Grief On Purpose

In this candid episode, Laura sits down with guest Tara Accardo, of Losses Become Gains, to talk about the complexities of grief. They discuss the profound impact of losing loved ones, particularly Tara’s experience of losing both parents to cancer and her subsequent journey of self-discovery. Tara shares her insights on embracing grief as an invitation to transform and connect more deeply with on...

In this moving episode of Grief On Purpose, Laura Walton dives deep into the intimate and transformative experiences of grief and connection with psychic medium, Natashia Mack. Natashia shares her profound insights on embracing grief not as something to move past, but as a sacred invitation for deeper connection and transformation. Natasha recounts personal stories of grief, including the deaths o...

In this episode of Grief On Purpose, host Laura Walton welcomes Bethany Shelton, founder of Bee Limitless Now, who shares her journey through grief and profound personal transformation following the death of her son, Cavan. Bethany recounts how her son’s tragic death catalyzed her exploration into energy, frequency, and vibration, leading her to establish a deep connection with him and other spiri...

In this episode of Grief On Purpose, host Laura Walton interviews Dr. Pete , a psychologist by training who integrates Zen Buddhism and mental health in his practice. Dr. Pete discusses the profound impact of grief and shares his personal experiences with death, highlighting the unique and often challenging path of accepting and processing grief through Zen practices. He provides insights into his...

In this episode of Grief on Purpose, Laura sits down with Brendan Shaw, whose life was irrevocably changed after the murder of his younger brother, Philip. Brendan opens up about the shock and trauma of his death, the surreal aftermath, and the unexpected way sharing his grief on TikTok became both a form of healing and a source of community. What began as private video journaling evolved into a p...

In this episode of Grief on Purpose, Laura sits down with longtime friend and performer Billy Brandes to explore how grief has shaped his life from adolescence into adulthood. Billy opens up about his father’s death at just sixteen. He reflects on the confusion and emotional shutdown that followed, the impact it had on his relationship with his mother, and how skateboarding and the party-fueled su...

In this deeply moving episode, Laura sits down with Gila Shire (a yoga instructor, doula, and former nurse) to explore how grief, spirituality, and embodied practice intertwine. Gila opens up about the death of her brother to suicide and her father’s recent death, sharing how both experiences transformed her understanding of the afterlife. Through stories of connection, synchronicity, and divine t...

In this honest episode, host Laura Walton sits down with Kristy Lavinsky to explore what it really means to carry unspoken grief in the body. Twenty-six years after the death of her mother, Kristy realizes she never truly grieved...she just stayed busy, strong, and “fine”. Together, they unpack the generational silence around grief, the myth of “polite grieving”, and the moment Kristy finally lets...

In this moving conversation, Laura sits down with Harmony Crawford - a death midwife, data consultant, and yogi - whose life’s path has led her to the threshold between life and death more than once. Together, they explore what it means to sit with dying, to witness the labor of letting go, and to find grace in the hardest goodbyes. Harmony shares the story of her brother’s unexpected death, her s...

In this warm and evocative episode, Laura sits down with Jen Miles-Williams and Moshé Williams as they share their intimate experiences with grief and how mindfulness and yoga have played pivotal roles in their journey. Moshé discusses the profound impact of the death of his first wife and how practices such as meditation and yoga have helped him grieve, heal, and grow. Jen shares her story of her...

In this unforgettable conversation, host Laura Walton sits down with legendary skateboarder Ali Boulala , whose life was forever changed by tragedy, addiction, and the long road of grief. At the height of his fame, a motorcycle crash left Ali in a coma and took the life of his friend, fellow skater Shane Cross. What followed was not a story of easy redemption, but of reckoning with guilt, with sur...

In this interesting and explorative episode, Laura engages in a profound conversation with Dr. Amy Robbins about death, grief, and spirituality. As a licensed clinical psychologist with two decades of experience, Dr. Robbins shares her journey into spiritually informed therapy, inspired by her own experiences with death and grief. The dialogue traverses Dr. Robbins' personal encounters with grief,...

In this emotionally charged episode, host Laura Walton sits down with Nikki Boyer , executive producer of Hulu's 'Dying for Sex' and co-creator of the Wondery podcast by the same name. Together, they talk about the raw depths of grief, propelled by the poignant (and sometimes humorous) story of Nikki's best friend, Molly, who embarked on a sexual journey after being diagnosed with stage four termi...

