Sometimes grief doesn't show up as sadness you can talk through — it shows up as tension in your chest, flashbacks you can't shake, or emotions so big they feel impossible to access. In this episode, certified coach and brainspotting practitioner Kim Ludeman explains why grief often gets stored in the body and what it takes to actually reach it.

Kim introduces brainspotting — a powerful brain-body therapy that works from the bottom up, accessing what talk therapy alone often can't reach. She explains how a session works, what the difference is between brainspotting and EMDR, and how expansion brainspotting can help grievers build capacity not just for pain, but for joy, peace, and connection too.

Kelly also shares her own deeply personal experience using brainspotting the day after her father's death, how it stopped the flashbacks, ended the nightmares, and changed the image she carries of him forever.

Guest Bio: Kim Ludeman is a certified coach and Brainspotting practitioner who specializes in helping people heal from trauma, grief, and loss. After losing her mother to cancer at just 19 and navigating the aftermath largely on her own, Kim spent the next two decades doing deep personal work — exploring her own experiences with grief, anxiety, ADHD, and faith — and channeling that journey into a coaching practice rooted in authenticity and real healing. Since discovering Brainspotting in 2018, she has integrated this powerful brain-body therapy into her work with clients around the world, helping them access and process what talk therapy alone often can't reach. Kim also hosts transformational personal development retreats for women and is passionate about normalizing mental health struggles so that seeking support becomes something we celebrate, not hide. She lives outside Portland, Oregon with her family.

Connect with Kim:

🔗 Kim's Website: https://kimludeman.com

🎙️ Captivatingly Confident Podcast: https://captivatinglyconfident.com

GRIEF Ladies: Your Guide to What Comes Next

If you're ready to move forward without moving on—this show is for you.

🎧 Follow and connect: https://www.griefladies.com/

Kelly Daugherty: https://www.kellydaugherty.com/
Karyn Arnold: https://www.griefincommon.com/

Stay up to date with all the latest information about The GRIEF Ladies- Sign up for our newsletter at: www.griefladies.com

Join the FREE, Private Facebook GRIEF Ladies Community: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16WuZNsNGu/

The GRIEF Ladies podcast offers education and support for people living with grief after someone they love has died. Our content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care or crisis services. If you are in crisis or concerned about your safety, call 988 in the U.S. or contact local emergency services.

Guest perspectives shared on this platform are their own and may not reflect the views or positions of The Grief Ladies.

When Nina Rodriguez's brother died suddenly on September 11, 2019 — the day after his 32nd birthday — she was catapulted into a grief she had no language for. His death from fentanyl poisoning added a layer of stigma that kept her silent for nearly a year, protecting his memory while quietly unraveling on her own.

In this episode, Nina shares her journey from real estate agent to grief-informed guide and award-winning podcast host, why sibling grief is one of the most overlooked and under-resourced losses there is, and how approaching grief with curiosity rather than correction changed everything for her. She also talks about navigating collective family grief, reclaiming identity after loss, and how continued bonds and signs from beyond have sustained her connection to her brother.

Whether you have lost a sibling, a parent, a partner, or a friend — this conversation about grief literacy, honesty, and hope will meet you where you are.

Guest Bio:

Nina Rodriguez is a grief-informed guide, award-winning podcast host, and creator of Grief and Light, a platform dedicated to honest conversations about loss, resilience, and what it means to live alongside grief.

After the sudden death of her only sibling in 2019, Nina's life and work were irrevocably reshaped. What began as a personal reckoning evolved into a public voice, one rooted in grief literacy, emotional intelligence, and the belief that tending our sorrow deepens our capacity to live. Through writing, speaking, and long-form conversation, she invites people to approach grief with curiosity rather than correction.

Nina has spoken at the University of Miami, collaborated with Reimagine, and is a regular contributor to Get Griefy Magazine. She is also a graduate of Megan Devine's Grief Care Professional Certification program. Across stages, pages, and microphones, her work bridges personal loss with collective healing, expanding the conversation around what it means to carry grief with honesty and hope

Connect with Nina: http://griefandlight.com/

GRIEF Ladies: Your Guide to What Comes Next

If you're ready to move forward without moving on—this show is for you.

🎧 Follow and connect: https://www.griefladies.com/

Kelly Daugherty: https://www.kellydaugherty.com/
Karyn Arnold: https://www.griefincommon.com/

Stay up to date with all the latest information about The GRIEF Ladies- Sign up for our newsletter at: www.griefladies.com

Join the FREE, Private Facebook GRIEF Ladies Community: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16WuZNsNGu/

The GRIEF Ladies podcast offers education and support for people living with grief after someone they love has died. Our content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care or crisis services. If you are in crisis or concerned about your safety, call 988 in the U.S. or contact local emergency services.

Guest perspectives shared on this platform are their own and may not reflect the views or positions of The Grief Ladies.

When Caroline Melkonian's husband Michael died suddenly from a heart attack, complicated by medical malpractice, she was left with two teenagers, a mortgage she didn't know where to find, and an uncertain future she never planned for. What she did next is the heart of this episode.

Caroline shares how she shifted from passive bystander to active leader of her family, why making things predictable was her first and most powerful tool, and how she applied her 20 years of professional mediation skills to rebuild her life with intention. She also opens up about navigating two years of litigation while grieving, the weight of a high-profile case, and why she felt compelled to pursue justice for Michael.

Plus: a stat that every surviving spouse needs to hear: $15.5 billion in Social Security survivor benefits goes unclaimed every single year. Caroline marched down to the Social Security office herself. You may need to too.

Guest Bio: Caroline is an experienced mediator with more than 20 years of negotiation expertise, helping individuals and families resolve conflict with compassion, confidentiality, and respect. A patient and empathetic listener, she guides people through difficult conversations and works collaboratively to create practical, lasting solutions.

Her primary focus is divorce mediation, where she helps couples avoid the expense and stress of litigation by developing customized agreements that address parenting arrangements, finances, and asset division. Caroline is particularly committed to preserving healthy parent-child and co-parenting relationships, helping families move forward with greater understanding, dignity, and cooperation.

Connect with Caroline: https://cmelmediation.com/

GRIEF Ladies: Your Guide to What Comes Next

If you're ready to move forward without moving on—this show is for you.

🎧 Follow and connect: https://www.griefladies.com/

Kelly Daugherty: https://www.kellydaugherty.com/
Karyn Arnold: https://www.griefincommon.com/

Stay up to date with all the latest information about The GRIEF Ladies- Sign up for our newsletter at: www.griefladies.com

Join the FREE, Private Facebook GRIEF Ladies Community: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16WuZNsNGu/

The GRIEF Ladies podcast offers education and support for people living with grief after someone they love has died. Our content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care or crisis services. If you are in crisis or concerned about your safety, call 988 in the U.S. or contact local emergency services.

Guest perspectives shared on this platform are their own and may not reflect the views or positions of The Grief Ladies.