Widowhood Real Talk with Dr. Tina

What happens when the 'before' and 'after' of your life is separated by a single, catastrophic moment? Today, we sit down with Eileen Bellew , author of After John Jumped , to talk about the raw, unfiltered reality of losing a spouse in the line of duty. Eileen opens up about the sudden transition from FDNY wife to widow, the struggle of raising four children while navigating her own PTSD, and the...

Grief isn’t a destination you arrive at; it’s a companion that changes alongside you. If you’ve felt the weight of loss, you know that the journey is rarely a straight line—it is complex, unpredictable, and deeply personal. In this moving conversation, author Jackie Disch joins us to discuss her powerful memoir, Losing Katy: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Living Grief . Together, we explore the raw,...

Losing a spouse is a profound emotional journey, but for many, it also triggers an unexpected and overwhelming secondary challenge: managing the household finances. Suddenly thrust into the role of "Chief Financial Officer" while navigating the fog of grief, many widows and widowers find themselves paralyzed by financial anxiety. Today, we sit down with Daniel Kopp —a financial planner and widower...

Losing a spouse can feel like the end of your world, leaving you navigating a landscape of grief and hopelessness. In this heartfelt conversation, guest Gina Sevey draws a poignant parallel between the slow, deliberate process of baking sourdough bread and the journey of widowhood, emphasizing that grief cannot be rushed. Through her personal story of loss and her mission to support others, Gina e...

When people go through grief, they often handle it so self-consciously that it becomes a performance-based experience. They tend to “check off boxes” of how the grieving journey is supposed to look. Tina Fornwald discusses the importance of honoring one's own timeline for release and healing with Dannie D . He reflects on how he addresses the stigma around Black males crying and showing emotions w...

Dive into a powerful conversation about grief, storytelling, and healing after loss with Highlander Press founder Deborah Kevin . We unpack the deeply personal journey of writing the novel The Five Widows Club and the profound impact of sharing your truth. Whether you are facing a widower's grief or seeking advice on starting life over, Deborah illuminates how embracing your voice and finding comm...

One in four women experience pregnancy loss, yet the grief remains one of the most private and unspoken sorrows. If you've felt isolated, carrying the secret pain of a miscarriage or stillbirth, you are not alone. This conversation delves into the profound, often traumatic, experience of pregnancy loss—an identity-shattering event where many wonder, 'Did my loss even count?' Join pregnancy loss pr...

Words have the unique power of healing, restoration, and encouragement that you cannot find anywhere else. This is exactly what content creator Sedric Curvin is harnessing through his empowering poetry on TikTok. Tina Fornwald sits down with a non-widower guest who shares how he uses his creative talents to write poems and guide people on how to love, rediscover love, and reignite their purpose to...

When navigating the profound landscape of grief or trauma, communication often feels like crossing a minefield. Your mind is foggy, your support system is silent or saying the wrong things, and misunderstandings are inevitable. Why do our best intentions get lost in translation, and how can we repair these crucial connections? In this essential discussion, psychotherapist Dr. Patricia Timerman int...

What if the secret to navigating your deepest grief isn't moving on, but simply standing still? In this moving conversation, storyteller and communication coach Ryan Justin Jackson shares his deeply personal experience of witnessing his father’s transition and the spiritual awakening that followed. Learn how finding stillness in the present moment can help you navigate the profound trauma of loss,...

Actively grieving is often described as a heavy shackle, yet Kari Driskell joins us to share the profound realization that while grief is lifelong, the state of active devastation does not have to be. As a widow who turned her personal loss into a "Heart Work" methodology, Kari discusses the vital distinction between the permanent presence of grief and the choice to move toward a sense of alivenes...

Giving yourself permission to live again after loss can feel unfamiliar and even uncomfortable, and in this conversation with Kelley Raleigh , that tension is explored with honesty, depth, and care. Kelley reflects on becoming a widow at 46 and the disorienting experience of grieving a life that changed in an instant while still choosing to move forward. Her story moves through identity shifts, ev...

In this episode, host Tina sits down with Tami Franklin , author of Un-Masked, Un-Broken, Healed & Set Free . Tami shares her raw and honest "lived experience" of surviving the loss of her daughter, Brittany, and her stepson, Christian. After 14 years of trauma therapy and writing, Tami explains why she believes grief is "holy ground" and how resilient faith allowed her to move from a three-ye...

Most people often consider getting end of life care once they have exhausted all other options – but that is when it is all too late. Tina Fornwald sits down with Cylon George , who shares about his work as a seasoned hospice chaplain who bridges clinical support and soulful connection. He dispels different misconceptions about hospice care and emphasizes why conversations about it should not feel...

This episode closes out a month of conversations dedicated to love, loss, and remembrance.  Recorded nine years after the death of my husband, Mark, this final March reflection is not about closure or moving on. It is about what endured. What relocated. What stayed. In this conversation, I speak to both Mark and you, the listener, exploring the idea of continuing bonds and the quiet ways love...

Love changes us—but sometimes in ways we don’t fully realize until we look back. In this heartfelt reflection, we explore the transformative power of loving someone deeply and how that love shaped the person I became. From lessons in vulnerability to the growth sparked by connection, this story dives into the ways love challenges us, teaches us, and ultimately helps us evolve. Discover how love is...

The day of your loved one’s passing is indeed a hard time to get through. But unbeknownst to many, the day after their death is much harder to get through. As I remember my late husband Mark on his ninth death anniversary, we explore the often-overlooked emotional weight that happens one day after a special someone dies. I look back on what I learned from the extreme quietness following Mark’s pas...

How do you hold the expansive story of a life when all people want to ask about is the ending? Dr. Tina Fornwald dedicates the month of March to remembering the whole person in grief, honoring her late husband, Mark Fornwald, nine years after his passing. In this raw and deeply personal conversation, she speaks directly to Mark, allowing listeners into a 32-year love that shaped her into the woman...

Abuse and grief may leave you with deep wounds, but the path to healing will always be open. With an unrelenting mindset, Brian Francis managed to endure a childhood of domestic abuse and the trauma of his father’s death. He tells how he embraced unwavering resilience to write a memoir about his experiences, insights, and realizations to spread inspiration to people who are going through the same...

Moving through the unimaginable pain of loss is the beginning of a profound grief transformation and conscious new life. Tina Fornwald sits down with Julie Halbert , a Transformational Soul Coach, Death Doula, and former lawyer, to explore the powerful journey from victimhood to light, discussing her upcoming book, Divine Ashes Ascending . They speak the raw truth about the guttural reality of gri...

Setting healthy boundaries should never restrict you from living your best life, but protect you from getting hurt by external forces out of your control. Author and speaker Regina Hiremath experienced a rough childhood and got into an unhappy marriage, but she handled the wounds of her journey by doing the inner work and creating boundaries in the right places. She shares how overcoming her fear...

When profound loss shakes the very foundation of your spirit, causing grief and faith to feel like opposites, where do you turn for a candid conversation? Pastor, spiritual director, and author Kirk Byron Jones joins to share his decades of wisdom on God and spirituality amidst the pain of loss. Dr. Jones advocates for the powerful concept of 'healthy doubt' as an avenue for spiritual growth, and...

Losing a loved one is not just emotionally overwhelming but also legally and financially stressful. When it comes to the financial stress of grief, you should never deal with it all by yourself. Otherwise, you might find yourself broken beyond repair. I sit down with Chris Bentley of Wings for Widows who discusses why you should seek professional help when making major decisions regarding your ass...

The holiday season—a time often painted with perfect, joyful strokes—can feel like an impossible climb when you're navigating life after loss. For young widows especially, the grief is compounded by societal silence, financial strain, and the sheer force of balancing personal sorrow with the need to create magic for their children. In this incredibly honest and raw conversation, award-winning podc...

Rebuilding yourself after life falls apart is a challenging, yet necessary, journey, especially when navigating grief during the holiday season and facing self-doubt. Arthur J. Rutledge , a servant leader, speaker, and author of 11 Pillars of Confidence: Build & Lead an Empowered YOU , shares his profound personal experiences with loss—from his pet to close family—and offers constructive steps...