The Empowered Grief Journey

Adoption, Identity & Healing the Primal Wound with Erica Bonham

In this powerful episode, therapist and author Erica Bonham opens her heart and shares a lifelong grief journey shaped by adoption, early loss, identity struggles, and the complex dynamics of loving—and losing—two mothers.Erica and Chris explore the primal wound experienced by many adoptees, the layered grief of identity, and the “brutiful” intersection of love and loss. Erica also discusses her transformative experience with ketamine-assisted therapy, how it helped heal the deepest parts of her nervous system, and why healing is a nonlinear, lifelong path rather than a destination.
If you’ve ever struggled with belonging, boundaries, identity, grief, or the weight of childhood wounds, this episode will offer clarity, validation, and hope. Come listen to a conversation that invites compassion, curiosity, and connection at the deepest level.

Holding On in the Storm: Faith, Loss & the Courage to Grieve with Dr. Bob Cutillo

In this deeply moving episode, Dr. Bob Cutillo—a physician, caregiver, and author of Holding On in the Storm—shares the intimate journey of walking beside his wife Heather through terminal cancer and learning to navigate grief through faith, vulnerability, and emotional honesty.
Bob and Chris explore the shock of diagnosis, the struggle to reconcile faith with suffering, how men can open up emotionally, and the transformative idea of “stewarding our pain” so it becomes a force for compassion rather than destruction.If you’re facing loss, questioning God, or learning to live in the aftermath of a life-changing storm, this conversation will offer comfort, clarity, and hope.

Healing the Inner Emptiness: Addiction, Gratitude & the Search for Meaning

In this powerful episode, Harvard-educated author Bracha Goetz shares her lifelong search for purpose—from early grief and food addiction to the spiritual awakening that transformed her life. Together, Chris and Bracha explore how unhealed grief creates inner emptiness, why addictions form, and how gratitude becomes a path back to joy, fulfillment, and connection. If you're navigating grief, seeking meaning, or struggling with emotional cravings, this conversation offers wisdom, hope, and practical tools to nourish your soul.

When a Parent Loses a Child to Suicide: A Journey Through Grief With Tracy Oeser

In this powerful episode, Chris Mamone sits down with grief advocate, author, and founder of Journey Thru Grief, Tracy Oeser, who lost her daughter Chelsie to suicide in 2006. Tracy shares the raw truth of what suicide loss actually looks like—far beyond the stigmas, silence, and misconceptions that surround it.
Together, Chris and Tracy explore:– The hidden signs of suicide and why prevention isn’t always straightforward– What survivors really need from friends, therapists, and society– The urgent training gaps in the mental health system– How to hold space for yourself when grief comes in waves– Tracy’s groundbreaking Four Phases of Suicide Loss that go beyond the outdated five stages of grief
If you’ve experienced suicide loss, support someone who has, or want to better understand this complex form of grief, this episode offers compassion, clarity, and a path toward meaningful healing and post-traumatic growth.

Do You Know The Way? A Mother's Story of SUDC and Learning to Live Again

In this deeply moving episode, Chris sits down with grief educator and bereaved mother Carrie Brody, who lost her vibrant 9-year-old son, Seth, to Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC)—a tragedy few parents even know exists until it happens to them.
Carrie shares the shock of losing a healthy child without warning, the painful search for answers that never came, and the trauma that reshaped her family and marriage. She also opens up about her powerful spiritual connection with Seth, the signs and messages she continues to receive, and how he guided her to write her book Do You Know the Way?
Together, Chris and Carrie explore the realities of child loss, how partners grieve differently, why guilt haunts bereaved parents, and how love continues beyond death. If you're navigating grief, searching for meaning, or longing for connection with a child who has passed, this episode will meet you tenderly where you are.

Losing a Mother During COVID Lockdown: Grief, Shock & Radical Compassion

In this powerful episode, Australian coach and podcast host Kate Galli shares the sudden and heartbreaking loss of her mother during the height of COVID-19 lockdowns. From closed borders to ICU restrictions, ambulance escorts, and navigating grief in total isolation, Kate brings us inside the emotional shock and unreal logistics that shaped her experience.
Together, we explore:• Sudden loss and the trauma of not being able to say goodbye• Grief during COVID and the loss of basic human connection• Healing strained family relationships after tragedy• Anger, compassion, and the transformation that grief demands• How grief reshaped Kate’s activism, leadership, and entire worldview• What her mother — and her mother’s cat Pango — taught her about love
This episode is a deeply moving reminder that grief forces us to grow in directions we never imagined — and that compassion, even in the smallest moments, can carry us through the unimaginable.

Disability, Healing, & Complex Family Grief With Ansley Ash

What happens when grief is layered—cancer loss, complicated family history, caregiving, and the unexpected death of a beloved pet? In today’s episode, novelist Ansley Ash shares her deeply personal journey through a lifetime of responsibility, emotional exhaustion, and profound love.
We talk about:• Navigating cancer loss and anticipatory grief• Growing up in a home shaped by disability• Pet loss and why it deserves real space• Anger as a messenger, not a flaw• Setting boundaries and choosing what truly matters• Rebuilding identity through creativity and self-grace
If you’ve ever felt lost, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward, Ansley’s story will help you feel understood—and remind you that your grief journey is valid exactly as it is.

Grief, Trauma & Radical Acceptance with Therapist Cherie Nassi

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with Los Angeles-based psychotherapist Cherie Nassi to explore how grief can become a pathway to healing and empowerment.
Cherie shares her story of growing up with a father who developed Alzheimer’s, the anticipatory grief she faced as a teen, and how his death inspired her to help others navigate trauma and loss. Together, they discuss radical acceptance, setting boundaries, and learning to live alongside grief rather than “getting over it.”
Cherie also reflects on supporting her community through California wildfires and the lessons of resilience that followed.