Unanticipated Loss with Dr. Jennifer Levin (Part 1):

Unanticipated loss can shake the very core of who we are — leaving us not only grieving but questioning, searching, and trying to make sense of the senseless. In this special two-part episode, Dr. Christina Zampitella sits down with Dr. Jennifer Levin, a nationally recognized expert in traumatic grief, to explore what makes these sudden losses so different — and why the healing process often looks unlike anything else.

Together, they explore:

• The distinction between traumatic and non-traumatic grief
• How rumination and the need for a cohesive narrative impact healing
• The emotional fallout of ambiguous or unexpected loss
• Why grief isn't something to "fix" but rather something to companion

Whether you’ve experienced a sudden loss or support others who have, this episode offers insight, compassion, and powerful validation for anyone navigating the unthinkable.

Part 2 drops next week, so stay tuned!

00:00 – Welcome + Intro to Dr. Jennifer Levin 02:00 – How Jennifer got into traumatic grief work 08:30 – The difference between anticipated and unanticipated loss 13:45 – Why sudden loss is uniquely disorienting 18:15 – “Unexpected but not surprising” vs. “sudden and shocking” deaths 23:20 – The emotional and psychological aftermath of traumatic loss 25:00 – Rumination, narrative gaps, and meaning-making 29:30 – The addiction model of grief: Is rumination a form of coping? 32:00 – The long arc of healing and why it takes time