Grief is the New Normal Podcast with Dr. Heather Taylor cover art

Grief is the New Normal Podcast with Dr. Heather Taylor

Grief is the New Normal Podcast with Dr. Heather Taylor

By: Dr. Heather Taylor PsyD Psychologist
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 Grief is the New Normal is the podcast that refuses to sugarcoat loss—because grief isn’t a problem to fix, it’s a reality to live with. Hosted by Dr. Heather Taylor, a licensed psychologist with over a decade of experience in grief and trauma, this show dives deep into the messy, nonlinear, and very real ways grief impacts our lives. Whether you’re navigating the death of your person, wrestling with the weight of an invisible loss, or trying to figure out who you even are after everything changed—this podcast is here for you. With a mix of solo deep dives, expert interviews, and candid conversations, Dr. Taylor unpacks the emotions no one warns you about, challenges outdated grief narratives, and offers both practical tools and hard-earned wisdom to help you feel less alone. No toxic positivity. No “fixing” your grief. Just honest talk, validation, and the reminder that you don’t have to do this alone. Because in a world that wants you to move on, Grief is the New Normal is here to help you move through. Tune in for honest stories, practical tools, and a reminder that your grief—and how you carry it—is valid. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.© 2024 Grief is the New Normal Psychological Services All Rights Reserved. Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Grief is the New Normal Podcast S3E8: The Somatic Experience of Grief with Wendy Stern

    Grief is the New Normal Podcast S3E8: The Somatic Experience of Grief with Wendy Stern
    Mar 26 2026
    Dr. Heather Taylor hosts Wendy Stern, founder of the Center for Somatic Grieving, to discuss how grief lives in the body and why somatic approaches can help people metabolize what can’t be fully processed in the moment of loss. Wendy shares how losing her son Noah at nine months old led her and her husband to seek grief-supportive cultures abroad, and how yoga, breath, and mindfulness became a container for feeling and healing. They explore capacity, numbness as protection, and practices like timed “containers” to safely feel grief followed by a planned reorientation activity. Wendy explains how yoga supports regulation, embodiment, resilience, and connection to inner wisdom, and why being witnessed—especially in groups with clear guidelines like no crosstalk—reduces “shoulds,” validates grief, and keeps loved ones remembered. Wendy offers a gentle starting point: grounded posture and intentional breathing. 00:00 Show Intro 00:25 Meet Wendy Stern 01:24 Loss And Pilgrimage 04:06 Yoga As Healing 06:55 Somatic Grief Explained 10:15 Metabolizing Grief Safely 14:17 Timer Container Practice 17:43 Yoga Therapy Benefits 23:51 EMDR And Beliefs 24:48 Grief Illuminates Self Love 26:42 Loss as Growth Catalyst 28:36 What You Do With Time 29:15 Healing Through Witnessing 34:02 Remembering Their Names 37:16 Training Grief Facilitators 41:03 Breath to Reconnect 43:33 Key Takeaways and Closing 46:05 Episode Outro Resources -------------------------------- Wendy Black Stern is a pioneer in the field of somatic grief work and the founder of the Center for Somatic Grieving. She came to this work after the heartbreaking loss of her son, Noah, and has spent over 25 years as a yoga therapist, grief guide, group facilitator and educator supporting individuals and professionals to meet loss with compassion, presence, and embodied wisdom. Through her Mindful Grieving Yoga Teacher Training, she has helped cultivate a growing community of nearly 100 Mindful Grieving Facilitators across 9 countries who now share this work in their own communities. Wendy offers Mindful Grieving Programs, individual Somatic Grieving Sessions, and somatic grief retreats — including upcoming retreats on Maui (April 2026) and Bali (May 2026). Her next Mindful Grieving Yoga Teacher Training begins February 2026, and The Art of Sacred Listening Professional Training launches November 2025. Learn more at www.somaticgrieving.org Follow @somaticgrieving on Instagram and Facebook ---------------------------------------------- Grief is the New Normal is the podcast that refuses to sugarcoat loss, because grief isn’t a problem to fix, it’s a reality to live with. Hosted by Dr. Heather Taylor, a licensed psychologist with over a decade of experience in grief, trauma, and reproductive psychology, this show dives deep into the messy, nonlinear, and very real ways grief impacts our lives. Whether you're navigating the death of your person, wrestling with the weight of an invisible loss, or trying to figure out who you even are after everything changed, this podcast is here for you. With a mix of solo deep dives, expert interviews, and candid conversations, Dr. Taylor unpacks the emotions no one warns you about, challenges outdated grief narratives, and offers both practical tools and hard-earned wisdom to help you feel less alone. No toxic positivity. No “fixing” your grief. Just honest talk, validation, and the reminder that you don’t have to do this alone. Because in a world that wants you to move on, Grief is the New Normal is here to help you move through. https://www.griefisthenewnormal.com hello@griefisthenewnormal.com www.linkedin.com/in/heather-taylor-psyd-licensed-psychologist Follow @grief_is_the_new_normal on Instagram for grief podcast, mental health, self-care, sass, and dark humor content whether you’re grieving or you’re a mental health professional needing more modern grief language. Wanting more grief specific support? Check out my grief journal, Authentically Unapologetic: A Grief Journal available for purchase thru this link: https://a.co/d/4hbLtbX Opening & Closing Music by The Dadicorns Copyright 2026 Grief is the New Normal: A podcast with Dr. Heather Taylor All Rights Reserved. This podcast is meant for educational and entertainment purposes only. The information discussed in this podcast is not a replacement or substitute for therapy.
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    47 mins
  • Grief is the New Normal Podcast: S3E7 Therapists Are Not Grief Proof: Supporting Clients While Navigating Your Own Grief

