Restorative Grief with Mandy Capehart

We become more ourselves by allowing who we are becoming to arrive—and trusting that the parts we let go were never wasted. In this episode, we explore defensiveness not as a flaw, but as a grief-informed response designed to protect former versions of ourselves who carried us through pain. Links + Resources from this episode: Become a Patron Connect with Mandy Learn more about Restorative Grief

What if personal growth doesn’t mean becoming someone new, but learning to stay steady in who you already are? This week, Mandy sits down with Jackie Contessa, certified Enneagram coach and founder of Table for 9 Coaching , to talk about how the Enneagram offers stability through the ever-changing landscape of life and relationships. Jackie shares her story of discovering the Enneagram after years...

Crossing into the new year isn’t about escape. It’s about emergence. When everyone else wants you to add new hobbies or build new dreams because it's the rolling over of the calendar year, I just want to see you feel whole again. This week, we're talking about how to make space for our whole selves to settle down this season instead of ramping up toward all the new things. It's winter,...

Where do you begin to recover when your whole world crumbles and takes your sense of self with it? Jennifer Otsuki knows that before you can begin, you must slow down and be nourished. After losing her restaurant in 2020 and shortly after, her partner and sous-chef Andrew, Chef Jennifer recognized her body's deep need for nourishment. Her new cookbook, Soul Nourished, is a testament to the rec...

What does ‘making room’ look like for you this holiday season? In this episode, we explore how to navigate the holiday season when our hearts are holding absence and how to create intentional emotional space for ourselves in a time of year saturated with expectation. Whether your loss is recent or long-held, whether your grief feels fresh or quiet, the holidays can stir up layers we didn’t even kn...

"They do not have capacity to give you that empathy because they cannot tolerate it within themselves." Sterlin Mosley wants you to experience relational repair with others but particularly, with yourself. When we are navigating grief, exploring the characteristics of narcissistic behaviors doesn't seem like a natural progression for learning. However, when we begin to understand how...

Grief can feel like a force demanding an equally intense response. But what if healing asks for something softer? This week, we're tackling the promise of huge transformational change in grief work that all the coaches in the world seem to be offering. You don't need to be overhauled; you're not an abandoned home. You're a human with a brain working at the right pace to make lastin...

"Dysregulation puts us into a state of compression, not expansion. This is how we can back to growth." It's time to move beyond survival of burnout and into intentional and integrative living. Michele Oelking is the founder of Souljourn Coaching & Consulting and today, she joins us to explore how neurodivergence intersects with burnout, overwhelm, and the challenges of living ful...

How are you supposed to respond when someone shouts, "Just be grateful!" across the holiday table? If you're anything like me, you are tired of pretending it doesn't hurt and tired of wondering if it will ever stop hurting. But gratitude doesn't suddenly blossom when grief ends...because what if grief doesn't end? This week, we're talking about practices to engage our...

What if preparing for death could actually help us live more fully? Too often, we avoid end-of-life conversations because they feel overwhelming or sad. But leaning into planning can actually bring clarity, ease, and deeper connection. In this episode, I’m joined by Marni Blank, founder of Begin With The End , who helps individuals and families approach legacy, loss, and after-death logistics with...

When you ask how to live through estrangement, the answer may not be in reconciling or forgetting – it may be in noticing where your energy resides, and choosing the frequencies that allow you to keep living fully, even through uncertainty. This week, we're addressing a constant question I hear from listeners and clients - what can one do to navigate being estranged when you don't clearly understa...

"Joy is sinewy, fibrous, raw. She shows up in the dark, not instead of it." This week on Restorative Grief , we’re sitting with Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald to explore what she calls the “gritty joy” that grows right alongside our grief. In her newest book, The Joy Reset , she names six “joy thieves” that keep us from accessing healing and explains why our resistance to joy is not a failur...

“Nourishment is not just survival fuel. It’s the act of tending—to the heart, the mind, the body, and the spirit.” In this episode, we explore what it means to care for ourselves in life’s most intense seasons. You’ll be guided through reflections and simple practices for the heart, mind, body, and spirit, and invited into a communal act of nourishment you can share with others. Links + Resources...

