Episodes

  • Grief and Longing: Is Your Pain Trying to Transform You? with Chris Sansone | EP 513

    Grief and Longing: Is Your Pain Trying to Transform You? with Chris Sansone | EP 513
    Nov 11 2026
    Grief and Longing: Why Your Loss May Be a Sacred Signal with Chris SansoneWhat if the ache you feel after loss is a signal from your soul, one asking you to listen instead of fix?In this episode, I sit down with author and spiritual coach Chris Sansone to explore grief and longing. Chris shares how he began writing his book in the winter of COVID, just after his father passed and while his mother was in hospice. You'll hear how a medium's guidance, a late-night poem, and eight tablets of handwriting became Longing: A Pilgrimage to Your Quiet Power Within.Together we talk about what Chris calls "sacred calamities," the moments that shake us to our foundations, and how to tell the difference between pain that simply wounds and pain that is trying to transform you. We also explore why you can't bypass the hard parts of grief, why pushback on "silver linings" is natural, and why you won't go back to who you were (and may not want to).We also go into past life regression: what a session looks like, why you stay in control the whole time, and how it can bring peace to unresolved grief, fear, and unfinished business. Chris closes with a simple first step anyone can take to begin listening to their own longing.In this episode, you'll hear:Why longing gets loudest in grief when everything familiar has fallen awayHow Chris wrote his book while grieving both of his parentsWhy spirit sometimes comes through a medium with a playful puzzle instead of a nameWhat "sacred calamity" means, and why it never means bypassing the painWhy Chris calls grief a pilgrimage and not just a journeyWhat Hoffman Institute retreats taught Chris about the deeper yearning in every personHow past life regression works and why people keep control throughoutHow knowing that life continues can bring lightness to grief without taking away the sadnessA simple first step toward your own longing: 5 to 15 minutes of stillness a dayAbout Chris SansoneChris Sansone is an author, spiritual coach, and teacher with a PhD in human development, coaching certification through the Coactive Training Institute, training in trauma response, and certification in past life regression therapy. Through his practice, Live Life Soul, based in Boulder, Colorado, he walks alongside people in life-defining seasons of change, helping them uncover what's beneath the noise of daily life, heal old wounds, and reconnect with their sense of purpose.Connect with ChrisWebsite: https://livelifesoul.com Book: Longing: A Pilgrimage to Your Quiet Power Within, available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever books are sold. You can also ask your local bookstore to order it.Take it with youWhat resonated with you in this conversation? Is there a longing you've been trying to fix that you might try listening to instead? Share your thoughts in the comments of the companion article, where you can connect with me and with other listeners: https://grief2growth.substack.comIf this episode touched you, please share it with someone who is grieving. You never know who needs to hear it today.Let's ConnectAll my links: https://pages.grief2growth.com/profile Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/grief2growth Tip jar: https://www.grief2growth.com/tipjar Email list: https://pages.grief2growth.com/join-the-club Free consult: https://grief2growth.as.me/30-minute-consultYou've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back. I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.https://grief2g Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth. I've been studying Near Death Experiences for many years now. I am 100% convinced they are real. In this short, free ebook, I not only explain why I believe NDEs are real, I share some of the universal secrets brought back by people who have had them.https://www.grief2growth.com/ndelessonsSupport the show🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join me on Substack- connect with others and me 👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)📰 Get A Free Gift📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call📈 Leave A ReviewThanks so much for your support
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Can AI Become Conscious? What Does That Mean About Your Soul? - with Bruce D. Randall | EP 511