    Grief is the New Normal Podcast: S3E7 Therapists Are Not Grief Proof: Supporting Clients While Navigating Your Own Grief
    Mar 23 2026

    Holding Space for Client Grief While Grieving Yourself (Front-Line Helpers Mini Series, Part 1)

    Dr. Heather Taylor introduces a four-part mini series for front-line helpers (therapists, coaches, clinicians, social workers, birth workers) and addresses how to hold space for client grief while grieving personally. She challenges the myth that professionals should be “grief proof,” emphasizing that attunement doesn’t require detachment and containment doesn’t mean absence, while also avoiding overdisclosure, enmeshment, or “trauma dumping.” She describes how nervous system activation can affect energy and emotional availability, and shares in-session micro-regulation strategies such as using a fidget, grounding feet, vagal holds with clients, TIPP skills (e.g., cold water), note-taking or doodling, and tracking themes to process later in therapy or consultation. She highlights supervision, boundaries, self-compassion, rest, and community as essential for sustainability, offers reflection questions, and previews part two on what happens when a client dies, including HIPAA, memorials, funerals, and emotional impact.

    00:00 Grounding In Session

    00:33 Podcast Welcome

    00:59 Mini Series Overview

    02:38 We Are Not Grief Proof

    03:44 When Client Grief Hits Home

    05:04 Attunement Not Detachment

    06:50 Micro Regulation Tools

    09:50 Supervision And Community

    11:27 Real And Responsible

    13:27 Closing Reflections

    15:09 Next Episode Preview

    15:34 Outro And Resources

    -----------------------------------------

    Grief is the New Normal is the podcast that refuses to sugarcoat loss, because grief isn’t a problem to fix, it’s a reality to live with. Hosted by Dr. Heather Taylor, a licensed psychologist with over a decade of experience in grief, trauma, and reproductive psychology, this show dives deep into the messy, nonlinear, and very real ways grief impacts our lives.

    Whether you're navigating the death of your person, wrestling with the weight of an invisible loss, or trying to figure out who you even are after everything changed, this podcast is here for you. With a mix of solo deep dives, expert interviews, and candid conversations, Dr. Taylor unpacks the emotions no one warns you about, challenges outdated grief narratives, and offers both practical tools and hard-earned wisdom to help you feel less alone.

    No toxic positivity. No “fixing” your grief. Just honest talk, validation, and the reminder that you don’t have to do this alone. Because in a world that wants you to move on, Grief is the New Normal is here to help you move through.

    https://www.griefisthenewnormal.com

    hello@griefisthenewnormal.com

    www.linkedin.com/in/heather-taylor-psyd-licensed-psychologist

    Follow @grief_is_the_new_normal on Instagram for grief podcast, mental health, self-care, sass, and dark humor content whether you’re grieving or you’re a mental health professional needing more modern grief language.

    Wanting more grief specific support? Check out my grief journal, Authentically Unapologetic: A Grief Journal available for purchase thru this link: https://a.co/d/4hbLtbX

    -------------------------------------

    Opening & Closing Music by The Dadicorns

    Copyright 2026 Grief is the New Normal: A podcast with Dr. Heather Taylor

    All Rights Reserved.

