The Empowered Grief Journey

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, Chris sits down with Angela Lenhardt to talk about a type of loss that is often misunderstood—the death of her horse, Trigger. For Angela, Trigger wasn’t “just a horse.” He was a companion, a source of connection, and a meaningful part of her life. When he passed, the grief she experienced was deep, personal, and at times difficult to expla...

In this deeply moving episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, Chris sits down with Suzanne Jabour to talk about the unimaginable—losing her 19-year-old son, Ben, to suicide. Suzanne shares the moment her life changed, the shock and devastation that followed, and what it felt like to try to make sense of something that often feels impossible to understand. She speaks openly about the early days of...

In this episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, Chris sits down with Carolina Gonzalez, a Sydney-based mindfulness and meditation teacher who helps women in midlife feel calm, grounded, and clear again. Carolina shares how her life began to unravel after her 20-plus-year marriage ended while she was raising two young children. As she was grieving the loss of the relationship, the future she imagin...

In this deeply emotional episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, Chris sits down with Tim and Becky Graff to talk about the unimaginable—losing both of their daughters—and what it took to navigate that level of grief as a couple. Tim and Becky share their story openly, including how each of them processed the loss of their daughters in different ways, and the strain that kind of grief can place on...

In this deeply personal episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, Chris sits down with Frank DiMaio to talk about the reality of losing a spouse and having to rebuild your life from the ground up. Frank shares his story of losing his wife and what that loss actually looked like—not just emotionally, but in the day-to-day reality of waking up to a life that no longer felt familiar. He opens up about...

In this powerful episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, Chris sits down with Jennifer Taylor to explore what it means to navigate grief after sudden loss and traumatic brain injury. After a life-changing skiing accident that resulted in a brain injury, Jennifer’s world shifted overnight. Alongside the emotional weight of loss, she was forced to confront changes to her identity, her daily life, an...

In this powerful episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, Chris sits down with Carissa Karban—systems architect and shadow alchemist—to explore a form of grief that often goes unseen: the loss of identity. Carissa shares her personal journey through profound life transitions, including the unraveling of marriages, careers, and the versions of herself built for survival rather than truth. Together,...

Grief has a way of changing everything—and the hardest part is learning how to move forward when life no longer looks the same. In this episode, Chris sits down with Bill Cushing, who shares his personal journey of losing his wife to breast cancer and the profound impact that loss had on his life, identity, and sense of direction. Through honest reflection and lived experience, Bill opens up about...

Grief doesn’t just affect your mind—it lives in your body. In this episode, Chris sits down with psychologist, mystic, and breathwork practitioner Colleen Quinn to explore how trauma and grief are stored in the body—and how true healing happens when we begin to work with it, not avoid it. Drawing from decades of experience in somatic experiencing, internal family systems (IFS), and breathwork, Col...

In this episode of the Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, Chris speaks with Lezlee Liljenberg—entrepreneur, author, and speaker—about her life-changing DNA discovery. What started as a fun family experiment quickly turned into a deeply emotional journey that challenged everything she believed about her identity and biological roots. Lezlee shares the realities of navigating unexpected family truths,...

In this episode of the Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, Chris speaks with Lori Layne—author, speaker, and founder of The Lane Less Traveled—about her experience with a high-risk pregnancy, a long NICU journey, and the loss of her daughter. Lori shares the emotional realities of child loss, including navigating grief while raising a surviving child, how partners grieve differently, and the importan...

In this episode of the Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, Chris sits down with writer and storyteller Penelope Alonso to discuss her experience of losing both parents within a short period of time. Through her journey of caregiving and profound loss, Penelope opens up about the emotional and identity shifts that follow when the foundational figures in your life are gone. She also shares how writing...

In this episode, Chris sits down with Devorah Brinckerhoff, a mixed media artist and creator of the Soul Portrait Process, to explore how creativity can help transform grief, trauma, and life challenges into empowerment. Together, they discuss healing through art, reconnecting with your authentic self, and how expression can become a powerful tool for growth after loss.

