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“There’s no meaning in my son’s death, a murder, a divorce, a breakup, or sexual abuse. The meaning is in us. It’s who we become after. When we have excavated the pain, who’s left?” – David Kessler
Intro
I am thrilled to welcome world-renowned grief expert, David Kessler, to the show to talk about his new workbook, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief Workbook: Tools for Releasing Pain and Remembering with Love.
Unresolved grief is so common, and I love the way David makes this topic so accessible. During this conversation, we talk about ALL kinds of grief, because it’s not just about losing someone you love. It’s also about endings and abrupt changes.
David is such a kind soul and no matter what loss you’ve experienced, I think you’ll find comfort and hope in his message.
Highlights:
- 3:30 David’s early relationship with grief and trauma
- 8:20 How helping others has impacted David’s own wounds
- 10:20 Love as the antidote for the pain of grief
- 12:25 What is grief?
- 18:00 Overcoming fear to live in the present moment
- 24:20 Coping with the grief of early loss
- 32:40 Post-traumatic growth
- 35:45 David’s most challenging boundary struggle
- 41:30 How anticipatory grief can distract from joy
Connect with David Kessler
David Kessler is one of the world’s foremost experts on grief and loss. His experience with thousands of people on the edge of life and death has taught him the secrets to living a happy and fulfilled life, even afterlife’s tragedies.
He’s the author of six bestselling books, including Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief, while his first book, The Needs of The Dying, received praise from Mother Teresa. His new workbook, Finding Meaning (October 1 2024) is filled with navigation techniques for complicated grief, and tools for guilt, rumination, and overwhelming feelings.
For most of his life, David has taught physicians, nurses, counselors, police, and first responders about the end of life, trauma, and grief. He facilitates talks, workshops and retreats for those experiencing grief. However, despite his vast knowledge on grief, his life was turned upside down by the sudden death of his twenty-one-year-old son. It inspired him to write his newest book, Finding Meaning. He is the founder of www.grief.com which has over five million visits yearly from 167 countries.
Workbook: https://amzn.to/3T7k0lE
Social: https://instagram.com/iamdavidkessler / https://tiktok.com/@iamdavidkessler
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I’m just wondering about the frequent combination of job loss, divorce, friendship etc. ending under grief. Do people really search for grief when they break up? I think people mostly search after loss by death. I came for the same and get a little irritated about the talk of losing a job etc. It’s very very different.
Hi Lydia- grief can come in many different forms after different kinds of losses. All of these losses impact people differently. I am witnessing you with compassion and sending love. ❤️ I speak specifically to complex grief in this episode, as a listener wrote in wondering how to navigate the loss of her brother and her baby.