    Can AI Become Conscious? What Does That Mean About Your Soul? - with Bruce D. Randall | EP 511
    Oct 27 2026
    Can AI become conscious? And what does that question reveal about you?In this episode of Grief 2 Growth, I sit down with Bruce Randall, a Reiki master and author who spent 25 years leading cloud and AI transformation at companies like Oracle and AT&T. Bruce has lived in both worlds, the boardroom and the meditation cushion, and he brings both to a conversation about what happens where artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and the human soul meet.You’ll hear why grief belongs in a conversation about technology, how Bruce’s own losses in 2020 changed him, and why he believes the more you expand your consciousness, the more you stay human as the world speeds up. If you’ve ever felt a flicker of unease about where all of this is headed, this conversation will meet you right there.🎧 What You’ll Hear✨ How Bruce defines consciousness, and why he believes you can develop yours✨ What AI really is, how it works through probabilities, and why it can sound like it understands you when it doesn’t✨ The Chinese room thought experiment and why AI hallucinations matter✨ How Neuralink is bringing humans and technology together, and the questions it raises✨ Why intuition, the soul, and life beyond biology set you apart from any machine✨ Free will, life guardrails, and the idea that we choose our lessons before we arrive✨ Who is in charge of AI ethics, and the paperclip problem✨ Consciousness as a field, and why unexplainable healing keeps challenging old paradigms✨ How to prepare for the AI future, including the jobs and skills that will matter👤 About Bruce RandallBruce Randall is an author, Reiki master, and technology leader who spent 25 years guiding cloud and AI transformation at companies including Oracle and AT&T. After a season of profound loss, he deepened his meditation and inner work, studied data science at MIT, and began writing about how we bridge AI and human consciousness. His books include The AI Human Paradox, The Quantum Human Paradox, The QAI Human Paradox, and The End of Smart.🔗 Connect with BruceWebsite and white papers on consciousness, AI, and quantum (under the Insights tab): brucedrandall.aiBooks: Find them on Amazon under Bruce D. Randall💬 Join the ConversationI’d love to hear from you.What resonated with you most in this conversation?Have you ever known something you couldn’t explain, a feeling or an intuition that turned out to be right?Where do you see the line between enhancing yourself with technology and losing yourself?Head to grief2growth.substack.com to read the companion article, leave a comment, and connect with me and other listeners.💜 If this episode meant something to you, share it with someone who has been wondering about the same questions. Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth so you never miss a conversation.You've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back. I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.https://grief2g Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth. I've been studying Near Death Experiences for many years now. I am 100% convinced they are real. In this short, free ebook, I not only explain why I believe NDEs are real, I share some of the universal secrets brought back by people who have had them.https://www.grief2growth.com/ndelessonsSupport the show🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join me on Substack- connect with others and me 👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)📰 Get A Free Gift📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call📈 Leave A ReviewThanks so much for your support
    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • Overcoming Fear of Death: What a Sphere of Light Taught Kara Goodwin | EP 511

    Overcoming Fear of Death: What a Sphere of Light Taught Kara Goodwin | EP 511
    Oct 20 2026


    What if your fear of death isn't something to hide or manage, but something pointing you toward a bigger truth? 🌱

    After the loss of her sister-in-law Michelle, followed by a wave of heartbreak that kept arriving, Kara Goodwin turned to meditation just to get through each day. What she found changed how she sees life, death, and the light within her.

    In this conversation, Kara shares how grief cracked her open, how a lifelong fear of death became the hidden engine behind her spiritual curiosity, and the experiences that sound remarkably like near-death experiences, even though she never left her body behind. If you've ever had a moment of light or knowing that didn't fit in the "inbox," you'll feel right at home.

    In this episode, you'll hear:

    ✨ How a season of loss led Kara to meditation, and how meditation led her back to God
    ✨ Why a healer in Assisi told her she wasn't praying, and what changed after that
    ✨ What Kara experienced in the hypnagogic state, the space between awake and asleep
    ✨ How a planet-sized sphere of light and a tiny pinpoint of light showed her how we create our reality
    ✨ Why sharing sacred, unexplainable experiences gives other people permission to share theirs

    About Kara Goodwin

    Kara Goodwin is the host of the Soul Elevation Podcast, a certified meditation teacher, a Reiki master, and the author of Your Authentic Awakening: A Guide to Everyday Spiritual Living. She has spent years learning to sit with fear instead of running from it, and she writes and speaks about the everyday practice of spiritual living.

