The Widow Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

What does life look like when love is intertwined with loss and grief?

Melissa Gallagher shares how her world was turned upside down in 2020, when soon after learning she was pregnant with their third child, her previously healthy husband James was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with cancer at the age of 39.

In the months that followed her young family faced unimaginable adversity trying to navigate pregnancy, cancer treatment and raising young boys in the middle of the pandemic.

Although James fought bravely, he succumbed to his illness on his 40th birthday in July 2021 leaving Melissa and 3 young sons completely devastated.

Over two years on Melissa has gone from wanting to only survive for her boys, to slowly learning to love life again, even if it doesn’t look how she thought it would.

She has worked through her early grief whilst dealing with the demands of a newborn baby and recently qualified as a life coach.

She is currently undertaking further studies, in the hope that she can somehow take her experience and help others by showing them what she has finally started to see is true, the pain remains but only because love does too, and that laughter really does return.

In this interview, we explore:

• Melissa's personal journey of coping with the loss of her husband, James, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The emotional rollercoaster of Dealing with cancer and pregnancy during the Covid restrictions.
• Coping with early grief with a newborn baby.
• The challenges of raising children who are learning how to grieve the loss of their father.

Resources:

Join my Free Facebook Group ‘Widowed and Rising’ https://www.facebook.com/groups/widowedandrising

My website https://www.karensutton.co.uk/

There is one thing that can be difficult to talk about after becoming a widow and yet it is one of the most important topics to discuss.

How anxiety about your own heath can occur after losing your life partner.

This is a common challenge that many widows face and it’s important to know that you are not alone.

Listen as Karen talks about:

• Noticing and understanding the heightened health anxieties that often follow the loss of a loved one
• Listening to your body's signals and reaching out for support when needed
• Tools & strategies to work through health anxieties
• Learning how to embrace self-compassion and self-care for healing

Resources:

Join The Widows Membership:

https://www.karensutton.co.uk/the-widow-membership

Website: https://www.karensutton.co.uk/

How do we begin to build resilience after experiencing the loss of our loved one?

Karen shares her ABC's of resilience and the importance of finding hope and purpose in widowhood.

We’ll explore how to begin to bounce back and adapt when we are coping with grief.

Listen as I talk about:

• Cultivating a growth mindset to overcome challenges and embrace possibilities
• Acknowledging everyday acts of bravery and stepping out of our comfort zone
• Practicing self-compassion and caring for your own needs
• Finding inner drive and desire to create a meaningful life after loss

Resources:

Join The Widows Membership:

https://www.karensutton.co.uk/the-widow-membership

Website: https://www.karensutton.co.uk/

This week I am talking to the wonderful Julie New. 

Julie is an experienced personal recovery coach specialising in helping people after difficult and sometimes traumatic life change. Prior to starting her coaching Julie spent 20 years in the NHS as a senior nurse and midwife, she also worked on various pioneering NHS community projects.

Since becoming a professional coach in 2006 she has developed a unique New Chapter recovery program which has helped many people to reach new fulfilling phases in their lives, which they hadn’t thought possible.

Julie is an author of popular unique personal growth gift books including ‘The Grief Garden path and is a well-known inspirational and motivational wellbeing conference speaker.

In this episode Julie shares her own personal stories of loss, how she supported her two girls through grief towards health, healing and happiness and also shares her golden nuggets of wisdom.

We discuss anger, widowhood, rebuilding and finding glimmers of sunshine in a dark place.

Julie now supports others in their own journeys of grief and helps them to create something truly meaningful after loss.

‘Change is forever, but the pain doesn’t have to be…’

Email me:  julie@julienew.co.uk

Telephone me: 07967135870

Website: Julie New – Personal recovery coach

Follow my journey on Instagram: Julienewpersonalrecoverycoach

Join me on Twitter: @julienewcoach

Like my Facebook page: Julie New – Personal recovery coach

You are welcome to join my private Facebook group ‘Forever Flowers’, a place for people who care for ongoing motivation, inspiration, support and understanding:

https://facebook.com/groups/ForeverFlowers/?ref=share

Writing New Chapters with Stacey Macdonald

In this week's episode I speak to an incredibly honest and inspiring lady, Stacey Macdonald. Stacey’s husband Chris died suddenly in December 2013 from a heart attack when their daughter was only 12 years old.

