Grief is heavy enough on its own — but when you’re also carrying the emotional weight of other people, it can feel impossible to breathe.

In this episode, Rachel talks about how to protect your peace through the chaos of loss — setting boundaries, understanding why others behave in strange or overwhelming ways, and learning to hold space for yourself first.

You’ll hear about:

• The mental, emotional, and physical toll of grief

• Why some people over-help while others completely disappear

• How to respond with kindness and boundaries

• What real, practical help actually looks like (and how to ask for it)

• Gentle ways to protect your peace when everything feels too much

This conversation blends lived experience, psychology, and heart. It’s for anyone navigating loss, supporting someone through it, or simply wanting to understand grief with more compassion.

Content note: We discuss death, grief, and funeral planning. Please take care while listening.

Crisis support (Australia):

• Emergency: 000 (immediate danger)

• Lifeline: 13 11 14 — 24/7 crisis support & suicide prevention

• 13YARN: 13 92 76 — 24/7 crisis support for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples

• Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 — 24/7 phone & online counselling

• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 — 24/7 mental health support

• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 — 24/7 support for young people (5–25)

If you’re outside Australia, please contact your local emergency number or a local crisis line.

Share your questions or experiences: DM on Instagram @TheDWord.podcast and we may include answers in a future episode.

In Part Two, we bring the day to life. We talk through the elements that shape how a funeral feels — and what happens afterwards.

In this episode:

• Coffins, caskets & shrouds — what they are, how to choose, and what’s practical for burial vs cremation

• Flowers, readings, orders of service & photo tributes — the storytelling tools that make it feel like them

• Music & rituals — simple participation ideas that help grief “land”

• Eulogies & who speaks — formats, tips, and gentle alternatives
  

Missed Part One? It sets the foundations: burial vs cremation (plus aquamation), direct cremation (no service/no attendance), service types, venues, who leads, and timing — including why you don’t have to rush and how to split a private farewell and a later memorial.

Content note: We discuss death, grief, and funeral planning. Please take care while listening.

Crisis support (Australia):

• Emergency: 000 (immediate danger)

• Lifeline: 13 11 14 — 24/7 crisis support & suicide prevention

• 13YARN: 13 92 76 — 24/7 crisis support for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples

• Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 — 24/7 phone & online counselling

• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 — 24/7 mental health support

• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 — 24/7 support for young people (5–25)
  

If you’re outside Australia, please contact your local emergency number or a local crisis line.

Share your questions or experiences: DM on Instagram @TheDWord or email and we may include answers in a future episode.

Where do you even begin? Part One sets the groundwork so the decisions feel calmer and more doable - without turning it into a checklist.

In this episode:

• Burial vs cremation (with a note on aquamation) — what this early decision shapes next

• No Service, No Attendance (direct cremation) — why some families choose it, and simple rituals so grief still has a place to land

• Service types — traditional funeral, memorial, celebration of life, and mixing a private farewell with a later gathering

• Venues & who leads — chapels, churches, wedding venues, halls, surf clubs, restaurants, backyards; clergy vs celebrant vs family-led

• Timing — why you don’t have to rush, common timelines, and practical factors (paperwork, travel, customs, venue diaries)

What’s in Part Two:
We bring the day to life — coffins/caskets/shrouds, flowers/readings/orders of service/photo tributes, music & rituals, eulogies & who speaks.

Content note: We discuss death, grief, and funeral planning. Please take care while listening.

Crisis support (Australia):

• Emergency: 000 (immediate danger)

• Lifeline: 13 11 14 — 24/7 crisis support & suicide prevention

• 13YARN: 13 92 76 — 24/7 crisis support for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples

• Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 — 24/7 phone & online counselling

• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 — 24/7 mental health support

• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 — 24/7 support for young people (5–25)

If you’re outside Australia, please contact your local emergency number or a local crisis line.

Share your questions or experiences: DM on Instagram @TheDWord or email us — we may include answers in a future episode.

“You need to engage a funeral director.”
Even when you’ve tried to prepare, those words signal a shift. In this standalone episode of The D Word, I talk through the moment of making the call - why it can feel disloyal, why it isn’t, and how opening a conversation early can give Future You more space and support. I share the practical steps (what to say, what information helps, and what to do if you change your mind), plus the core questions to ask and the red flags that mean you should pause and reassess.

We move into ceremony - why it matters, what it does for the living as well as the dead, and how to shape something that feels true to your person. Whether your family leans on religious tradition or you prefer a personalised, celebrant-led service, you have choices. I offer simple ways to prevent decision fatigue and keep your energy for the parts that matter most.

If you’re facing a funeral now, or simply listening to feel more prepared, this episode is a gentle guide to agency, clarity, and care.

If you need support: Speak to your GP or local grief support service. In Australia, Griefline: 1300 845 745.

Welcome to The D Word - thoughtful conversations about death, dying, and end-of-life matters. Because living fully means facing life’s challenges, including life’s final chapter.

In this first episode, host Rachel Bracken, end-of-life educator, funeral director, and celebrant, guides you through one of the biggest unknowns: what actually happens when someone dies.

You’ll learn:

• The first steps when a death happens at home, in hospital or aged care, or suddenly and unexpectedly.

• Why death is not an emergency — and why slowing down matters.

• The role of doctors, palliative teams, funeral directors, and the Coroner.

• The choices and agency families have, even in moments that feel overwhelming.

Rachel’s goal is simple: to help you feel more prepared, more supported, and less alone.

👉 If today’s episode has stirred up difficult feelings, and you’re listening in Australia, you can always call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Follow Rachel on Instagram @thedword.podcast or visit rachelbracken.com/thedword for resources.

Welcome to The D Word — thoughtful conversations about death, dying, and end-of-life matters. Hosted by Rachel Bracken, an end-of-life educator, funeral director and celebrant on the Northern Rivers of NSW. New episodes every Thursday.

Links

• Website: rachelbracken.com/thedword

• Instagram: @thedword.podcast

Crisis support
If this episode has brought up difficult feelings, support is available. In Australia, call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636. Elsewhere, check local services or call your local emergency number. More links at rachelbracken.com/thedword.