S3. Ep14| Leveraging Losses Into Purposes with Natasha Smith

Welcome to the Together We Rise podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table – and where we affirm, equip, and amplify women's voices globally.In this episode, host Aubrey Sampson speaks with grief educator Natasha Smith about her personal journey with grief, the importance of creating safe spaces for sharing pain, and the unique experiences of Black women in grief. Natasha shares insights on self-care, the theological implications of suffering, and the significance of authentic allyship. The conversation also touches on practical advice for aspiring writers and podcasters, emphasizing the importance of starting somewhere and embracing one's calling.Natasha Smith is an engineer turned certified grief educator, speaker, and podcast host. She shares from a place of 30-plus years of lived grief experience, research, and biblical study. Her work has appeared in Guideposts, Propel Women, Influence Magazine, HerBible, and elsewhere. You can find her books, “Can You Just Sit With Me: Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life” and “Black Woman Grief: A Guide to Hope and Wholeness”, wherever books are sold. She and her husband, Clinton, have four children and live outside of Raleigh, NC. Connect with her at imnatashasmith.com.WSC Women to Watch: Danisha KeatingDr. Danisha Keating is a research psychologist specializing in trauma-informed care and best practices for supporting foster youth in higher education. Her work focuses on improving college access and success, particularly at the community college level, and she has trained foster parents, youth, and educators nationwide.A former foster youth who became legal guardian of three siblings at 24, her personal journey fuels her professional mission. With over a decade in higher education leadership, she is also the author of “Faith through the Desert”, “From Foster to PhD: Letters from a Suitcase”, and “Taking My Voice Back: Healing What Broke Me”.