Restorative Grief with Mandy Capehart

"I’m a little less than I would have been without my struggles, and also a little more. My children are not what make me whole. But they are part of what I needed to stop feeling broken." Learning to tell our story as a griever is an art form a transformation, and a necessary part of the healing process but often, it can feel unsafe to get started. In her new book Held Together: A Shared...

"Happy, healthy, and independent people understand the power of sorrow." What if your shortcut to happiness has been with you since birth—but was silenced to keep others comfortable? This week, we're digging into distress tolerance —the skill that helps us hold sorrow without bypassing it. Many of us were raised in emotionally dismissive environments, and it’s time to unlearn that co...

"When people feel listened to well, their window of tolerance is expanded." It's time to learn how to listen with intention, not just an outcome in mind. We're learning these skills from Emily Kasriel—former BBC journalist, executive coach, and author of Deep Listening: Transform Your Relationships with Family, Friends, and Foes. Listen while we discuss how grief often becomes th...

"If you could preserve your loved one in a digital body, would you do it?" This week, we're confronting the uncomfortable reality of AI grief bots - programs and companies providing artificially generated versions of your loved ones after their death. This conversation could go on for days, so while this just scratches the surface of the topic, it's worthwhile to get your thought...

"If you really want to shock the world, unleash your kindness." In a world full of fear, anger, and sorrow, kindness and empathy are become far less commonplace. But Brad Meltzer wants you to remember that as we go through these transitions and intense experiences in life, we can always position ourselves to make magic happen. If you are in need of a reminder of the beauty that also exis...

“Anger is a prayer of fire—begging the world to notice what’s been broken.” Anger is a natural, protective part of grief—but most of us were never taught what to do with it. In this episode of Restorative Grief, we’ll explore safe, somatic ways to express anger without shame, bypass, or harm. You’ll walk away with practical tools, deeper understanding, and maybe even a little gratitude for the rag...

"Getting outside saved me." Former evangelical pastor turned mental health advocate Andy Neal wants you to push back against the resistance within to find what helps you flourish. After losing his faith, his work, and his community, Andy explored what in the world could possibly help him feel safe in himself again. Through one fateful conversation with a therapist, his entire life change...

"Restorative witnessing as a practice is one of the most inviting expressions of love for another." What if eight minutes of your time could offer someone the safety they’ve been searching for? In this episode of Restorative Grief , we explore the transformative practice of restorative witnessing — a trauma-informed, compassion-centered approach to being fully present without fixing. Lea...

"It's not complicated at all - it's actually quite simple." Few things in this life are black and white, but when they are, they are as perceived as complicated by those who refuse to understand or learn from others. Master Certified Grief and Transformation Coach Olivia Abousaid offers a grounded, trauma-informed perspective on collective grief, the impact of global injustice, a...

"The embodiment you can experience in these moments of disappointment requires safety, security, and ultimately results in a greater sense of belonging with yourself." In this episode, we unpack the complex emotions behind grieving someone who is still alive. When relationships break down or fade away, disappointment often takes center stage, leaving us questioning where things went wrong. This co...

"Self-awareness helps us know where we're heading by showing us our starting points on the map." It takes great courage and openness to notice what moments are aligning for you in life - even in grief. My guest today is Thomas Brown, a mental health advocate, author, and artist whose life has been shaped by a deep commitment to raising awareness around grief and suicide. A decade after losing his...

"Grief is messy, but it is our avoidance of grieving that makes it messier - especially when we learn of necessary change." Harmful systems thrive in silence, fear, and unchecked power. This episode explores how abusive dynamics take root in communities—spiritual and otherwise—and how grief work is essential for both individuals and the collective to heal. By recognizing red flags, advoc...

"Our questions drive our existence.” Until we become curious about what we're feeling, we can't really uncover what we want or who we are becoming. Ash Perrow is a heart-centered Personal Growth Coach sharing the story of how his near death experience radically altered the path of his life. His insight about living fully will make you listen twice and take notes. Links + Resources for this episode...

