When Grief Doesn’t Go Away—and That’s Okay

Grief isn’t something we get over—it’s something we learn to live with. In this episode of The Good Grief Podcast, therapist Jill Ann Anderson joins Mike O’Connell and Pete Waggoner for an honest, moving conversation about what it means to truly process grief.

Jill shares her personal journey of loss, how it led her to become a grief therapist, and why so many people feel isolated in their pain.

Instead of avoiding uncomfortable emotions or rushing to “move on,” Jill explains the transformational power of simply feeling.

Whether you're grieving the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or a version of life you expected to have, this episode reminds us that healing comes not from fixing grief—but from witnessing it with compassion.

Grief Isn’t a Straight Line

Episode Highlights & Key Takeaways

• Jill Ann Anderson shares how personal loss led her to specialize in grief therapy

• Why grief is not linear and doesn’t follow a specific timeline

• The analogy of the “rice beds” and how grief requires a guide

• How culture has “sanitized” death and made us uncomfortable with pain

• The deep connection between childhood wounds and adult grief

• Why witnessing, not fixing, is the core of healing

• How therapy can help you rebuild after loss and find new meaning

• Why some people resist healing and the importance of self-responsibility

• The difference between suffering and feeling

• How boundaries are meant for expansion, not exclusion

• Grief as a path toward growth, authenticity, and inner strength