Stacey shares her journey of loss and how she navigated her way through her grief in her own unique way, a way in which we could all learn a lot from.

We discuss; 

• How Stacey and her daughter dealt with that first Christmas
• The coping strategies Stacey used in her grief
• The pivotal moment Stacey realised she had to make some changes
• Supporting Children through their grief
• Navigating new relationships
• Deciding to live again after loss
• The importance of leaning into your own intuition
• Worrying about other people's judgements and assumptions
• Guilt
• Finding joy in today and writing the new chapters in our books with love and peace in our hearts

This really is such a wonderful conversation and I know you’ll be able to draw so much from this.

We got unexpectedly cut off at the end (the joys of living on a small island), so there is an abrupt finish to the conversation. We contemplated arranging another time to record an ending but I actually felt that Staceys final words of wisdom were so beautiful, it felt like the perfect end to a wonderful conversation, so we left it at is was.

In this episode I talk to Emma about the death of her husband Simon in July 2016 and how this impacted herself and their two young girls. We also discuss the learnings Emma has gained from Simon's death, the importance of being as prepared as we can for our own deaths and the deaths of those around us, and how we can find the support that’s right for us

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Emma is a former end-of-life solicitor and Simon was in the military. Emma believed they had been very open about his death and prepared well for it, but there was still so much that they had not discussed

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We talk about:

🟡 Wills and Power of Attorney

🟡 Funeral planning

🟡 How you want to die

🟡 Where you want to die

🟡 What you want to happen after your death

🟡 How lockdown actually helped Emma deal with her grief

🟡 Re-discovering parts you of you that had disappeared

🟡 Supporting grieving children

You can find Emma and contact her via the following links;

Website: www.rainbowhunting.co.uk

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-gray-50245133/

Sign up to Emma's monthly newsletter here: https://www.rainbowhunting.co.uk/news

 In this week’s episode I discuss TRE - Tension and trauma releasing exercises, with Sylvia Tillman, an alternative practitioner. Sylvia specialises in Jikiden Reiki,  Laughter yoga, and of course, TRE.

TRE is a somatic self help tool to release deep muscular patterns of stress. The exercises assist the body in releasing deep muscular patterns of stress, tension and trauma, created and held in the body during a traumatic experience or through chronic stress.

When grieving, we are very focused on our mental wellbeing and seeking out therapy or counselling, but grieving has an effect on us mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally and all areas need tending to as mind and body are intrinsically linked and they shouldn't be seen in isolation.

We discuss how TRE can very simply help us release this tension and trauma and the wonderful knock on effects this can have.

We have to learn to tune into our bodies more, to reconnect with our bodies, and allow it to lead us to our healing.

Contact details for Sylvia;

http://www.tremendoustre.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/WhatIsTheAlternative

https://www.instagram.com/learnTRE

https://twitter.com/LearnTRE

In this week’s podcast I talk about grief coaching. What it is, and what it isn’t.

I get asked lots of questions, things like, am I a therapist, am I a counseller? I am neither of those things. I coach you, help you, and guide you on your grief journey, no matter where in your grieving journey you are.

I want to hold your hand, be a voice of reason, and help you ask yourself more positive questions.

I create a safe space for you and for your grief with no expectation, no judgment, no criticism, no shoulds. Your journey is unique, but I want to be here for you.

Take a listen to this week's episode to see how I can help you.

In this episode I have a very raw, honest and relatable conversation with friend and fellow widow Lisa. Lisa's husband Simon died in November 2019 leaving her and her children to navigate their way through life without Simon. Lisa is so inspirational and incredibly wise so I wanted her to share her story with you so you can draw from her strength and wisdom. There will be so much in this episode that will resonate on a deep and profound level, I know you will not leave without feeling truly inspired and motivated. Take a listen.