J.S. Park returns to Grief is a Sneaky Bitch for a deeply moving conversation about the themes in his forthcoming book, We Are Made of Us. Together, we explore what it means to contend with family-of-origin, family dynamics, and inherited trauma. This episode may change how you see your family, your grief, and your own capacity to heal.

They pull back the curtain on intergenerational trauma, revealing how our familial patterns can be both the wound and the way forward. J.S. (who goes by Joon) shares powerful insights from his work as a chaplain, including how to recognize and reframe inherited family burdens. We also unpack the idea that cycles (whether of trauma or love) aren’t meant to be “broken” once and for all, but carried with intention—and that we can create safe circles as we heal. Along the way, they touch on some of Lisa’s favorite themes: seeing the world as both/and rather than either/or, the power of the questions we ask ourselves, and the importance of noticing evidence of our healing instead of focusing only on our broken parts.

J.S. Park is a hospital chaplain, published author, and online educator. For eleven years he has been an interfaith chaplain at a 1000+ bed hospital that is designated a Level 1 Trauma Center. His role includes grief support, attending every death, trauma, and Code Blue, and end-of-life care.

J.S. has been interviewed by CNN, NPR, CBS News, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Bay News 9, and FOX13 Tampa Bay, among others, for his work in death and dying. He is the author of As Long as You Need and We Are Made of Us, an upcoming book on contending with our family-of-origin, family dynamics, and inherited trauma.

J.S. served for three years as a chaplain at one of the largest nonprofit charities for the homeless on the east coast. J.S. is a board certified chaplain and has a MDiv completed in 2010 and a BA in Psychology. He also has a sixth-degree black belt.

READ HIS BOOKS: As Long As You Need and pre-order We Are Made of Us

READ HIS ESSAYS: J.S. Park on Substack

Lisa Keefauver is an author, keynote speaker, narrative therapy trained social worker, widow, assault & cancer survivor turned grief activist on a mission to help us center aliveness in a world full of loss by reimagining the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LISA: at https://lisakeefauver.com/

ACCESS GRIEF SUPPORT: https://lisakeefauver.com/support

READ HER BOOK: Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss. https://bookshop.org/p/books/grief-is-a-sneaky-bitch-an-uncensored-guide-to-navigating-loss-lisa-keefauver/ffd73d6b6921e6b5?ean=9781477329306&next=t&

READ HER ESSAYS: AFGO with Lisa Keefauver on Substack - https://afgowithlisakeefauver.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

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Casey Mulligan Walsh, author of The Full Catastrophe, joined host Lisa Keefauver for a profound conversation on how much loss shapes us more deeply than we realize—especially when it's modeled by those we'd turn to for guidance. In this raw and insightful conversation, Casey reveals how early trauma and unspoken grief patterns silently influence our lives. From surviving the sudden death of her parents as a child to navigating the chaos of divorce and the heartbreak of losing her son, Casey shares her journey toward reclaiming agency, understanding her parts, and finding peace in the liminal spaces of life.

Discover how early grief beliefs—built on myths, avoidance, and emotional suppression—can trap us in survival mode and obscure our true selves. Casey shares concrete frameworks like parts therapy and Viktor Frankl’s tragic optimism that help us embrace life's uncertainties without losing hope. You'll learn how resilience isn’t about denying pain but about developing a muscle of hope, presence, and acceptance in the face of ongoing tragedy.

We break down: the importance of curiosity and compassion in rewriting our stories; the way early loss robs us of roots and stability—and how to rebuild both through choice; and the role of reflective practices in unveiling the narratives driving our behavior. Casey’s story challenges us to see that even in the darkest times, a shift in perspective can foster peace, purpose, and aliveness.