    Connect with Kara

    🌐 Website: https://www.karagoodwin.com/
    ▶️ Soul Elevation Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soulelevationpodcast

    Join the conversation

    What resonated with you in Kara's story? Have you had an experience of light or knowing that you couldn't quite explain? Has your own fear of death ever turned out to be a doorway?

    Read the companion article and share your thoughts with me and other listeners at grief2growth.substack.com

    If this episode touched you, please share it with someone who might need to hear it today. 💜

    If you are struggling after a loss, you don't have to carry it alone. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 at any time.

    You've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.

    Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back.

    I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.

    All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.

    https://grief2g

    Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth.

    I've been studying Near Death Experiences for many years now. I am 100% convinced they are real. In this short, free ebook, I not only explain why I believe NDEs are real, I share some of the universal secrets brought back by people who have had them.

    https://www.grief2growth.com/ndelessons

    Support the show

    🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join me on Substack- connect with others and me
    👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
    📰 Get A Free Gift
    📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
    📈 Leave A Review

    Thanks so much for your support
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 6 mins
  • What To Say Instead of “I’m Sorry for Your Loss” | Emilio Parga | EP 510

    What To Say Instead of “I’m Sorry for Your Loss” | Emilio Parga | EP 510
    Oct 13 2026
    You’ve been there. Someone you care about has just lost a person they love, and you freeze. You want to say the right thing, so you say “I’m sorry for your loss,” or you say nothing at all.In this episode, pediatric thanatologist Emilio Parga gives you something better. After 24 years of guiding children, teens, families, schools, workplaces, and athletic teams through loss, he shares simple, practical words you can use today. You’ll hear why talking about death is a skill you can learn, why a one-minute text can mean more than you think, and why you never have to be afraid of saying a person’s name.We also talk about the children who are too often overlooked, the siblings Emilio calls “the forgotten mourners,” and what it really means to move forward with your grief instead of moving on from it.About Emilio PargaEmilio Parga is a pediatric thanatologist and the leader of The Solace Tree, a nonprofit that has supported children, teens, and adults from ages 3 to 93 for 24 years. A former teacher, special needs educator, adaptive PE teacher, coach, and school counselor, Emilio has made it his life’s work to teach the adults around grieving kids, including parents, teachers, coaches, and entire companies, how to stop going silent and start showing up. The Solace Tree offers weekly family support, a grief camp for kids at Lake Tahoe, and national Zoom groups, including groups focused on suicide loss and groups for men.🔗 The Solace Tree: https://www.solacetree.orgIn this episode, you’ll hear:✨ What to say instead of “I’m sorry for your loss,” and why asking “What was their name?” opens the door ✨ Why siblings are the “forgotten mourners” and how to help them feel seen ✨ Why kids and teens often hide their grief, and why peer support matters ✨ How to keep showing up long after the first year, with a one-minute text or a reminder in your phone ✨ How seasons, anniversaries, and favorite times of year can bring grief rushing back ✨ How to offer specific help instead of “let me know if you need anything” ✨ Why Emilio and Brian prefer “moving forward” and “moving together” to “moving on” ✨ What the Girl Scouts taught Emilio about disenfranchised grief, from great-grandmothers to a beloved pet goatMemorable moments💬 “What’s mentionable is manageable,” the idea Emilio carries from Mr. Rogers into his work 💬 Why most people light up when you ask about their loved one 💬 The one question Emilio suggests when you get awkward: “What’s one funny thing about them?”Now it’s your turn💜 What resonated with you most in this conversation? 💜 Who in your life could use a one-minute “I’ve been thinking about you” this week? 💜 What is one thing you wish someone had said to you after your loss?Share your thoughts in the comments on the companion article at grief2growth.substack.com. I read every one, and your story may be exactly what another listener needs to hear.Connect with Brian🔗 All my links: https://pages.grief2growth.com/profile 📰 Email list: https://pages.grief2growth.com/join-the-club ⏰ Free consult: https://grief2growth.as.me/30-minute-consultYou've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back. I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.https://grief2g Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth. I've been studying Near Death Experiences for many years now. I am 100% convinced they are real. In this short, free ebook, I not only explain why I believe NDEs are real, I share some of the universal secrets brought back by people who have had them.https://www.grief2growth.com/ndelessonsSupport the show🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join me on Substack- connect with others and me 👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)📰 Get A Free Gift📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call📈 Leave A ReviewThanks so much for your support
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Autism and Grief: Why Closure Is a Myth with Christopher Carazas | EP 509

