pamphlet that uses simple, straightforward language to explain the dying process. And it is still widely used today by hospice agencies across the country. In this episode, Barbara explains what hospice actually does and how it helps people. We also talk about the dying process – what to expect, what it looks like and sounds like and what you need to know if you’re caring for a loved one who is dying. You can learn more about Barbara’s advocacy work and buy all of her pamphlets here: https://bkbooks.com/

Poems are tools for existential work and Claudia Castro Luna’s poetry is our guide to a deeper understanding of place and belonging. Claudia was born in El Salvador and fled to the U.S. in 1981 at the age of 14. She writes about the grief of losing her first home and country in her book, Cipota Under The Moon, which she reads from in this episode. Claudia has put down roots, raised a family, and made Seattle her home. This sense of place is deeply tied to her work: Claudia is an Academy of American Poets Poet Laureate fellow, a Washington State Poet Laureate and Seattle’s first Civic Poet. We talk about the language of grief, her relationship with her grandmother and what it’s like to flee home.You can find Claudia’s poetry and learn more about her work here: https://www.claudiacastroluna.com/

Lucinda Herring has over 20 years of experience as a licensed funeral director and a home funeral guide. Her book, “Reimagining Death: Stories and Practical Wisdom for Home Funerals and Green Burials,” is a must-read for anyone considering alternative death care options or someone who is simply curious about the green funeral movement. In this episode, Lucinda gently debunks common myths about having a funeral at home. We also talk about our culture of unprocessed grief and how taking care of a loved one’s body after death can help us see death as a natural part of life.You can find additional resources for home funerals, Lucinda’s book and more about her work here: https://www.northatlanticbooks.com/shop/reimagining-death/https://lucindaherring.com/https://www.facebook.com/ReimaginingDeathBookThe National Home Funeral Alliance: https://www.homefuneralalliance.org/https://washingtonfuneral.org https://www.oregonfuneral.org/

Dacher Keltner is the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. He’s one of the world’s leading scientists who studies emotions and his latest book is all about Awe. In this episode, Dacher explains what his research reveals about awe, why we need it, and where to find it everyday. He also shares the deeply personal story of losing his brother to colon cancer, who he describes as his moral compass and a key source of awe in his life. You can learn more about Dacher Keltner’s work and find his book here:https://www.dacherkeltner.com/

Sheldon Solomon, a professor of psychology at Skidmore College, has spent his professional life studying humans’ fear of death and the wide ranging implications it has on how we live. He and his colleagues detail this idea, Terror Management Theory, and their countless studies about TMT in their book, The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life. In this episode, Sheldon explains how the fear of death governs our society and also shares his journey of personal reckoning with his cosmic insignificance. He also has some really accessible recommendations for starting to make peace with your own death.You can learn more about Sheldon’s work and find his book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/170217/the-worm-at-the-core-by-sheldon-solomon-jeff-greenberg-and-tom-pyszczynski/https://www.skidmore.edu/psychology/faculty/solomon.php

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist who suffered a stroke at 37 and spent the next eight years working towards recovery. She details that experience in her memoir and viral TedTalk from 2008. And now, she’s written another book that will forever change how we think about our brains. In Whole Brain Living: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life, Dr. Taylor explains how the common understanding of left brain, right brain is wrong. There are actually four distinct characters that make up who we are. In this episode, Dr. Taylor explains this critical framework for understanding our perception of reality and how we can apply that to death.Learn more about Dr. Taylor’s work and find her two books here: https://www.drjilltaylor.com/

Rebecca and her husband Hal were on the brink of divorce when Hal was handed a terminal cancer diagnosis. He died just months later. Her book gives us a really honest look at marriage, parenthood, cancer, grief and being a widow. We discuss all the nuances of grief, its lack of a timeline and what death means when the relationship is complicated.Find her book and her other work on her website https://rebeccawoolf.com/

In the wake of a terminal cancer diagnosis, Barbara and her late husband, Bob, kept on living. In fact, they partied. Barbara details how she helped preserve Bob’s humanity in the face of death. Everything from the themed parties Bob hosted from his hospice bed to how she swabbed his lips with his favorite scotch at the very end. Barbara advocated for Bob, carried out his final wishes and weathered her grief from a place of deep intuition and strength that surprised even herself.https://www.barbaralazearascher.com/

Reverend Deborah L Johnson (Rev D) shares the story of her remarkable call to ministry as a teenager and how she got there on her own time. Since then, she’s done extensive hospice work through her omnifaith outreach ministry: Inner Light Ministries. Rev D also shares the very personal experience of her mother’s passing one year ago at the age of 96.https://www.innerlightministries.com/about-us/rev-deborah-johnson/

Ever wonder why funerals look the way they do? Fourth-generation funeral director Todd Harra explains the evolution of the industry in America. Todd shares fascinating and little-known details of everything from the shape of caskets to how Abraham Lincoln created an embalming craze. We dig into why some practices have fallen by the wayside, why others have stuck around and what Todd thinks about the future of funerals.https://www.toddharra.com/

Father and distinguished professor WJT Mitchell (Tom) lost his son, Gabe, to schizophrenia. Tom details how Gabe embraced the term “madness” in order to normalize the challenges of living with schizophrenia. Tom also shares how their family grieved together after Gabe’s death, and how he’s still ever-present in their lives.About WJT Mitchell: https://english.uchicago.edu/people/w-j-t-mitchellHis book is, “Mental Traveler: A Father, a Son, and a Journey Through Schizophrenia” If you’re in the greater Chicago area and are looking for mental health resources, please visit https://www.thresholds.org/

Dr. Anita Sanchez shares Indigenous wisdom for living in today’s world. A big focus of the conversation is about forgiving the unforgivable. She explains how forgiveness can come even after someone has died. Anita also shares the beautiful story of her mother’s death, and what a peaceful exit means to her.You can learn more about Anita's work at https://anita-sanchez.com/

Gratefulness expert Kristi Nelson describes how facing death at a young age transformed how she faces life. For Kristi, being grateful isn’t a sustained state of being. It’s an everyday practice to befriend impermanence and live in the moment. While undergoing cancer treatment in her 30s, she also had to rewrite the death narrative in her family to accept that death isn’t always a failure of will. You can learn more about Kristi's work at https://grateful.org/kristi-nelson/

Father and architect Adam Robarts shares the intimate story of his son, Haydn, facing a cancer diagnosis at age 19 and the fight for life-saving treatments that were ultimately unsuccessful. Adam describes how his family navigated hospice at home at their family cabin during Haydn’s final weeks of life. As their family faced an enormous loss, they were extremely intentional about how they spent their time and ensured that Haydn had a peaceful exit.https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Nineteen/Adam-J-T-Robarts/9781682452004

Activist Valerie Kaur shares with us some of her transformative experiences with death and the way grieving in community expanded her capacity for joy. She gives us practical advice for how we can start these conversations with our loved ones and face the hard stuff together.https://valariekaur.com/