Casey Mulligan Walsh writes about life at the intersection of grief and joy, embracing uncertainty, and the nature of true belonging. Her award-winning memoir, The Full Catastrophe: All I Ever Wanted, Everything I Feared, was released from Motina Books in February 2025. She has written for The New York Times, HuffPost, Next Avenue, Modern Loss, The Manifest-Station, Hippocampus, Barren Magazine, and numerous other literary magazines; her essay, “Still,” published in Split Lip, was nominated for Best of the Net. She is a founding editor of In a Flash literary magazine and serves as an ambassador and Board member for the Family Heart Foundation. Casey lives in upstate New York with her husband, Kevin, and too many books to count. When not traveling, they enjoy visits from their four children and ten grandchildren—the very definition of “the full catastrophe.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT CASEY: www.caseymulliganwalsh.com. Substack newsletter Embracing the Full Catastrophe; Facebook @Casey Mulligan Walsh, Casey Mulligan Walsh, Author; Instagram @caseymulliganwalsh, LinkedIn @Casey Mulligan Walsh, BlueSky @caseymulliganwalsh; Threads @Casey Mulligan Walsh

READ BOOK: The Full Catastrophe https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-full-catastrophe-all-i-ever-wanted-everything-i-feared-casey-mulligan-walsh/c0cbe91f9be3317d

Lisa Keefauver is an author, keynote speaker, narrative therapy trained social worker, widow, assault & cancer survivor turned grief activist on a mission to help us center aliveness in a world full of loss by reimagining the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LISA: at https://lisakeefauver.com/

ACCESS GRIEF SUPPORT: https://lisakeefauver.com/support

READ BOOK: Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss. https://bookshop.org/p/books/grief-is-a-sneaky-bitch-an-uncensored-guide-to-navigating-loss-lisa-keefauver/ffd73d6b6921e6b5?ean=9781477329306&next=t&

READ ESSAYS: AFGO with Lisa Keefauver on Substack - https://afgowithlisakeefauver.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mae Yoshikawa, author, TEDx speaker, and the creator of Kizuki Journaling, joins host Lisa Keefauver to explore her profound journey through grief, culture, and embodiment. Her reflections challenge us to see grief not as a problem to fix, but as an integral part of human experience that deepens our capacity to love and live fully.

• Cultural differences in grieving: Japanese vs. American approaches to death
• The importance of acknowledging and expressing emotion, rather than suppressing it
• Ambiguous loss: navigating the slow deterioration of her mother’s Alzheimer’s
• Widowhood and what she hopes her children will understand about grief
• The transformative power of yoga, meditation, and embodied practices in healing
• How cultural norms shape our grief narratives and emotional responses
• The role of storytelling, mindfulness, and observation in expanding emotional capacity
• Practical tools for holding space for grief in ourselves and others
• The shift from seeking certainty to embracing what is through mindful presence

Mae Yoshikawa is an author, TEDx speaker, and the creator of Kizuki Journaling, a self-awareness practice rooted in the Japanese concept of kizuki—a moment of deep realization that changes how we relate to ourselves and our lives. Trained in yoga and mindfulness, and recognized by platforms such as Yoga Journal and adidas, Mae brings decades of embodied practice to her work. After the sudden loss of her husband, her path became a living exploration of grief, presence, and meaning beyond fixing or “moving on.” Bridging Eastern philosophy with lived experience, she guides people to meet loss, identity shifts, and life transitions with clarity, compassion, and truth.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MAE: https://maey.live KIZUKI JOURNALING: https://kizukijournaling.com KIZUKI the PODCAST: https://open.spotify.com/show/7KKMi7W9VOC8ZbNgroJGBW? si=1be426519a3642c9 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/maeyoshikawa

Lisa Keefauver is an author, keynote speaker, narrative therapy trained social worker, widow, assault & cancer survivor turned grief activist on a mission to help us center aliveness in a world full of loss by reimagining the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LISA: at https://lisakeefauver.com/

ACCESS GRIEF SUPPORT: https://lisakeefauver.com/support

READ BOOK: Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss. https://bookshop.org/p/books/grief-is-a-sneaky-bitch-an-uncensored-guide-to-navigating-loss-lisa-keefauver/ffd73d6b6921e6b5?ean=9781477329306&next=t&

READ ESSAYS: AFGO with Lisa Keefauver on Substack - https://afgowithlisakeefauver.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.