    Autism and Grief: Why Closure Is a Myth with Christopher Carazas | EP 509
    Oct 7 2026

    What if nothing is wrong with you because your grief hasn't "resolved"? 🌱

    Autism and grief is a conversation that rarely gets space, and in this episode Christopher Carazas gives it room. Chris was diagnosed as autistic in 2020, after he had already built the life he thought he was supposed to want. Soon after, he lost his marriage, his home, and his sense of who he was. Later, he lost Katie, the woman who helped him begin to heal.

    Chris doesn't tie his story up with a bow, and neither do we. You'll hear what grief looks like when you process the world differently, why the "triumph over tragedy" story can leave you feeling like you're failing, and how to carry grief without pretending it will ever be neat.

    If you've been told you should be further along by now, this conversation is for you. If you love someone who is neurodivergent and grieving, you'll leave knowing how to show up for them. 💛

    In this episode, you'll hear:

    ✨ Why closure is a myth, and what grief looks like when it becomes part of you
    ✨ How autism and grief can collide, from rumination to struggling to cry
    ✨ Why Chris pushes back on the "survival as redemption arc" story
    ✨ How to grieve the future you imagined, and shift from "why me?" to "why for me?"
    ✨ The backpack of stones, and why the weight changes even when it never leaves
    ✨ Katie's hidden notes, and how Chris uses them when old voices get loud
    ✨ What Chris's lighthouse is, and how it guides his days
    ✨ Simple, powerful ways to support a neurodivergent friend or family member in grief

    About Christopher Carazas

    Christopher Carazas is a social impact strategist and the author of Now That I'm Still Here: A Memoir of Ruin and Resurrection. Through his Substack newsletter of the same name, he writes about survival, storytelling, mental health, humor, and hope after ruin. His work lives at the intersection of grief, neurodivergence, and the long, unglamorous aftermath of psychological trauma.

    Connect with Chris

    📚 Website and book: https://www.chriscarazas.com
    📰 Substack: https://ccarazas.substack.com
    📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christopher.carazas.2025
    📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christophercarazas

    What resonated with you?

    💭 Have you ever wondered why you weren't crying, and whether that meant you didn't love them enough?
    💭 What would it change if you stopped waiting for closure and started building a life around your grief?
    💭 What is your lighthouse right now?

    Share your thoughts in the comments on the companion article and join the conversation with me and other listeners: https://grief2growth.substack.com

    💜 If this episode touched you, share it with one person who needs to hear they're not behind.

    🔔 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth so you never miss an episode.

    You've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.

    Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back.

    I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.

    All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.

    https://grief2g

    Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth.

    I've been studying Near Death Experiences for many years now. I am 100% convinced they are real. In this short, free ebook, I not only explain why I believe NDEs are real, I share some of the universal secrets brought back by people who have had them.

    https://www.grief2growth.com/ndelessons

    Support the show

    🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join me on Substack- connect with others and me
    👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
    📰 Get A Free Gift
    📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
    📈 Leave A Review

    Thanks so much for your support
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr
  • You Only Grieve Because You Loved | Carl Manlan on Loss, Healing & Fatherhood | EP 508

    You Only Grieve Because You Loved | Carl Manlan on Loss, Healing & Fatherhood | EP 508
    Sep 29 2026

    What if grief isn’t only something we survive—but something that reveals how deeply we’ve loved?

    In this episode of Grief 2 Growth, I sit down with Carl Manlan, author of I Can Breathe, for a powerful conversation about grief, fatherhood, emotional healing, identity, and legacy.

    Carl lost his father as a young man. Years later, becoming a father himself brought some of that grief back to the surface and raised a profound question: How do you become the father you want to be when you can no longer have those conversations with your own father?

    We also explore something many men struggle to discuss: expressing emotions and asking for help. As two Black men raised in different parts of the world, Carl and I discovered surprising similarities in how we experienced love growing up—and how we're trying to do things differently with the next generation.

    Carl also shares how unexpectedly losing his job became a turning point that helped him finish I Can Breathe.

    One insight captures the heart of our conversation:

    “You only experience grief because you loved.”

    In this episode, we explore:

    • Grieving a parent and carrying that relationship forward
    • Men, vulnerability, counseling, and emotional health
    • Separating your identity from your career
    • Responding instead of reacting to life's challenges
    • Raising emotionally aware children
    • Turning loss into legacy
    • The story behind Carl’s I Can Breathe

    📖 Carl’s book: I Can Breathe — available on Amazon

    🔗 Connect with Carl: LinkedIn and Instagram

    💬 Continue the conversation:
    https://grief2growth.substack.com

    What part of Carl’s story resonated with you? Join us on Substack and share your experience with the Grief 2 Growth community.

    You've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.

    Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back.

    I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.

    All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.

    https://grief2g

    Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth.

    I've been studying Near Death Experiences for many years now. I am 100% convinced they are real. In this short, free ebook, I not only explain why I believe NDEs are real, I share some of the universal secrets brought back by people who have had them.

    https://www.grief2growth.com/ndelessons

    Support the show

    🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join me on Substack- connect with others and me
    👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)
    📰 Get A Free Gift
    📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call
    📈 Leave A Review

    Thanks so much for your support
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Preserving the Memories of Those You Love- with Alexander Josephson | EP 507

    Preserving the Memories of Those You Love- with Alexander Josephson | EP 507
    Sep 24 2026
    What if the memories of someone you love had a real place to live, and you could walk through them whenever you needed to?In this episode, I talk with architect Alexander Josephson about how to preserve memories of a loved one, and why grief may be something you move through rather than something you get over.Alexander is the founder of Partisans, an award-winning design studio in Toronto. While sitting in a hospital room with his father, he listened to him dictate what he wanted on his tombstone, and realized a name and two dates were far too small for the story. That moment led him to build Cumulus, a living digital memorial you can add to, share with family, and return to for years.I also talk about my daughter Shayna, who passed in 2015, and why I have never wanted her to be tied to one location. If you carry the fear that someone you love will be forgotten, or you have wondered where they are now, this conversation is for you.In this episode, you'll discover:✨ Why the "three deaths" idea makes community and storytelling so important✨ How a $3 million tomb that was never built became a living, breathing memorial✨ Why the body is temporary and the memories are what carry meaning✨ How one family invited 90 people into a shared cloud, with pins from a golf course in Scotland to the middle of the Atlantic✨ Why cemeteries can feel so disorienting, and where our loved ones are✨ How a digital stone at a grave can bring their story to you with a tap of your phoneAbout Alexander Josephson:Alexander Josephson is an architect and the founder of Partisans, an award-winning design studio in Toronto. He is also the founder of Cumulus, a digital memorial platform designed to hold the photos, stories, voices, and memories of the people we love. He is a new father to two daughters under two, and he is already making time capsules for them in his own Cumulus.Links and resources:Cumulus website: https://cumulus.worldCumulus Companion app: search "Cumulus Companion" in the App Store or Google PlayInstagram: Cumulus WorldTry Cumulus free on the app or the website.Join the conversation:Read the companion article and share your thoughts at https://grief2growth.substack.comWhat resonated with you? Tell me in the comments:💜 Who do you want to make sure is remembered, and what story would you want to keep?💜 When you think of your loved one, where do you feel them?💜 What is one memory you could add to a shared space today?If this episode touched you, please share it with someone who is carrying a loss, and subscribe so you never miss a conversation.– – – Let's Connect: – – –🔗 All my links: https://pages.grief2growth.com/profile🔗 Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/grief2growth👛 Tip jar: https://www.grief2growth.com/tipjar📰 Email list: https://pages.grief2growth.com/join-the-club⏰ Free consult: https://grief2growth.as.me/30-minute-consultYou've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back. I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.https://grief2g Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth. I've been studying Near Death Experiences for many years now. I am 100% convinced they are real. In this short, free ebook, I not only explain why I believe NDEs are real, I share some of the universal secrets brought back by people who have had them.https://www.grief2growth.com/ndelessonsSupport the show🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Join me on Substack- connect with others and me 👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)📰 Get A Free Gift📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call📈 Leave A ReviewThanks so much for your support
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • Grief Stored in the Body: Dr. Karyn Shanks on Why Illness Isn't a Failure | EP 506

