We’re wrapping up season 5! In this episode of Good Grief with Nikki the Death Doula, we unpack the messy, beautiful, and often misunderstood truth about healing. Spoiler alert: it’s not about “getting over it” or tying your pain up in a neat little bow.

I’ll dive into the myths we’re fed about healing, and what it actually looks like in real life.

We talk about the pressure to be "okay," and the quiet victories that count as progress. This one’s for anyone who’s been told to "stay strong" when they really needed space to fall apart.

Whether you're grieving a death, a diagnosis, or a life that didn’t go to plan, this conversation is your permission slip to heal in your own time, in your own way.

Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here:

https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

Get merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/

Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

Grief isn’t always about death. I met Mike of the Coffin Talk podcast a couple months back and I knew immediately I had to have him on my show. Mike and I talk all about non-death loss and all the emotions it can bring.

Please follow Mike here:

https://mikeyopp.substack.com/

And check out his podcast, it’s amazing! https://mikeyopp.substack.com/podcast

Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here:

https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

Get merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

Edy and I delved into one of the only subject morestigmatized than grief or death. Sex. But it’s not what you think, there are somany layers to us as humans and our grief.

(TW mentions of SA)

Edy Nathan, MA, LCSW, CST, is a licensedpsychotherapist, certified sex therapist, and grief expert who guides peoplethrough the terrain most avoid—grief, trauma, and sexuality.

Edy is the author of It’s Grief: The Dance ofSelf-Discovery through Trauma and Loss, and is currently writing her secondbook, Dare to Live: The Sexual Grief Effect — Reveal the Shadow Wounds fromLoathing to Liberation to Love.

You can find Edy here: https://edynathan.com/

Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here: https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

Get merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/

Music: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

Let’s face it, talking about death can feel like trying to bring up a tarantula at a dinner party. Most of us would rather not. But the truth is, avoiding these conversations doesn’t make death go away. It just leaves everyone guessing when it matters most.

Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here:

https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

Get merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

I had a wonderful conversation with the man behind Buriedinwork.com, Adam Zuckerman all about end of life planning and why it’s so important! Please check out www.buriedinwork.com

Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here:

https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

Get merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

Vanessa Abraham was a speech therapist who lost her voice — literally.

A rare neurological disease — a form of Guillain-Barré Syndrome — left her completely paralyzed and unable to speak. What followed wasn’t just a physical recovery, but an emotional and spiritual reckoning with identity, isolation, and medical trauma that no one prepares you for.

Today, Vanessa is a neuromuscular practitioner, helping others heal after their own health crises — but survival was only the beginning of her story.

She written a memoir, Speechless: https://a.co/d/b4YGrQC

you can find Vanessa here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-abraham-10a1661a3

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speechless_slp/

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/Speechless-SLP-61569361746127/

Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here:

https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

Get merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

You can get Susan's Book here: https://amzn.to/3ETn3Ko

(This is an affiliate link)

Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here:

https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

Get merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday

In this tender and deeply honest conversation, I sat down with speaker Steve Gamlin to talk about one of the hardest experiences of his life: losing his soulmate.

Steve opens up about the moment everything changed, the grief that followed, and how he's been navigating the heartbreak one breath, one memory, and one day at a time. With his signature blend of wisdom and wit, he shares how love doesn't end with loss, and how he’s finding ways to honor her memory while continuing to live a life of purpose.

You can connect with Steve here: https://stevegamlin.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevegamlin/

Support me on Patreon! ⁠https://www.patreon.com/nikkithedeathdoula⁠

You can find me here:

https://linktr.ee/nikkithedeathdoula

Get merch! https://good-grief-podcast.printify.me/ Music:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3495-cheery-monday