Grief and Rebirth: Finding the Joy in Life

Latest Episodes:

AJ Coleman: He lost his 33-year-old wife to brain cancer, leaving him alone to raise their 1-year-old daughter. He also faced accepting his hearing impairment, learning to deal with anxiety, panic attacks, and recovering from job losses. Yet, through it all, he embraced, accepted, and grew. Sep 27, 2023

Show notes

AJ experienced devastating grief when he lost his 33-year-old wife Cory to brain cancer, leaving him alone to raise their 1-year-old daughter Zoey. He also faced accepting his hearing impairment, learning to deal with anxiety and panic attacks, and recovering from job losses. But rather than succumbing to despair, AJ chose to embrace, accept, and grow from the challenges before him.

After he started his Keep Those Feet Moving blog in 2013 to share his advice, experiences, and philosophical wisdom with the world, close friends, and family members, who were all astonished by how AJ was able to stay strong after losing his precious Cory, encouraged him to write his book Keep Those Feet Moving: A Widower’s 8 Step Guide to Surviving and Thriving Against All Odds.

In Keep Those Feet Moving, which is AJ’s gift to people who are suffering losses and challenges, he offers wise actions that can be taken to move beyond difficulties and toward happiness. Be sure to listen in as AJ, who is now a Grief-Resilience Mentor, shares his remarkable story with impressive honesty, vulnerability, and strength!

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR THINGS LIKE:

The “life script” that AJ believes is already partially written when we are born, and the stopping points and forks in the road that can be life-altering and influence our life script.
How AJ overcame the bullying and resulting social challenges he endured during his childhood due to his hearing impairment, and how he did not let his impairment define him.
Losing Cory when he was 33 years old led AJ to discover his life’s mission.
AJ’s “why” vs. “where” principle when it comes to coping with different types of grief and moving forward.
The ways AJ perceives Cory is now an angel in his and Zoey’s life.
How AJ has handled the tough questions Zoey has asked him about her mom.
AJ’s 5 steps to success as a single parent.
AJ’s experiences with job loss, and how he bounced back each time.

SOME QUESTIONS IRENE ASKS AJ COLEMAN:

Why do you compare losing someone you love with a marathon?
What healing modalities have you utilized to overcome trauma, panic attacks, anxiety, and guilt about dating once again?
What would you like to explain to us about our “comfort zones” and “trade-offs?”
What do you mean when you say that “you are your own power source?”
What is your wise guidance about finding happiness no matter what obstacles are in the way?
How did the spiritual transformation you had in Israel change your understanding of your life’s purpose, your hearing impairment, and all the setbacks you have experienced?

Follow AJ on Instagram | Facebook

Check Out “Keep Those Feet Moving”: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Keep Those Feet Moving: A Widower’s 8-Step Guide to Coping with Grief and Thriving Against All Odds

Julia Samuel MBE: Did you know that 15% of mental health disorders can come from unresolved grief? Sep 22, 2023

Show notes

Julia Samuel MBE is a highly regarded psychotherapist and author in the UK whose work and insights into grief and trauma are prolific and profound. Her many accomplishments and accolades include being a Founder Patron of the leading national charity Child Bereavement UK, being appointed a Member of the British Empire for her services to bereaved parents of babies, becoming a vice president of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, writing three wise, transformative books about grief, and hosting a podcast called Therapy Works. In 2021, Julia launched her truly remarkable Grief Works app, which has earned over 1000 five-star reviews. It is a fantastic mobile application for IOS and Android that helps the bereaved navigate their grief, transforming the often-overwhelming grief journey into a reflective, supportive, and positive experience step by step, and literally at a person’s fingertips. The Grief Works app makes an incredible, meaningful gift of healing from those who wish to support a loved one or a friend who is experiencing the difficult and painful journey of grief, and it is also a special gift a grieving person can give him or herself. Tune in to this powerful, insights-filled episode with Julia Samuel today!

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE:

What moved Julia to work with grieving individuals as her lifelong mission and purpose.
The wonderful work Child Bereavement UK does to support grieving families and train professionals.
What inspired Julia to create the Grief Works app, her nurturing, healing resource for anyone trying to cope with the death of a loved one.
Why loss of identity is a common side effect of grief.
The comprehensive course in the Grief Works app that helps a person work through grief for a mere 15 minutes a day.
How Julia’s Eight Pillars of Strength help those who are grieving become more able to cope with life.

SOME QUESTIONS IRENE ASKS JULIA:

What are the Stages of Grief and why is grief a naturally adaptive process?
In what ways can grief affect the body, and why do grieving people often feel lost, alone, and fearful?
How does the GriefWorks app provide compassionate guidance and support for managing emotions?
In what ways does the Grief Works app present ideal coping mechanisms, and holistically guide transition into a new life?

Get a 10% discount on the Grief Works App annual subscription: https://illumeapps.com/REBIRTH/

Coming Next on Grief and Rebirth - Julia Samuel MBE! Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

Coming tomorrow! Irene Weinberg interviews Julia Samuel MBE, a highly regarded psychotherapist, and pediatric counselor, about what inspired her to work with individuals grieving the loss of the person they love, how grief is a naturally adaptive process, and how her remarkable Grief Works App provides practical strategies, comforting advice, and a community of support, literally at a person’s fingertips.

Marv Weidner: To Be Happy You Have To Decide To Be Happy Sep 20, 2023

Show notes

Marv’s wife Marty once told him, “To be happy, you have to decide to be happy.” Marv’s touching book “When the Rocks Sing” couples Marv’s voice, a man who lost his beloved wife to cancer, with the perspective of the grief counselor who walked the road of rebuilding and resiliency with him.

Join us for a heartwarming, inspiring and wise interview with author Marv Weidner, whose poignant book, “When the Rocks Sing,” recounts his story of losing his beloved wife of 19 years to cancer and the incredible life lessons he learned as he grieved, found resilience, and rebuilt his life. One of those special lessons Marv learned is that resiliency is not about “snapping back” to life as it was. It’s about letting loss transform you into something new.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE:

The emotional and physical intimacy Marv and Marty experienced during her cancer that was deeper and more spiritual than anything they had ever experienced before.
The importance of keeping a person safe within our hearts with acceptance and love and without judgment.The ways Marty taught Marv that being happy is a decision.
How Marv discovered a new sense of purpose after Marty transitioned.
The insightful perspective of Carol Davis, Marv’s therapist and co-author, who helped Marv to survive, ultimately thrive and fall back in love with life.

SOME QUESTIONS IRENE ASKS MARV:

Please tell us about your precious Marty, describe your relationship, and tell us about your shared Zen Buddhism.
What was Marty’s remarkable response to the news that she had cancer from which there was no escape?
What was the inspiration for the title of your book, “When the Rocks Sing”?
How does accepting the impermanence of life help us to survive a loss?
What is the greatest gift you and Marty ever gave each other, that transcends death?

This is a wise interview with a remarkable man that will touch your heart and inspire you: “Grief resulting from the loss of a loved one can overwhelm us for a time, it will become part of us always, but it does not determine our future. We can choose to be happy, choose our purpose and how we will live each day.”

Follow Marv on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/marv.weidner

Use code 'Rebirth' for 20% off Marv's book: When Rocks Sing https://www.bookdepository.com/When-Rocks-Sing-Marv-Weidner/9781955026321?ref=grid-view&qid=1666618723304&sr=1-1

Ballast Books: https://ballastbooks.com/

Understanding the True Meaning of Sensitivity Sep 13, 2023

Show notes

Your sensitivity is an extraordinary gift that allows you to tap into your intuition, amplify your vitality, and empowers you to create a beneficial influence on the world. Being a highly sensitive person (an HSP) is a gift that reveals our divinely intuitive natures, amplifies our vibration, and partners our hearts with our minds to uplift the world. This episode’s guest is Medium, Author, Intuitive Coach, and Spirit-Guided Musician Heidi Connolly, who is known as the Celestial Professor, Purveyor of Down-to-Earth Spirituality for Everyday Life, and this very enlightening episode is for everyone who knows an HSP, who loves an HSP, who wants to understand an HSP, or feels lost in their own high sensitivity!

Heidi’s newest book, Elevating Your HSPness: How to Live a High-Frequency Life That Amplifies Your Vibration, Celebrates Your Sensitivities, and Uplifts the World, holds the key to understanding the true meaning of sensitivity. In this illuminating discussion, Heidi reveals how sensitivity is not a curse but a profound blessing that unveils our divinely intuitive natures. She shares her personal experiences as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). identifies four superpowers of the highly sensitive person, and encourages us to embrace our sensitivities as a transformative journey that enriches our lives and makes a positive impact in the world. Don’t miss this captivating episode that will expand your perception of sensitivity and awaken you to your own divinely intuitive nature.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE:

Heidi’s transformation and rebirth after the loss of her husband Randy.
What inspired Heidi to become a life coach for high sensitives and those grieving deceased loved ones?
How each of us can identify if we are a high-sensitive?
The four superpowers of the highly sensitive person.
How to live a high-frequency life that elevates our vibration.
The ways highly sensitive people partner the heart with the mind to uplift the world.

SOME QUESTIONS IRENE ASKS NANCY:

What are the common myths that center around high sensitivity?
What is a “high-sensitive, and how can each of us determine if we are a “high-sensitive?”
What is your guidance for the HSP when it comes to reeling in the superpower called psychic tentacles?
What does the superpower known as the Intuitive Guidance System help to transform for an HSP?

From Out-of-Body Experience to Soul Healing Sep 06, 2023

Show notes

Sheela Jaganathan became a past life/current life Regression Therapist and Life Coach after an out-of-body experience changed her view of the Afterlife. Her focus on guiding clients from all walks of life towards inner clarity and into their soul-knowing is beautifully expressed through Sheela’s remarkable book titled Hello Me!: Self-Empowerment and Healing Through Past Life Regression Therapy. She is also a contributor to the book Gathering At The Doorway: An Anthology of Signs, Visits, and Messages from the Afterlife, and she is a professional member of Spiritual Regression Therapy Association (SRTA) and Earth Association for Regression Therapy (EARTh). Tune in to this conversation to learn about Sheela’s out-of-body experience, the fascinating way she came to write her book Hello Me!, how writing Hello Me! brought closure to a past life that ended unfairly and tragically for her, the ways regression therapy integrates the lessons learned from the past into a client’s current life, what is soul knowing, and more!

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR THINGS LIKE:

Sheela’s out-of-body experience that changed her view of the Afterlife
How Sheela’s daughter remembered that she had “fallen out of Sheela” before she was conceived
What inspired Sheela to become a past life/current life regression therapist and Life Coach
How past life regression therapy integrates the lessons learned from the past into a client’s current life
What part of our current life experiences do we take with us when we depart from this life
What is soul knowing
How Sheela gets negative attachments to release their hold on a person

SOME QUESTIONS IRENE ASKS SHEELA:

How does regression therapy go beyond viewing past lives to transforming challenging moments and integrating the lessons learned from the past into a client’s current life?
What is our “higher self,” and what part of us reincarnates?
How is releasing negative attachments like freeing ourselves from the influence of a toxic friend?
How did various types of angels help your client to identify her current life purpose regarding love, communication, and spirituality?
Why does it take a variety of healing modalities, ideas, and tools to help us navigate our adult lives?

Learn more about Sheela and her services, visit her website www.sheelajaganathan.com

Follow Sheela on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hellosheela/

Harmony Kwiker: Living and Loving from the True Self Through Spiritual Alignment, Consciousness, and Healing Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

Harmony Kwiker is a psychotherapist, a professor of transpersonal counseling, the Founder of the Institute for Spiritual Alignment, and the author of two important books titled Reveal: Embody the True Self Beyond Trauma and Conditioning and her most recent book titled Align: Living and Loving from the True Self. Her purpose and mission is to bridge the divide between traditional and spiritual transformation by inspiring people to consciously heal and transform their lives, because when we are in alignment, life flows, it feels right to be alive, and relationships flourish!

In this episode, you'll hear about things like:

Harmony’s spiritual awakening when she was 22 years old and the miraculous spiritual transformation she has experienced throughout her life.
The difference between living and loving from the conditioned self and living and loving from the true self.
The types of issues transpersonal psychology addresses.
Why it isn’t selfish or self-centered to focus on personal development, and why, when we heal, the whole world heals with us.

Some questions Irene asks Harmony:

What is the difference between having a relationship and being in a relationship, and what is the difference between being in an unconscious relationship and being in a conscious relationship?
What is the difference between a spiritual awakening and spiritual transformation?
How do the vibrations of our subtle energy body become mistuned by life and form blockages in our energy centers?
What is the connection between spirituality, consciousness, and healing?

Healing With The Ancients with Lisa Snyder Aug 23, 2023

Show notes

Lisa Snyder is a former engineer who was shown a Native American chief in her mind’s eye while in a meditative state during a massage. Healing sounds organically began to express through her vocal cords, and this very personal introduction to the world of Spirit not only inspired Lisa to train in evidential mediumship, but she also received evidence validating that the shared healing sounds expressed through her vocal cords are coming from the Highest Source—of love and light. Lisa refers to these sounds as Healing with the Ancients, using her voice in this unique way to help people raise their vibrational frequency to heal themselves.

In this episode, Lisa walks us through her journey of awakening, she shares how she uses her gifts to heal people who are struggling with trauma, and she treats us to a magical mini-healing session that gives us a sneak peek into her special, unique healing gifts. Tune in and be inspired by this truly fascinating conversation!

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/S7EUIy0Yrtg

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE:

How Lisa’s sensitivity expressed itself during her formative years.
How an angel helped direct Lisa to where her lost son was in a park.
Lisa received a vision of a Native American chief in her mind’s eye while in a meditative state during a massage, and healing sounds organically began to express through her vocal cords.
How “Healing With the Ancients” helps people to raise their vibrational frequency to heal themselves and then share that healing energy with others.
A magical mini-healing session that gives us a sneak peek into Lisa’s special, unique healing gifts.

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Jamie Sarche: Breaking Down Taboos To Confront Death, Face Grief, And Live More Meaningful Lives Aug 16, 2023

Show notes

By easing the discomfort associated with talking about the often-taboo subject of death, Jamie helps people to face their mortality and live better, more meaningful lives. In this episode, Jamie Sarche, who is a writer, a seasoned speaker, and the Director of Pre-arranged Funeral Planning for Feldman Mortuary, Denver, Colorado’s most trusted Jewish funeral home, discusses how people can be less afraid of death by breaking down the taboos around discussing this often-difficult subject.

She shares her insights and approaches on how to have challenging conversations and address sensitive issues and explains her unique perspective on funeral pre-planning, which is to help people put their funeral plans in place long before they need them so that they can make educated decisions unclouded by grief.

Jamie also touches on the importance of allowing little children to be part of the death and grief process instead of protecting them from it and reveals which forms of “burial’ are best for the health of our planet. Tune in for a compassionate, honest, and thought-provoking discussion that offers a fresh perspective on death and dying.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE:

You live more fully when you recognize life is finite.
Helpful, supportive tips for talking with kids about death and grief.
What Jamie says to people who demystify death and helps them face their mortality.
Fire cremation is horrible for the environment.
Jamie’s insights and approaches to having difficult conversations and addressing sensitive issues.
Grief is not a linear process.
Giving our loved ones a ritual to process death is an important healing gift to them.

SOME QUESTIONS IRENE ASKS JAMIE:

Have you always been comfortable talking about often-taboo subjects?
What do you say to people who demystify death and help them face their mortality?
How does funeral pre-planning help a person avoid chaos and dysfunction when their loved one dies?
Do you have any insights or approaches about how to have difficult conversations about sensitive issues?
What do you teach people about dealing with the waves of grief?
What are some of your helpful, supportive tips for talking with kids about death and grief?

Finding Healing After Falling Prey Into Clergy Sexual Abuse Aug 09, 2023

Show notes

Many of us find comfort within our church community, especially when we’re at a difficult time in our lives. For Sandy Phillips Kirkham, what was a place of warmth became a place of intense trauma when she was 16 years old.

In this episode, she sits down with Irene Weinberg to talk about her award-winning book, Let Me Prey Upon You, in which she details how a charismatic youth mister preyed upon her, betrayed her, left her broken with a shattered faith, and brought about the ultimate shame of being blamed and forced from the church she loved.

Sandy also describes her healing journey that began when she confronted the minister during her quest for justice and closure 27 years after his heinous behavior began. Now an advocate for other victims of clergy sexual abuse and child abuse, Sandy’s riveting, important story about dreadful clergy abuse is more than a story of intense trauma; it is an important story about healing and rebirth.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE:

How a charismatic youth minister targeted an innocent 16-year-old and preyed upon her.
How grooming sets a victim up to accept unusual behaviors.
How the minister established control over Sandy and manipulated her.
How Sandy eventually broke away from her abuser.
Sandy’s husband’s reaction when he learned about the degrading abuse Sandy had hidden from him for 27 years.
The difference in perspective when the abuser is Catholic or non-Catholic.
How the ministry called Hope of Survivors is helping victims of clergy sexual abuse.
How Sandy eventually forgave both herself and her abuser.
How Sandy’s confrontation with her abuser came about.

SOME QUESTIONS IRENE ASKS SANDY:

What made you a vulnerable target for your youth minister, who was a charismatic wolf in sheep’s clothing?
In what ways did your youth minister target you, groom you, and prey upon you when you were an innocent 16-year-old girl?
How did understanding the terms love bombing, grooming, gaslighting, and manipulation allow you to begin your healing process?
How did you eventually break away from your abuser?
Please tell us about the people who believed you, believed in you, and supported you as you journeyed toward healing and resolution.
How did your confrontation with your abuser come about?
What is the impact spiritually when abuse occurs within the church?
How were you able to eventually forgive yourself and your abuser?
What inspired you to become an advocate for a ministry called The Hope for Survivors?
What is your message about the importance of healing?
Abuse forever changes a person and healing takes time. Can there be joy again?

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