    Grief Stored in the Body: Dr. Karyn Shanks on Why Illness Isn't a Failure | EP 506
    Sep 22 2026

    What if your body isn't broken — it's trying to tell you something?

    In this episode of Grief 2 Growth, Brian sits down with Dr. Karyn Shanks, a physician who spent over 40 years learning what medical school never taught her — including from her own chronic illness journey. Together, they explore why grief and trauma get physically stored in the body, why our medical system struggles to treat chronic illness, and why feeling truly seen may matter more to healing than any prescription.

    About Dr. Karyn Shanks:
    Karyn Shanks, MD is a physician-healer-teacher-writer based in Iowa City, board-certified in Internal Medicine and Functional Medicine. After her own decades-long journey through Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Lyme encephalitis, she founded the Unbroken Academy and developed a framework built on epigenetics, neuroplasticity, systems-based functional medicine, and transformational psychology. She's trained in Dr. Gabor Maté's Compassionate Inquiry, and is the author of UnBroken: Reclaim Your Wholeness and HEAL: A Nine-Stage Roadmap to Recover Energy.

    🔗 Website: karynshanksmd.com

    Key topics covered:

    • Why grief is a "huge part of the human experience" that shows up physically in the body
    • Karyn's own health journey — from unexplained fatigue to an Ehlers-Danlos diagnosis to recovering from Lyme encephalitis
    • Why Western medicine excels at acute, catastrophic care but struggles with chronic illness
    • Epigenetics and neuroplasticity — why your biology isn't fixed
    • The placebo effect as proof of the mind's power to heal the body
    • What Compassionate Inquiry (Gabor Maté's framework) taught Karyn about trauma and self-compassion
    • Why grief gets "stored in the body" and has to be worked through, not medicated away
    • Why we're ashamed of grief, and how "get back to work" culture cuts healing short
    • Reframing illness as wisdom and communication, not failure or fault

    💬 What resonated with you? Head over to grief2growth.substack.com to share your thoughts and continue the conversation.

    You've been listening. You're doing the work. But there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place.

    Maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back.

    I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you.

    All of it, pay what you want. You decide what it's worth. Nobody gets turned away because of money.

    https://grief2g

    Want to go deeper? My Substack is where I share solo essays on grief, consciousness, and continuing bonds — thoughts that don't always make it into the podcast. It's also home to a community of listeners who get it, because they're living it too. Free to subscribe. Find it at substack.com/grief2growth.

    I've been studying Near Death Experiences for many years now. I am 100% convinced they are real. In this short, free ebook, I not only explain why I believe NDEs are real, I share some of the universal secrets brought back by people who have had them.

    https://www.grief2growth.com/ndelessons

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    1 hr and 5 mins