    This podcast is meant for educational and entertainment purposes only. The information discussed in this podcast is not a replacement or substitute for therapy.
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    17 mins
  • Grief is the New Normal Podcast: S3E6 Life With Grief: Micro-Moves That Change Everything with Tara Accardo

    Grief is the New Normal Podcast: S3E6 Life With Grief: Micro-Moves That Change Everything with Tara Accardo
    Sep 25 2025
    Navigating Life with Grief: An Interview with Tara Accardo In this episode of 'Grief is the New Normal,' Dr. Heather Taylor welcomes Tara Accardo, a grief and transformational life coach and host of the 'Life with Grief' podcast. Tara shares her deeply personal journey of loss, including the deaths of both parents and her beloved dog, and how these experiences inspired her to help others navigate their grief. The conversation covers the impact of grieving on mental health, the importance of rituals and self-care, and how Tara channels her experiences into her work as a grief coach. The episode also emphasizes the significance of normalizing and discussing grief, providing listeners with insights and tools for healing and transformation. 00:00 Introduction to Grief is the New Normal 00:26 Meet Tara Accardo: Grief and Transformational Life Coach 00:48 Tara's Personal Journey with Grief 01:30 Losing Both Parents: A Deep Dive into Tara's Story 04:31 Navigating Life After Loss 07:18 Rekindling Relationships Amidst Grief 12:23 From Personal Loss to Professional Calling 12:52 The Work of a Grief and Transformational Life Coach 19:41 Compounding Grief: Coping Mechanisms and Healing 25:54 The Importance of Daily Rituals 26:58 Finding Comfort in Predictability 29:20 Living with Grief: A Personal Journey 31:16 The Power of Sharing Stories 42:56 Micro Moments for Transformation 47:47 Final Thoughts and Resources ---------------------------------------------- Tara Accardo is a Grief and Transformational life Coach and host of the Life With Grief Podcast. After losing her parents to cancer within six months of each other and a traumatic birth experience, her journey of grieving led her to create Losses Become Gains—a community for fellow grievers that serves tools, resources, inspiration, and guidance on how to navigate grief, loss, and moving forward in life with both in tow. Through her podcast, one-on-one coaching and other modalities of support, Tara’s passion, calling, and commitment to uplifting and empowering fellow grievers runs deep. https://lossesbecomegains.com/ https://lossesbecomegains.com/work-with-tara https://lossesbecomegains.com/free-tools https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-with-grief-podcast/id1688812587 https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/ ---------------------------------------------- Grief is the New Normal is the podcast that refuses to sugarcoat loss, because grief isn’t a problem to fix, it’s a reality to live with. Hosted by Dr. Heather Taylor, a licensed psychologist with over a decade of experience in grief, trauma, and reproductive psychology, this show dives deep into the messy, nonlinear, and very real ways grief impacts our lives. Whether you're navigating the death of your person, wrestling with the weight of an invisible loss, or trying to figure out who you even are after everything changed, this podcast is here for you. With a mix of solo deep dives, expert interviews, and candid conversations, Dr. Taylor unpacks the emotions no one warns you about, challenges outdated grief narratives, and offers both practical tools and hard-earned wisdom to help you feel less alone. No toxic positivity. No “fixing” your grief. Just honest talk, validation, and the reminder that you don’t have to do this alone. Because in a world that wants you to move on, Grief is the New Normal is here to help you move through. https://www.griefisthenewnormal.com hello@griefisthenewnormal.com www.linkedin.com/in/heather-taylor-psyd-licensed-psychologist Follow @grief_is_the_new_normal on Instagram for grief podcast, mental health, self-care, sass, and dark humor content whether you’re grieving or you’re a mental health professional needing more modern grief language. Wanting more grief specific support? Check out my grief journal, Authentically Unapologetic: A Grief Journal available for purchase thru this link: https://a.co/d/4hbLtbX Dive deeper into your grief support skills with the Professional Grief Collective. This exclusive membership offers targeted training and resources for clinicians and coaches who are ready to elevate their practice. Don’t miss out! Join our community today and start transforming the way you support those in grief. Check out the details in our show notes or visit https://clinicians.griefisthenewnormal.com/privategriefcoaching ------------------------------------- Opening & Closing Music by The Dadicorns Copyright 2025 Grief is the New Normal: A podcast with Dr. Heather Taylor All Rights Reserved. This podcast is meant for educational and entertainment purposes only. The information discussed in this podcast is not a replacement or substitute for therapy.
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    50 mins
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