A Guide to After Life

In this final episode of mini series on relationships after loss, Dr. Monika Wieliczko discusses the complexities of dating after the loss of a spouse. She emphasises the importance of honouring the memory of a late partner while making space for new relationships. The conversation covers emotional boundaries, the significance of memories, and how to navigate conversations about the past with a ne...

Dr. Monika Wieliczko discusses the challenges of facing societal opinions, setting boundaries with friends and family, and the importance of self-reflection in the grief journey. The conversation emphasises that grief is a unique experience, and individuals must navigate their own paths while honouring their late partners. Dr. Wieliczko encourages listeners to communicate openly with loved on...

In this conversation, Dr. Monika Wieliczko discusses the complexities of dating after loss, focusing on how to navigate conversations about a deceased partner and the challenges faced by parents dating again. She emphasises the importance of transparency, emotional readiness, and the need to communicate effectively with both new partners and children. The discussion highlights the delicate balance...

In this episode, Dr. Monika Wieliczko discusses the practical aspects of dating after loss, focusing on modern dating apps, preparing for first dates, and identifying red flags. She emphasises the importance of emotional wellbeing and provides insights on choosing the right dating app based on individual intentions, as well as tips for creating an authentic dating profile, setting healthy boundari...

Episode 2: Navigating Guilt and Emotional Conflicts In this episode of 'A Guide to After Life', Dr. Monika Wieliczko discusses the complexities of dating after loss, focusing on the feelings of guilt that often accompany the desire to move forward. She emphasises that these feelings are normal and offers practical steps to navigate them with compassion. The conversation explores how to honour the...

In this episode of 'A Guide to Love After Loss', Dr. Monika Wieliczko shares her personal journey of navigating love after the loss of her husband. She discusses the emotional complexities of dating after loss, the importance of self-reflection, and recognising readiness for new relationships. The episode emphasises the validity of mixed emotions and the necessity of honouring past relationships w...

Season 2 Reflections We've reached the end of Season 2! Over these past six months, we've heard from 23 incredible voices - psychologists, artists, fellow widows, writers, parents, and researchers. Each person brought their unique perspective on grief, reminding me (and hopefully you) that grief has many faces and touches every aspect of our lives. If there's one message I want you to take from th...

This week’s conversation is with Natalia Millman —a Ukrainian-born, UK-based artist—whose exhibition Letters to Forever transforms grief into a deeply immersive, multisensory experience. After losing her father in 2019, Natalia found herself unable to return to her former art practice. Instead, grief redefined her identity as both a person and an artist. In this moving conversation, Natalia opens...

This week on A Guide to After Life , Dr. Monika Wieliczko is joined by clinical psychologist and author Dr. Claire Plumbly to explore the often-overlooked intersection between grief and burnout. Together, they unpack how the nervous system responds to grief, why burnout is so common after loss, and how we can begin to rebuild capacity when simply getting through the day feels overwhelming. Claire...

What happens when grief is more than just sadness—when it floods your entire system, leaving you feeling unsafe in your own body and mind? This week on A Guide to After Life , Dr. Monika Wieliczko sits down with Dr. Chloe Paidoussis Mitchell, a UK-based Chartered Counselling Psychologist and author of The Loss Prescription , to explore grief through the lens of trauma . Drawing on over 20 years of...

 Grief obliterates the scaffolding of who we once were and we all ask this basic question in the aftermath of a profound loss: what is left of me after you are gone? This is the topic of this week's conversation with Dr. Nikki Paul, a paediatrician, grief coach, and widowed mother—about the profound identity shift that follows the loss of a partner. From the sudden death of her husband j...

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering “Why do I still feel so stuck?” or “Will I ever feel like myself again?” —this conversation is for you. In this episode, I speak with Karen Sutton , grief coach and widow, about the thing we so often resist but desperately need when we're grieving: community . Karen’s story begins with the sudden loss of her husband—a day that shattered everything. What stru...

What happens when a psychologist becomes the patient of grief herself? How do you go from burning candles through tears to writing a bestselling book on loss in just one month? In this deeply moving episode of A Guide to After Life , Dr. Monika Wieliczko speaks with clinical psychologist and author Dr. Marianne Trent, whose personal journey through the loss of her father changed not only her heart...

