Behind the Profession The Mental Health Toll of Funeral Work

What happens when the people who stand beside grief every day are expected to carry it quietly?In this episode, Jennifer Muldowney sits down with Dwight, a former funeral director turned therapist, for a deeply honest conversation about the emotional toll of working in death care. Having lived both roles, Dwight speaks with real understanding about what funeral professionals hold day after day, the sorrow they witness, the stories they carry, and the parts of themselves they often have to set aside just to keep going.Together, they talk about how little support exists for the mental health of people in funeral service, and how often their pain goes unseen. They explore the silence, the stigma, and the weight of doing work that asks so much from the heart while giving so little room to process it. This episode also shines a light on the importance of community, shared understanding, and spaces like Funeral Professional Peer Support where people can finally feel less alone.Tune in for a moving conversation about grief, compassion, and what it means to care for others when no one has taught you how to care for yourself.Key Topics:-The hidden mental health toll of funeral work-Why funeral professionals often suffer in silence-The lack of real support for people in death care-How stigma keeps funeral directors in the shadows-The need for research, resources, and peer support in funeral serviceQuotes from the episode:“If we would just face the fact that we are dying, we live better and we love more.”— Jennifer Muldowney“No one in these mental health spaces are talking about funeral directors. And that to me is alarming."— Dwight ThompsonTimestamps:[01:43] Funeral Professionals Are Human Too[03:18] Dwight’s Journey from Funeral Work to Therapy[06:49] Seeking Help and Not Being Understood[08:37] The Gap in Mental Health Training[09:36] Why Funeral Directors Are Not First Responders[14:31] The Overlooked Reality of Funeral Service[17:58] Stigma Around Death Care Work[21:20] The Power of Peer Support[33:02] Why the System Needs Outside Help[36:26] What Comes Next for the IndustryConnect with Dwight Thompson at:Websites - https://www.funeralpeersupport.ca/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwight-thompson-msw-rsw-rmft-s-31160621a/Email: [email protected] with Jennifer/The Glam Reaper on socials at:Instagram -   / jennifermuldowneyTikTok -   / therealglamreaperYouTube -    / @theglamreapermuldowneyLinkedIn -   / jennifermuldowneyFacebook Page -   / muldowneymemorialsEmail us - [email protected] Merch - https://the-glam-reaper.printify.me/p...Listen to The Glam Reaper Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...The Glam Reaper® AMAZON Storefront - https://amzn.to/4hObpOh