“Do not be satisfied with the stories that come before you. Unfold your own myth.” - Rumi This week, our conversation invites us to consider how the decisions we make—whether to isolate or connect—shape our healing and the health of our community. Here we wonder: Are we unknowingly creating the very struggles we seek to escape, or are we choosing a path toward deeper connection and collective well...

“How often do we practice another way of being?” Have you ever considered what life could be like if you leaned into what you wanted to feel, do, think, or experience? Andrew Lang is an educator in the Pacific Northwest and author of the award-winning book  Unmasking the Inner Critic: Lessons for Living an Unconstricted Life . Together we're unpacking what it means to embrace practice and play...

"Belonging to yourself in a world that demands conformity is an act of resistance — a way of saying, I am worthy as I am, and I don’t need to fit in to belong." Have you spent so much time trying to fit in that you’ve lost sight of who you really are? In this episode, we unpack the difference between true belonging and exhausting performance, exploring how grief plays a key role in recla...

"You are less alone than you think you are." Clarissa Moll lost her husband in an accident while camping with their family in 2019. Her first book, Beyond the Darkness, became a bestseller and now, she's released a second book on teenage grief cowritten with her daughter, Fiona. Hurt Help Hope: A Real Conversation about Teen Grief and Life after Loss" is a beautiful and faith-based companion for a...

"Connection is the antidote to control." In this episode of Restorative Grief, we're exploring how the need to control everything in our lives, especially in times of grief, leaves us feeling disconnected and burned out. The key to healing isn't in fixing every problem, but in returning to our core values and reconnecting with ourselves and others. Links + Resources from this episode: Nedra Glover...

"Whatever deserves collapse has a container here." Ned Buskirk wants you to live fully alive by embracing the fact that you too, will die. Our grief stories deserve a space for expansion, expression, and the energy of an audience. Through his nonprofit You're Going 2 Die, Ned and his team are bringing diverse communities creatively into the conversation of grief, loss, and our shared mortality. Li...

"Estrangement draws a line between what we can accept and what we cannot. By holding compassion for ourselves and others, we create space for growth—even if it happens apart." This week's conversation about grieving through estrangement is a primer for either side of the loss. Whether you are the one setting the boundary or you are the one feeling the distance, this essay is an invitation toward y...

"You'll never know unless you try." Jason Lange wants every man to get emotional. In his work as a men's embodiment coach, Jason teaches men how to invite their suppressed emotions to the surface and moving toward a more embodied way of living. This conversation goes beyond men, however. As human beings, we can learn to navigate spaces to create a greater sense of safety for ourselves and others....

"It is often that which is left unsaid that reveals the most." In this week's conversation, we're exploring the power of active listening as a grief supporter for others and particularly as a griever for ourselves! Links + Resources from this episode: Join the Restorative Grief Patreon! Learn more about  1:1 coaching opportunities Buy  Mandy’s book on grieving Subscribe to the  Restorative Grief q...

"Honoring where you are matters until you are ready to move into something new; but until then, we don't push." Momoko Uno's experience quarantined in an Australian hotel for two weeks led her to lean into the writing career she'd always wanted. What started as a way to process the pain of waiting to see her terminally ill mother became the transformational expression that turned a quarantine jour...

"Unlearning begins with removing the ‘good/bad’ binary and moving toward a spectrum of wellness." Grief is often seen through the limited lens of good vs. bad, creating barriers to fully understanding and engaging with our emotions. But what if there was no "bad" way to grieve? What if we could reframe our approach to grief by unlearning these binaries and embracing a spectrum...

"Everything is connected." Dr. Rosemarie Rutecki wants you to eat the foods that make you happy - more specifically, the foods that make your GUT happy. Connecting the dots between our gut health and the wellness of our mind, emotions, and spirit are crucial and Dr. Rosemarie's work is a low-barrier entry point to learning how to support our holistic grief work with food as medicine. Links + Resou...