In this episode I sit down with Sarah Baldwin, co-founder and CEO of Restfully, to explore a concept that can change the way we understand grief: grief personas.

We often expect grief to look a certain way. Lots of tears, deep sadness, and a clear emotional timeline. But anyone who has experienced loss (or supported someone through it) knows that grief doesn’t follow a script.

Sarah shares how the idea of grief personas helps explain these differences and why recognizing them can reduce conflict, increase empathy, and help us support each other better after loss.

If you’ve ever wondered why your sibling, partner, or friend seems to grieve so differently than you do, this conversation will help you understand what’s really going on and how to meet each other with more compassion.

You can find Sarah at: https://restfullycare.com

Want to Join the Good Grief Society? Join the Waitlist now! https://www.nikkithedeathdoula.com/good-grief-waitlist

Have a burning question for Nikki the Death Doula? Leave me a message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/458190/1/9pa2xynf4iwbj6p1

Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here:

https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

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TW: Some discussions of addiction

What happens when someone you’re not close to dies… and you’re the one legally responsible?

In this episode, I sit down with Cat, host of Call Her Cat, to talk about the death of her father—whom she was estranged from at the time of his passing. Despite the distance in their relationship, Cat stepped in as his Medical Power of Attorney, made end-of-life decisions, and arranged his funeral.

We explore what it’s like to grieve someone you had a complicated history with. The love that may have existed. The hurt that definitely did. The expectations from others. And the internal tug-of-war between duty, resentment, tenderness, and relief.

You can find Cat’s podcast here: https://unityyork.podbean.com/

Want to Join the Good Grief Society? Join the Waitlist now! https://www.nikkithedeathdoula.com/good-grief-waitlist

Have a burning question for Nikki the Death Doula? Leave me a message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/458190/1/9pa2xynf4iwbj6p1

Support me on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here: https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

Get merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

TW: mass casualty events, pandemic, light political topics

A lot of people are asking the same quiet question: Why do I feel so heavy right now?

In this episode, I unpack the concept of collective grief and why so many of us feel exhausted, anxious, numb, or on edge. You are not weak. You are not broken. You are responding to brokenness.

We explore what grief actually is beyond death loss, and the kind of sorrow that never gets acknowledged publicly.

If you have felt “off” for years, this conversation might connect some dots.

We also look at historical patterns of collective grief, including moments like September 11 attacks, the Vietnam War, etc. Some grief was repressed. Some was transformed into movements. Where do we see those echoes now?

Let’s talk honestly about why navigating grief feels harder today.

Want to Join the Good Grief Society? Join the Waitlist now! https://www.nikkithedeathdoula.com/good-grief-waitlist

Have a burning question for Nikki the Death Doula? Leave me a message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/458190/1/9pa2xynf4iwbj6p1

Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here:

https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

Get merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

Hey all, scheduling was rough so I’m tossing up this rewind episode from 2024. We will be back next week!!

Want to Join the Good Grief Society? Join the Waitlist now! https://www.nikkithedeathdoula.com/good-grief-waitlist

Have a burning question for Nikki he Death Doula? Leave me a message here: https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/458190/1/9pa2xynf4iwbj6p1

Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here: https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

Get merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

Content warning: Some cursing.

What happens when you lose your mother… and still have to show up to work on Monday?

In this deeply honest conversation, I sit down with Sarah Kagan of Keriah Coaching to talk about something we do not address nearly enough: grief in the workplace. Together, we explore how losing our mothers shaped not only our personal lives, but also how we experienced professional environments during one of the most vulnerable seasons of our lives.

You can find Sarah here: https://www.keriahcoaching.com/

Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here:

https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

Get merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

Hospice care is one of the most misunderstood parts of end-of-life support. And that misunderstanding often keeps people from getting the comfort, care, and dignity they deserve.

In this episode I’m joined by members of the team from Caring House, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing compassionate, holistic hospice care and end-of-life support. We talk honestly about what hospice care actually is (and what it is not), when it’s appropriate, and how compassionate care can transform the final chapter of life for both patients and their loved ones.

We also explore how hospice isn’t about “giving up,” but about shifting the focus from cure to comfort, from fear to presence, and from doing everything to doing what truly matters.

Whether you’re caring for someone with a terminal illness, navigating difficult decisions, or simply want to be better informed before a crisis hits, this conversation offers clarity, reassurance, and a whole lot of humanity.

https://www.yourcaringhouse.org/

https://www.yourcaringhouse.org/support-us

https://www.yourcaringhouse.org/coffee-event-2026

Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here:

https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

Get merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

Jennifer Landon of Your Grief Matters returns to the podcast for a heartfelt, honest conversation about what grief actually looks like when we stop trying to tidy it up.

Jennifer was one of my very first guests when this podcast began, and having her back feels like coming home. Only with more wisdom, more lived experience, and even deeper compassion for how messy grief can be. Together, we talk about losing our mothers, sudden death versus anticipated death, and how we’ve both grown in the last 4 years

You can find Jennifer here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferllandon/

https://yourgriefmatters.co/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/866256221464175

Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here:

https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

Get merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

Death isn’t just hard because it hurts. It’s hard because it ends things. And humans are spectacularly bad at accepting endings.

In this episode, I talk about why the finality of death messes with our brains and hearts so deeply. We’ll look at the quiet (and not-so-quiet) ways we avoid accepting that someone is really gone.

This isn’t about shaming those coping mechanisms. They’re normal. They’re human. And honestly? They often show up before we’re ready to face the truth.

Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here:

https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

Get merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday