The Empowered Grief Journey

Love, Loss, and Legacy: Paula Hill’s Journey After Losing Her Son Austin

In this deeply moving episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone welcomes grief coach and bereaved mother Paula Hill. After the tragic loss of her son Austin in a motorcycle accident in 2022, Paula found herself grieving not only her child, but also the sudden disappearance of community and support.
Refusing to let grief isolate her, Paula chose to transform her pain into purpose — founding Austin’s Sunshine Foundation and a Zoom support group for bereaved parents, helping others navigate the heavy waves of loss.
Through vulnerability, advocacy, and unconditional love, Paula shares how she continues to honor Austin’s life by bringing light to others.

Healing the Healer: Burnout, Alignment, and Becoming Whole with Dr. Gayla Gates

In this eye-opening episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with Dr. Gayla Gates — former family physician, emotional empath, and now a powerful voice for healing beyond the exam room.
On paper, Gayla had it all: magna cum laude, a thriving medical career, a lifelong dream fulfilled. But beneath the surface she was absorbing her patients’ pain, burning out, and losing herself inside a system that didn’t honor her soul. After 10 years in clinical medicine, she made the courageous choice to step away — and toward her own healing.
Gayla shares how grief can come not only from loss, but from living out of alignment with your truth. Through radical self-honesty, emotional boundaries, and deep inner work, she reclaimed her power and purpose.

From Abandonment to Empowerment: A Grief Journey of Faith, Healing, and Purpose

In this inspiring episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone is joined by motivational speaker, master life coach, and author Dearice Spencer Shackelford.
Dearice’s grief journey began in childhood, when her father’s mental health crisis left her facing early abandonment. Years later, she endured the devastating loss of her husband, a U.S. Marine veteran — suddenly becoming a single mother to three children.
But Dearice refused to let grief define her story. Through faith, holistic healing, and powerful inner transformation, she rose from her pain and stepped into her purpose. Now the founder of Dearice Speaks Life LLC, she helps women and single mothers rise, heal, and lead with authenticity and courage.

Life, Death, and Lessons from the Cemetery with Sandy Doyle

In this insightful and unexpectedly uplifting episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone sits down with Sandy Doyle — author of My Life at the Cemetery: It’s Not As Dead As You Think. With years of experience in the funeral home and cemetery industry, Sandy offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at life, death, and everything in between.
She opens up about how her personal grief — including the loss of her husband — intersects with her professional experiences among the departed. Through humor, honesty, and heartfelt wisdom, Sandy reveals what the dead can teach us about truly living.

Breaking the Box: Psychic Insight, Animal Wisdom & Authentic Living with Alicia Sweezer

In this expansive episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone welcomes Alicia Sweezer — wildlife biologist turned scientific psychic, intuitive life coach, and three-time bestselling author.
With a rare blend of analytical intelligence and intuitive depth, Alicia helps others embrace their authenticity and break free from the boxes society places around identity, spirituality, and success.
She shares her remarkable journey from working with endangered species to becoming a psychic, medium, and animal communicator — revealing how science and spirit can coexist as powerful allies in healing.

From Grief to Joy: Devin DeGriff on Healing After Unimaginable Loss

In this deeply moving episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone speaks with Devin DeGriff — physical therapist, intuitive healer, transformational coach, and author of Good Grief: The Journey from Grief to Joy. After the tragic loss of her mother to murder, Devin began a profound healing journey that led her from pain to purpose.
Through embodied healing, therapeutic wisdom, and raw vulnerability, she offers a compassionate roadmap to reclaiming joy without forgetting the past. Devin shares how honoring grief can reconnect you with your truth, unlock resilience, and open the heart to transformation.

From Surgery to Soul Work: Energy, Healing & Purpose with Jose Mendoza

In this illuminating episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone welcomes Jose Mendoza, a holistic healer and Doctor of Chinese Energetic Medicine, for a powerful conversation about the bridge between Western medicine and spiritual healing.
Once a cardiovascular surgical specialist, Jose witnessed how many patients returned unwell despite medical intervention. That experience led him to seek answers beyond the physical — eventually earning a doctorate in Chinese Energetic Medicine and dedicating his life to helping others reclaim their energy and purpose.
Together, Chris and Jose explore the deeper roots of chronic illness, the connection between mind, body, and spirit, and how aligning your energy can open the door to true healing.

How Grief Becomes a Bridge to Belonging and Healing

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, host Chris Mamone welcomes Laurel O’Sullivan — grief educator, guide, and former public interest lawyer — for a deeply moving conversation about how grief can become a bridge to belonging.
Laurel shares her personal journey through the sudden deaths of her father, the father of her children, and her beloved 18-year-old son, Patrick, who died by suicide. With raw honesty and profound empathy, she reflects on how these losses opened her to a deeper connection with herself, her community, and life itself.
Together, Chris and Laurel explore how honoring grief creates space for transformation — and how love continues to weave meaning through even the most unimaginable loss.