What do you do when the pain is too much to bear? In this moving and unfiltered conversation, clinical psychologist Rosalind Coon   joins host Dr. Monika Wieliczko   to explore the devastating emotional terrain of loss that doesn’t always come through death— but feels just as unbearable. Rosalind opens up about the sudden and traumatic end of her 25- year marriage, describing the intense...

Death Matters Awareness Week Special  Most of us avoid conversations about death—until we’re forced to have them. But what if talking about death could actually help us live more fully? In this special episode for Death Matters Awareness Week (5–11 May 2025), clinical psychologist and widow Dr Monika Wieliczko sits down with existential psychotherapist Dr Ali Ross to explore how we can better...

Life can sometimes throw us the most heart-wrenching curveballs. Losing a life partner is devastating enough, but when it's coupled with the challenges of infertility or the loss of shared dreams to build a family, the grief can feel overwhelming. In our latest Guide to Afterlife podcast episode, we dive deep into this complex and often overlooked aspect of loss. Dr. Kara Davey, a clinical psychol...

In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Monika Wieliczko explores the complex topic of assisted dying with Professor Susan Cadell, a leading researcher in grief and grief literacy. As the UK Parliament considers the terminally ill adult's end-of-life bill in early 2025, they discuss the ethical, emotional, and social dimensions of assisted dying, with insights from Canada where Medical Assistance i...

Have you ever wondered why grief feels so physical? Why your heart races, your stomach churns, or your body aches after losing someone you love? And have you struggled to make sense of your physical health issued and did not know where to turn for support or felt dismissed by a medical professional?  In our latest podcast episode of Guide to After Life, we dive deep into the often-overlooked...

Grieving parents often grapple with profound fear that they are failing their children amidst overwhelming loss and forgetting to prioritise their own emotional needs. In this powerful episode of A Guide to After Life , host Dr. Monika Wieliczko is joined by a clinical psychologist, Dr. Jade Redfern. Together, they delve into nurturing emotional resilience in children who have lost a parent and un...

Join Dr. Monika Wieliczko in this heartfelt episode of   "A Guide to After Life", where she interviews Debbie Weiss, a bestselling author, coach, and fellow widow. Debbie shares her transformative journey of caregiving, loss, and self-discovery, detailing how her new book,   "The Sprinkle Effect", conveys powerful lessons derived from her life experiences. This episode is a compelling di...

In this episode of  A  Guide to After Life , I am talking with Karen James, a young widow whose own experiences of loss turned her career around to focus on researching resilient grieving. The conversation delves into the concept of resilient grief—what it means to grieve in a healthy way, the importance of coping strategies, and how personal experiences shape the gri...

In this powerful episode of A Guide to Afterlife, Dr. Monika Wieliczko welcomes author Jessica Waite to discuss her memoir "The Widow's Guide to Dead Bastards." Jessica shares her journey of discovering her late husband's secrets after his sudden death and how she navigated the complex emotions of grief, anger, and healing. This episode offers valuable insights for young widows dealing with compli...

 Are you struggling to balance your grief with work responsibilities? You're not alone. In our latest Guide to Afterlife podcast episode, we tackle the challenging topic of returning to work after loss. Our special guests, Dr. Mekel Harris and Janet Gwilliam-Wright, founders of BloomWell Partners, share invaluable insights on: • Common challenges grieving employees face • How workplace cultur...

On 3rd March 2017, a few days before she passed away from ovarian cancer, Amy Krouse Rosenthal wrote a piece titled   “You May Want to Marry My Husband”   for the   New York Times ’s Modern Love column. It was Amy's final piece of writing: a love letter in a form of a dating profile — a gift to her husband, Jason Rosenthal, that, at the very end, gave him permission to liv...

Have you ever wondered what goes on in our bodies when we are grieving a loved one? In our latest episode of Guide to After Life, I sat down with Mary Frances O'Connor, PhD, a leading expert in grief research, to explore the fascinating connection between our minds and bodies during the grieving process. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: • How our bodies physically respond to loss a...