The Wisdom of Grief Podcast

There are some relationships that shape us in ways we’re still discovering long after they’re gone. In this episode, we step into a deeply honest and expansive conversation about mother loss, mother wounds, and the complexity of grieving imperfect relationships.Together with author, fellow mother griever, and Substack writer Amy Scott Rooker, we explore how grief can become a powerful force for personal and spiritual transformation. We also open into experiences that often live just beyond language- signs and messages from the other side, and the use of plant medicine as a pathway to insight, connection, and healing.This is a conversation filled with depth, nuance, and moments that may feel strikingly familiar.Amy’s presence and perspective bring so much depth, honesty, and resonance to this conversation about healing traumatic loss and relationships. There is so much here to gently sit with, reflect on, and take with you on the alternative and spiritual front.You can find her Substack here: https://amyrooker.substack.com/You can pre-order Amy’s book here: https://amyrooker.substack.com/p/a-gift-for-you-the-opening-of-myThis space is always open for you. I welcome your reflections, your questions, and anything this conversation brings up for you—whether for me or for Amy. If there’s something you’d like to hear explored in a future episode, I’m listening, and here for all of it. ✨If you’d like to read more about my own experience with complicated mother loss, you can do that here: https://lesliepalumbo.substack.com/p/the-book Get full access to Wisdom of Grief at lesliepalumbo.substack.com/subscribe

Grief can reshape your nervous system—but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Tune in to this episode of Wisdom of Grief Podcast where trauma expert Linnea Butler ✨ and I cover everything from soundbaths to psychedelics as we expand our understanding of grief and trauma, explore innovative approaches to healing, and dive into restorative practices to reclaim wholeness. Get full access to Wisdom of Grief at lesliepalumbo.substack.com/subscribe

This episode of the Wisdom of Grief Podcast is for any man- or anyone who loves a man- who is grieving.We cover the inner work of grief, including the thoughtwork of grief; how optimism can be learned; and how Stoic principles and reframing can be applied as steadying supports in grief. We also dive into Male Grief: the Lone Wolf Syndrome, the antipathy toward men crying, and the way men are wired to protect- interpreting vulnerability as weakness rather than strength. Jason brings hard earned wisdom forged through the tragic loss of two of the most important women in his life. This is a powerful, thorough conversation. Thank you so much, Jason MacKenzie for your generosity, insight, and courage. PLEASE DOWNLOAD AND SHARE his amazing guide for a Man in Grief: You can find out more about Jason at his SUBSTACK, Leading Through Loss:And for more Grief Tools, find his WEBSITE HELPING FATHERS HEAL Facebook Group for SupportWISDOM OF GRIEF is solely a reader supported publication. If this message resonated, you can help it reach someone who might really need it:* Like, share, comment or restack this post using the circular ♻️ button* Become a free or paid subscriber.* Gift it to someone. ✨ Every small action helps lift someone up. Thank you. ✨ Get full access to Wisdom of Grief at lesliepalumbo.substack.com/subscribe

Here is a beautiful interview with Cali Bird on Living Grief and what it’s like to lose someone before you’ve lost them. Anyone who has experienced living grief know what its like to be in a room with someone who is in the living body of your beloved, but with a personality you no longer recognize. In 2023, Cali’s husband sustained a serious traumatic brain injury resulting in severe cognitive and physical damage. Cali offers hope and inspiration for anyone going through the heartbreaking process of saying goodbye one piece at a time. 🤍 Cali’s substack is Gentle Creative. Cali Bird If this podcast resonated, you can help it reach someone who might really need it:1. Subscribe2. Like this post, Restack it using the circular ♻️ button, or Leave a comment3. Share it with a friend✨ Every small action helps lift someone up. We’re in this together. Thank you. ✨HOLIDAY GIFT IDEA: If you know someone who is grieving and could use steady support this holiday season, consider gifting them a paid subscription to Wisdom of Grief on Substack. It may offer more comfort, grounding, and lasting impact than flowers or another frozen dinner. You can send it with a personal note, or even gift it anonymously. $8/month • $85/year. Happy Holidays Get full access to Wisdom of Grief at lesliepalumbo.substack.com/subscribe

REPLAY OF OUR MAGICAL LIVE!GRIEF & NAVIGATING THE HOLIDAYS with poet @👉🏻jonathan_foster and @Dina Bell-LarocheGreat things always happen when we get the three of us in a room together- and you won’t want to miss it- especially the end- offering beautiful avenues for hope, love, and deep connection this holiday season ✨Sending love, hope, and grace to anyone navigating loss this year. 🤍✨Because we’re definitely in this together ✨ Get full access to Wisdom of Grief at lesliepalumbo.substack.com/subscribe

✨ Love doesn’t end with loss—it transforms into memory, presence, and quiet strength.This intimate story is one of those beautiful reminders that even in grief, love continues to guide us.📆 Join me LIVE on September 25th at 12pm ET for a special Q&A on Intimate Partner Loss and the Widow Rebuild Approach.This is your chance to:💬 Ask questions🤝 Get clarity on whether the cohort is right for you🌱 Learn a framework that supports identity rebuilding after partner lossJoin the Live Q&A on 9/25 @ 12pm ETAnd if you want something more personal, you can also book a FREE 15-minute consultation with me—just us, talking about where you are now and what you need most.👉 Save your spot HERE.🌿 Want to walk this journey with support and community? Join the next Widow Rebuild Cohort starting October 2nd and use code EARLYBIRD15 for 15% off! → lesliepalumbo.com/widow-rebuiild Get full access to Wisdom of Grief at lesliepalumbo.substack.com/subscribe

