This week on Living Spree, host Aimee Crist welcomes Dr. Christy Denckla, Harvard professor and expert in grief and loss. In a deeply personal and insightful conversation, they explore how Dr. Denckla’s own experiences with loss have shaped her career and passion for this work.

Key takeaways:

•Dr. Denckla’s experience with loss inspired her career

•Avoiding grief can cause long-term challenges

•Honest talks about death help us all heal

•Social support builds mental resilience

•Community can buffer the pain of grief

•Planning for end-of-life helps families

•Grief is universal—let’s talk openly

•The Population Wellness Lab leads community wellness

•Shared experiences foster resilience

•Collective healing is essential in tough times

Connect with Dr. Christy Denckla, PhD

Email: cdenckla@hsph.harvard.edu

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-denckla-phd-146bb11b7/

Website: https://hsph.harvard.edu/research/denckla-group/

Dr. Christy A. Denckla is an assistant professor of social and behavioral sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, an associate member at the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and an assistant professor of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. She leads the Population Wellness Lab at Harvard, where her research explores how psychosocial, biological, and environmental factors shape our responses to loss and trauma. She is known for investigating how bereavement impacts mental health across the lifespan, and her team aims to inform prevention and intervention efforts that support wellness from the cradle to the grave.

Connect with your Host, Aimee Crist

Email: aimee@livingspree.life

Website: www.livingspree.life

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimeesebastiancrist/

Instagram: @livingspree.life and @aimee_crist

Aimee Crist, the visionary behind Living Spree, experienced a transformative “white flash” moment—a near-death experience that profoundly changed her perspective and set her on a journey of personal growth, healing, and a renewed sense of purpose. This pivotal event inspired Aimee to dedicate her life to helping others unlock their potential and live with intention. With a robust background in sales, training, and business development, Aimee has spent over 20 years guiding individuals and groups toward meaningful transformation. She is recognized for her infectious enthusiasm, emotional insight, and strategic partnership, having built her own multimillion-dollar business and supported countless others in their personal and professional growth. Aimee’s passion for Ikigai—the Japanese philosophy of finding one’s “reason for being”—is woven into everything she does. Through Living Spree, she integrates the principles of Ikigai to help others discover the intersection of what they love, what they’re good at, what the world needs, and what they can be paid for. Her mission is to empower people to exceed their goals, reconnect with their purpose, and master their lives.

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