In this episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone sits down with Diane Carbo, a registered nurse with 54 years of experience and the founder of Caregiver Relief, to talk about the realities of grief, caregiving, and why families need a clear plan before a crisis hits. Diane shares her personal story of losing her mother after her oncologist told her she had “beaten cancer”—...

In this deeply personal and spiritual episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone sits down with Samuel Thomas Holland—a clairvoyant medium and intuitive—to explore grief through the lens of suicide loss, spiritual awakening, and energetic healing. Samuel shares the story of his friend Jordan, a 24-year-old aspiring opera singer who moved from Sydney to Melbourne to pursue he...

In this returning-guest episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone welcomes therapist, speaker, artist, and Adversity Rising founder Kyira Wackett back to the show for a deep conversation about radical acceptance, the hidden grief of not being able to control outcomes, and what it takes to rebuild self-trust after trauma. Kyira—known for leading the “anti Band-Aid” movement...

In this inspiring episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone sits down with author and speaker Linda Magoon to talk about what it really looks like to rebuild your life after a painful ending—and how nature can become a powerful path to healing. After leaving a 25-year toxic marriage, Linda chose an unexpected kind of “post-divorce therapy”: she set a goal to hike all 48 of...

In this episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone sits down with Rob Gutro—award-winning author, paranormal investigator, retired meteorologist, and pet medium—for a powerful conversation about pet loss grief, the afterlife, and the real-life signs our animals can send after they pass. Rob shares the story of his dog Buzz, the loss that reawakened his mediumship abilities,...

In this deeply moving episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone sits down with award-winning journalist and author Ashley Jordan to talk about a kind of grief many people experience—but rarely name: the loss of a first love in childhood and the long-term impact of unprocessed grief. Ashley shares the story of Daniel—her childhood sweetheart—who was killed in a sudden accide...

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone welcomes creative empowerment coach, musician, educator, and author Jenny Leigh Hodgins for a deeply meaningful conversation about grief, creativity, and rediscovering purpose after loss. Drawing from more than 30 years in music education and nearly four decades of Buddhist practice, Jenny shares how creativity bec...

In this powerful episode of The Empowered Grief Journey Podcast, host Chris Mamone sits down with author, speaker, and grief facilitator Megan Malick to explore what it truly means to make space for grief — both personally and professionally. Megan, founder of A New Path and creator of a practical grief workbook and planner for the first year after loss, shares compassionate insights on navigating...

Leaving a narcissistic relationship was only the beginning of Gail Showalter’s story. In this episode, Gail shares her journey of surviving emotional abuse, raising three children, and rebuilding her life from the ground up. But she didn’t stop at survival. She went back to school. She wrote a book. She started an organization to help other women break free from abuse. We talk about: • The subtle...

Why do certain memories still trigger anxiety, fear, or emotional reactions—even years later? In this episode, I sit down with Cedric Bertelli, founder of the Emotional Health Institute, to explore the science behind emotional memory and how our brains encode fear. Cedric explains why many emotional triggers aren’t just “mindset issues,” but deeply learned responses stored in emotional memory. We...

What do you say to someone who’s grieving—when you’re afraid of saying the wrong thing? In this episode, I’m joined by Heidi Dunstan, a certified grief educator, to talk about the real-life impact of sudden loss, what widows and grievers actually need, and why so many people disappear when grief enters the room. Heidi shares her personal story of losing her husband suddenly just two days after Chr...

Grief isn’t always one defining moment. Sometimes, it’s woven quietly into the fabric of our lives. In this episode, I sit down with Simona Costantini, founder of Volt Productions and host of Happiness Happens, to explore the many forms grief can take beyond death and traditional loss. We talk about grieving the life you thought you wanted, career paths that no longer fit, expectations placed on y...