💭 Feelings aren’t meant to be locked inside. Imagine your heart as a house with an open door—emotions can enter, be acknowledged, and then leave when it’s time.This simple metaphor can shift the way you relate to grief, stress, and life’s hardest emotions.📆 Join me LIVE on September 25th at 12pm ET for a special Q&A on Intimate Partner Loss and the Widow Rebuild Approach.This is your chance to:💬 Ask questions🤝 Get clarity on whether the cohort is right for you🌱 Learn a framework that supports identity rebuilding after partner lossJoin the Live Q&A on 9/25 @ 12pm ETAnd if you want something more personal, you can also book a FREE 15-minute consultation with me—just us, talking about where you are now and what you need most.👉 Save your spot HERE.✨ Join the next Widow Rebuild Cohort starting October 2nd and use code EARLYBIRD15 for 15% off! → lesliepalumbo.com/widow-rebuiild Get full access to Wisdom of Grief at lesliepalumbo.substack.com/subscribe

In this heartfelt conversation, Leslie Hunt Palumbo (Wisdom of Grief) sits down with Jane Duncan Rogers, founder of Before I Go Solutions and author of Gifted by Grief. Together, they explore the tender realities of partner loss, the importance of preparing for death, and how grief can be both a teacher and a doorway into deeper living. Jane shares her personal journey after losing her husband, what it taught her about love and legacy, and why talking about end-of-life planning is actually a gift for the people we leave behind. This is an intimate, wise, and surprisingly uplifting discussion you won’t want to miss. Get full access to Wisdom of Grief at lesliepalumbo.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of the Wisdom of Grief Podcast, renowned Feng Shui expert Dorena Kohrs joins us to explore the intersection of our homes and grief, discussing how our living spaces can become powerful allies in the grieving process. We delve into how to create a grief sanctuary in your home, sorting with purpose in grief, and how to shift the energy in your space to shift the energy in your life. The conversation touches on the challenges of letting go, reclaiming joy, and the importance of small, gentle steps in the grieving process, while offering practical advice for clearing negative energy and creating specific rituals to support the personal transformation and healing that comes with loss. So many gems to help relieve our suffering are offered in this episode- a must listen!To explore more of Dorena’s resources and offerings, go to https://spacedoula.com/ Get full access to Wisdom of Grief at lesliepalumbo.substack.com/subscribe

Grieving and surviving the loss of a child is a sorrow few can imagine- and none can prepare for. In this powerful and deeply moving episode, I speak with author and therapist Sally McQuillen about her memoir, Reaching for Beautiful, written in the wake of her son Christopher’s tragic death in a boating accident.Sally shares her raw, courageous, and inspirational journey through the darkest terrain of grief, offering wisdom not only as a bereaved mother, but also as a clinician who had to navigate the unimaginable. We explore the complexities of loving a wildchild, the weight of ‘mother guilt’, the necessity of new levels of self care, and the importance of having a plan when waves of grief hit. Sally reveals how she found the strength to keep going- and even reconnect with life- through the enduring inspiration of her son’s character.This episode is a testament to the resilience of a mother’s love and the healing power of storytelling.Check out more of Sally's work at Sally McQuillen Substack Get full access to Wisdom of Grief at lesliepalumbo.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 6: Grief is not one-size-fits-all. Your personal history, relationships, and coping mechanisms create a distinctive path through loss. In this powerful 11 minute episode, we discuss 3 Grieving Styles and unveil the concept of your “Grief Blueprint”- a personalized map that transforms the chaotic wilderness of mourning into navigable terrain. Imagine waking up during grief and actually having clarity about what to expect that day and which coping strategies will work specifically for you, not just relying on generic advice that falls flat. Your Grief Blueprint provides certainty in uncertain times, a go-to approach when everything feels overwhelming. Listen up to transform how you navigate loss from here forward. To take the Grief Blueprint Quiz, go to https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/6701b25926b68f53195623fe Get full access to Wisdom of Grief at lesliepalumbo.substack.com/subscribe

Your worst enemy in Grief is GUILT. Guilt can keep us stuck, overwhelmed, and disconnected in grief. And it can be disguised in sneaky ways. But the good news is, we we recognize guilt and understand its role, we can reset it. Tune in for the Guilt Reset :) Get full access to Wisdom of Grief at lesliepalumbo.substack.com/subscribe

This is rarely talked about, but Goalsetting is SO important in Grief and here’s why: even though it may seem counterintuitive to have goals for extremely difficult experiences, in the upending experience of grief, goals and aspirations oriented you and remind your grieving self where you are headed. They provide a framework of meaning moving through it, and a purpose for moving forward……and here’s how to find your NorthStar for grief……. Get full access to Wisdom of Grief at lesliepalumbo.substack.com/subscribe

In our @10 minutes with grief today, we’re exploring Loss as a wound and grief as the recovery process. Just like a physical wound requires protection and care to heal, so does loss. I’ll share practical ways to create an ideal healing environment, including the ONE powerful guideline that can help you navigate every decision and interaction during this time. The goal? To safeguard your healing and make this challenging process as smooth as possible. Get full access to Wisdom of Grief at lesliepalumbo.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode we talk about THE HOLIDAY EFFECT- the amplification of emotions intensified at this time of year, and how we get through these difficult days! We discuss controlling what we can through mindset management: adjusting expectations, finding connection, and granting permission for enjoyment. The upside is that while sadness is amplified during holidays, so are more positive emotions, and leaning into these creates opportunities for increased affinity & healing. 🤍 Get full access to Wisdom of Grief at lesliepalumbo.substack.com/subscribe