Journey From Grief to Healing

Welcome to Episode 71 of Dr. Ray Calabrese's 'Journey from Grief to Healing' podcast. As he takes you with him on a tranquil morning walk in San Antonio, Texas, Dr. Ray explores the profound influence of nature on our emotions and healing process as we grapple with grief. Listen as he immerses himself in his surroundings, inhaling the fragrance of the blooming mountain laurel, greeting the mocking...

Welcome to Episode 70 of "Journey from Grief to Healing" with Dr. Ray Calabrese. In this episode, Dr. Ray shares his experience with well-intentioned people who offer quick fix solutions to grief and underscores the complexity of the emotional process. There is no straightforward path to healing, as he likens grieving to peeling an onion - revealing deeper layers as you progress. It is not about s...

Welcome to Episode 68 of Dr. Ray Calabrese's podcast, "Journey from Grief to Healing". In this insightful episode, Dr. Ray dives deep into a discussion on healing, drawing inspirations from Lewis Carroll's 'Through The Looking Glass" and the transformational power of belief in the possibility of healing, a belief he urges all listeners to adopt. Dr. Ray highlights examples of humanity's ability to...

Welcome to Episode 67 of Dr. Ray Calabrese's "Journey From Grief to Healing" podcast where he uses Garth Brooks' song 'The Dance' as a metaphor to illustrate how people deal with grief. Embedded in this song is the connotation of our lives being a dance shared, intimately, with our lost loved ones. The dance may end, but the music, the essence of our relationship, continues forever. Music can touc...

Welcome to Episode 66 of the 'Journey from Grief to Healing' podcast with Dr. Ray Calabrese. In this episode, Dr. Ray discusses the value of cherished moments and the inherent gift that love provides, even amidst the pain of loss. He draws insights from a poignant conversation among characters in a television series, reminding us to embrace every moment we share with our loved ones. He further exp...

In Episode 65 of the "Daughter and Dad Podcast," we delve into the profound questions that haunt us during times of grief: "Where am I going and what will I do when I get there?" This episode takes a heartfelt look at the relentless cycle of remorse, regret, and sorrow, and how we can find the strength to break free. We explore the uninhibited world of a three-year-old, filled with curiosity and d...

Join us in Episode 64, "Embracing the Dawn: The Courage to Start Again," where we navigate the poignant realm of life's transitions. From the first steps into kindergarten to the final goodbyes at high school graduations, our lives are marked by ends and beginnings. We discuss how these milestones, while signifying loss—of the familiar, the comfortable, the loved—also herald the promise of new sta...

In Episode 63 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I speak of spring in San Antonio, Texas, and my anticipation of it bursting forth in all its splendor.  I share important questions we can ask ourselves so grieving will not hold us back and we too, can enter our springtime and burst forth into new life. 

In Episode 62 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I talk about the questions we ask while grieving that have no apparent answers. I offer a counter-intuitive way of dealing with these questions that helps to move on to acceptance living life more fully and vibrantly.

In Episode 61 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I talk about how grieving is a multi-dimensional construct that affects nearly everyone who experiences a loss. The loss can be a loved one, job, limb, health, home or something else. The loss can be a loved one, job, limb, health, home or something else. We all have to navigate through the stages of grieving. I offer four brief lessons t...

In Episode 60 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I talk about my struggle with anger and how I moved away from anger to wholeness. I learned that anger and healing can't co-exist.

In Episode 59 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I talk about the emotional scars that grieving leaves and offer 4 guideposts to help navigate life while one grieves.

In Episode 58 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I reveal M's identify. Understanding who M is and bringing someone like M into your life may be as beneficial to you as it was to me as you navigate the healing journey.

In Episode 57 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing I talk about how important it is to live our life in such a way as to have no regrets, it doesn't stop the pain associated with grieving, but it allows us to free ourselves from guilt and recrimination.

In Episode 56 or my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I talk with M about how far I have come on my grieving journey. The letter writing was an immense help. Writing the letters helped me to reframe what I lost when Babe died to viewing our relationship as a gift to be treasured.

In Episode 55 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I express my gratitude to Babe in the form of a letter. Writing the letter of gratitude to Babe didn't ease my pain of grieving, but it did bring back many good memories and I smiled. Yes, I smiled writing this letter, grieving couldn't prevent it. My good memories of us together overwhelmed grieving for a moment. 

In Episode 54 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I share the research on the importance of writing heart-felt letters to one who died. Letter writing has a way of healing us in our grieving and simultaneously keeps us connected to the one we lost. In this episode I write to Babe and describe to her how much I miss her. 

In Episode 53 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I write a love letter to Babe as if she will be able to read it tonight. I pour our my feelings for her. It was emotionally difficult to do this, however, it was a giant step toward healing. I am finding that releasing my feelings by expressing them in written word has proven to be therapeutic for me, even if the letters produced a cathar...

In Episode 52 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I write the first of the four letters M suggest I write to B. It is a letter expressing regret for my actions and asking her forgiveness. I discovered, in hindsight, that writing these letter, although emotional difficult, created a breakthrough for me in the grieving process. 

In Episode 51 of of my Podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, M challenges me to take a difficult but critical step on the pathway to healing. I discovered later, after I had taken the step, how important it was to follow through on the task she had given me. It made all the difference.

In Episode 50 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I share with M the healing I had while visiting Dolly and her family over Christmas. I was ready to more forward. M said the next two hurdles to clear were excuse making and daring to let go of the past. 

In Episode 49 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I experienced a Christmas healing. I wasn't done with my grieving work but I felt the miraculous gift of love healing me. I didn't see it coming. I was blessed.

In Episode 48 of my Podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I meet with M to talk about getting through Christmas. M shared a great metaphor with me that pointed me in the right direction. Celebrating Christmas without Babe wasn't going to be easy, but I was going to give it my best shot.

In Episode 47 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, I journal about the gifts I am receiving through my experience of suffering. M told me that discovering the gifts hidden in my suffering wouldn't ease my grieving or suffering but they would pave the way toward healing. I am discovering she is right. 

In Episode 46 of my podcast, Journey from Grief to Healing, M offers me some tough truths about grieving and suffering I did not want to hear. That's what good friends do. She took a risk and it made all the difference for me and moved me closer to healing.