The Empowered Grief Journey

Losing Her Horse Trigger Broke Her Heart And Changed Her Life

In this heartfelt episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, Chris sits down with Angela Lenhardt to talk about a type of loss that is often misunderstood—the death of her horse, Trigger. For Angela, Trigger wasn’t “just a horse.” He was a companion, a source of connection, and a meaningful part of her life. When he passed, the grief she experienced was deep, personal, and at times difficult to explain to others who didn’t fully understand the bond. Angela shares what that relationship meant to her, what it felt like to lose him, and how that loss impacted her emotionally. She opens up about navigating grief that isn’t always validated by others, and the process of learning how to honor that connection while continuing to move forward. This conversation sheds light on animal loss, emotional attachment, and the reality of grieving a bond that shaped who you are.

A Mother’s Grief After Suicide Loss: Finding A Way Forward

In this deeply moving episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, Chris sits down with Suzanne Jabour to talk about the unimaginable—losing her 19-year-old son, Ben, to suicide. Suzanne shares the moment her life changed, the shock and devastation that followed, and what it felt like to try to make sense of something that often feels impossible to understand. She speaks openly about the early days of grief, the questions that come with suicide loss, and the emotional weight that many parents carry after losing a child this way. Through her story, Suzanne brings voice to a type of grief that is often surrounded by silence, stigma, and isolation. She shares how she began navigating life after Ben’s death, what helped her take steps forward, and how she found meaning in continuing on—even when everything felt broken. This conversation is both raw and grounding, offering insight into the reality of suicide loss, parental grief, and learning how to live again after losing a child.

Grief, Divorce & