Dr Joanne Cacciatore: Grief, Animals and The Selah Carefarm

In this episode of the Teaching Journeys podcast, host Dave Roberts converses with Dr. Joanne Cacciatore, a zen priest, author, professor, and founder of the international NGO, the MISS Foundation and Selah Care Farm. Dr. Cacciatore shares her insights on grief, particularly focusing on her personal experiences and the role of animals in the healing process. They discuss societal issues around grief avoidance and the rise of AI in depersonalizing emotional support. Highlighting the powerful presence and empathy animals provide to grieving humans, Dr. Cacciatore recounts the inspirational story of Chamakoh, a rescued horse that became central to the therapeutic work at Selah Care Farm. The episode underscores the importance of emotional support and authentic presence in the healing journey of grievers, while also detailing the various services provided by Selah Care Farm. Dr. Cacciatore concludes with the message that feelings should be treated as a superpower in the journey through grief.Dr Jo’s Bio and Contact InformationDr. Joanne Cacciatore is a Zen priest, the founder of the international NGO the MISS Foundation, author of the award-winning best seller, Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss, and The Heartbreaking Path of Grief, professor at Arizona State University, and a bereaved mom since the death of her daughter, Cheyenne in 1994. She is also the founder of Selah Carefarm, the first carefarm for the traumatically bereaved in the U.S. and a haven for animals rescued from abuse, neglect, and torture. She is an acclaimed public speaker and provides expert consulting services in the area of traumatic loss. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as The Lancet, Social Work and Healthcare, and Death Studies, among others.Resources Mentioned:📖 Book: Bearing the Unbearable by Dr. Joanne Cacciatore🎬 Documentary: A Sacred Pause (premiering at Sedona Film Festival)🌐 Selah Care Farm: selahcarefarm.org🌐 The Miss Foundation: missfoundation.org🌐 Center for Loss and Trauma: centerforlossandtrauma.comTo find our more about Dave go to davidrobertsmsw.com