"No matter what the risk is, the discomfort is huge. But for me, the discomfort is the compass." When the life you’ve built no longer fits, how do you make the hard choice to walk away and begin anew? Today’s guest, Amy Murtola (AlignedSoulCo), shares her journey of uprooting—moving to a new state, single, alone—and discovering the enneagram as a guide through fear, reinvention, and deep...

“What if there was a simple way to help your child feel understood when emotions get loud?” Kids experience big feelings - grief, frustration, sadness, anger - just like adults do. But often, they don’t have the words to explain what’s going on inside. In this episode, we're sharing a gentle, kid-friendly tool that helps children (and their parents) notice what emotions feel like in the body and b...

"It is entirely possible that what we've accepted as "normal" isn't normal at all, and that's the very place we can begin to heal." Brandan Robertson stands as a beacon of love, hope, and unwavering support for anyone ready to reclaim their faith from the clutches of intolerance. For the queer kids, for the queer adults, and for every single wonderful human wondering how they can fit in when they...

"Lowering the barrier to entry keeps creativity alive through grief, not in spite of it." Grief doesn't mean we put our canvases away in a closet. It means we allow simply setting a blank canvas on the easel as creativity in itself. This week, we're talking through one way grieving humans can invite the creative spark back into their daily lives without the pressure of producing...

“I hope you look back and your life and when you think about the best parts it’s hard to decide.” I've been a student and lover of music my entire life, so the opportunity to speak with a musician about grief?! Yes please! Jay Putty is a folk pop artist with an impressive track record of heartfelt hits filled with heart, grief, and invitations into catharsis. Our conversation is full of musica...

"This is how I carry them into my present, even as life insists on moving forward. They are frozen in time, but I am not." This week, I'm sharing a brief anecdote about my own life and grief story. When we can't make the phone call we desperately need, what can we do with ourselves to feel okay? Links + Resources from this episode: Transcript here at MandyCapehart.com Become a Pa...

"Any separation of the body and mind is imaginary." Functional health nurse and coach Elisabeth Bojang wants you to uncover the root of your symptoms and finally feel better. For grievers, that can sound like a fairy tale - but Elisabeth's work is 100% real. Join our conversation about the intersection of our physical health and mental health to learn how a functional medicine approa...

"Grief itself can come on fast, but grieving is not a fast process. It is a lifelong engagement - an ongoing act of permission to honor and validate the intensity." Grief work is not meant to be rushed, but in a culture that values high productivity, rushing through it seems to be our default approach. This week, we're exploring the possibility that there MIGHT just be a better way t...

"You don't have to parent through grief alone." Erin Leigh Nelson & Colleen E. Montague want you to know that grieving as a parent doesn't mean you set your own grief aside. Although as parents, we often put our needs last, grief is one of those arenas where you can support yourself and your kids (and community) through the expressions of loss as they come. This conversation...

Wouldn’t it be lovely if you knew what you were doing wrong before you found yourself elbow deep in misery? Great news – this week, we’re naming the five biggest mistakes grievers make so not only can you prepare yourself for what’s to come, but you can support your friends who are grieving in a new and more healthy way, too. Links + Resources from this episode: Become a Patron! Connect with Mandy...

"If you can become that one trusted adult, it could change everything." Former NCAA Division 1 hockey player Eric Daddario understands first hand the feeling of helplessness in the face of grief. After experiencing the tragic loss of his younger brother to a drug overdose, Eric dedicated his life to helping students and student-athletes navigate grief, anxiety, and the pressures of adole...

“This is the chance you have to stop performing your life and start embodying it.” Do you know where to begin when you’re grieving? Most of the time, we suspect we simply wait until it hurts too much, then allow ourselves (or don’t) to burst like a dam until the tears stop applying emotional pressure. This week, we’re going to talk through how to grieve with intention when we notice all those grie...