Truth After Loss

Topics covered:Relief vs. real change: the crucial differenceThe survival mode cycle and escape containersWhy vacations and wellness retreats feel good but don't create lasting transformationWhat integration actually meansSmall intentional actions vs. big dramatic life changesReal-life story: Bali, forgiveness, and aligned actionReal-life story: Intentional changes and the unexpected layoffBuilding a life you don't have to escape fromSomatic coaching and body wisdomGrief, loss, and finding your truthHow to recognize when you're in pressure-valve mode vs. making real changeResources mentioned:10-day reset audio seriesFree consultation callKey takeaway: The missing piece between relief and real change is integration—taking what you discover and weaving it into your daily life through small, sustainable, aligned actions.

Topics Covered:The cultural myth of resilience (and why it's actually suppression)How our workplace and social systems are designed to keep us in toxic resilienceThe real cost of pushing emotions down (it lives in your body)The difference between toxic resilience and genuine resilienceHow grief reveals what actually matters to youThe 3-step framework: Feel it → Understand it → Act on itKendra's personal story: vision board to life coach to starting her businessWhy you don't have to be okay (and why that matters)Key Takeaways:Resilience isn't recovery—it's discoveryYour emotions contain information only available if you feel themSmall, intentional actions aligned with your grief create real changeListening to your inner wisdom is a practice, not a destinationResources Mentioned:Free Awaken Your Inner Joy Guided JournalCentered and Alive Group Program (starts September)Discovery Call

The cultural messages we received about emotions (and why they're wrong). Emotions as information: what your brain is actually doing when you feel something. The difference between a feeling being valid and being true.Why suppressed emotions become stored energy in your body.The chronic fatigue connection: unprocessed emotions and exhaustion.Therapy vs. feeling: Why talking about emotions isn't the same as feeling them.The practice of witnessing: how to actually feel your emotions.Sitting with grief at your desk: a real-moment story of embodied witnessing.Why your body knows answers your mind can't accessCreating safe spaces to feel in your coaching and in your lifeThe True You Reset: a tool for reconnecting with your inner wisdomKey Takeaway:You can't think your way through emotions. You have to feel your way through them. And the moment you give yourself permission to sit with what's present, without needing to fix it, everything shifts.Resources:Free 10-Day True You Reset: truthafterloss.com/reset10Centered and Alive Coaching: truthafterloss.com/workwithkendra

Episode 1: 12 Years After Losing My Daughter, My Body Was Still Holding GriefIn the first episode of Truth After Loss, Kendra Merrill sets the stage for the podcast and shares three cultural messages about grief that she's learned aren't true.What we cover:Why "getting over" grief isn't the goal, and what to aim for insteadHow grief stays with you for life, even as its intensity changesWhy unprocessed grief gets stored in the body (with a nod to Bessel van der Kolk's The Body Keeps the Score)The Yosemite hike that left Kendra in pain for days, and the moment on her floor that showed her whyWhy feeling your feelings, even years later, is the way forwardWhat Kendra's daughter Adeline taught her about worth, value, and building a life around truthAbout Kendra: Kendra Merrill is the host of Truth After Loss. Her story includes the stillbirth of her daughter Adeline, losing her father six weeks later, and a decade of loss that followed. This podcast is where she shares what grief has revealed to her, and invites you to find your own truth in what you've carried.Notable line: "What if the point was never how do we get through it, but more how do we learn to carry it?"Connect: Subscribe on YouTube or follow on your podcast app so you never miss an episode. Share your story in the comments — Kendra reads every one.

Trailer for Truth After Loss Podcast.