In this evocative episode, host Laura Walton dives into the terrain of death and grief with legendary comedian Fred Armisen . From a chance connection to a deep conversation, Laura and Fred navigate the profound, often taboo subject of mortality, exploring how grief can be a sacred invitation to feel more deeply and connect in unimaginable ways. Fred opens up about the unexpected death of his clos...

In this insightful episode of Grief on Purpose, Laura welcomes author Jacob Tobia to delve into the intricate layers of grief, masculinity, and society. Jacob, a non-binary author of ' Sissy' and their new release ' Before They Were Men ', breaks down their journey of self-discovery and the profound impact of their father's death on their view of grief. As they discuss Jacob's transformative exper...

In this deeply personal episode, Laura sits down with therapist Beth Freese to talk about what happens when death settles in early and reshapes everything. When Beth was just 15, her close friend died by suicide. That moment didn’t just break her heart — it cracked something open inside her. One day she was a teenager navigating high school, and the next day she was navigating life and death. Beth...

In this piercingly tender episode, Laura sits down with grief therapist and bereaved mother Jenny Robbins to explore the lifelong terrain of traumatic loss — not from a distance, but from inside of it. Thirteen years ago, Jenny’s 19-year-old son Cade died under tragic, uncertain circumstances, alone, on a walk home from a party. Since then, Jenny has walked a path carved out by pain, devotion, and...

In this compelling episode, Laura sits down with Terri Straut-- a mother from Littleton, Colorado, whose world was shattered in 2011 when her son, Patrick, died by suicide at just 18 years old. There are no soft landings after a loss like that. And Terri doesn’t pretend otherwise. What she brings is raw truth, hard-won wisdom, and a story soaked in love, devastation, and the brutal, everyday work...

In this soul-baring episode, Laura sits down with Justine Monahan — an Australian expat, mother, and widow — to unravel the brutal and beautiful aftermath of death. Justine’s story is shaped by love, loss, and choice. Her dad died when she was a teenager, and later her mom also died—giving Justine early experiences with grief that marked her path. Years later, she and her husband, Bob, built a lif...

In this episode, sound healer Joya Sosnowski shares her grief story, including the death of her 18-year-old son Weston. In this honest and inspiring conversation with Laura, Joya shares how grief has become a pathway to deeper awareness and spiritual connection. Joya discusses the intuitive sense she had before Weston's accident, the layered emotions surrounding his upcoming birthday, and the sign...

In this episode, Laura is joined by longtime yogi and meditation practitioner Sam Zeitlin for a powerful conversation about loss, embodiment, and the quiet rituals that hold us together. After losing both of her parents and several close friends, Sam turned instinctively inward—leaning on her meditation practice not as an escape, but as a place to land. She shares how body scans, breathwork, and s...

In this moving conversation, Laura is joined by Rebecca Rau — a mother, business consultant, and yoga practitioner — to explore the raw intersections of grief, healing, and returning to oneself. After the sudden death of her mother, a cross-state move, and an unexpected job loss all within two months, Rebecca found herself unraveling under the weight of unprocessed grief. What ultimately brought h...

In this episode, Lauren Morse, a yoga instructor, death midwife, and research psychologist from Yellow Springs, Ohio, shares her profound journey of integrating yoga into her life as a tool for navigating grief. Lauren discusses her extensive experience of teaching yoga and her training in death midwifery, through which she developed a deep understanding of how grief manifests physically in the bo...

In this powerful episode, yoga instructor Christina Nystrom from Spiritually Fit shares the raw and layered story of navigating deep personal loss. After the deaths of her father, close friends, and her significant other, Christina turned to yoga not as a cure, but as a lifeline. Through principles like Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender) and Svadhyaya (Self-Study), she found a way to live with grief r...

In this powerful episode, Bridget Tremblay shares her profound personal journey through grief. She begins by recounting how her deep and enduring friendship with Laura began during a 2005 group interview for Lululemon. Bridget then details her role as the primary support person during the Laura’s intense grief after the death of her boyfriend. Bridget shares the emotional toll it took on her, the...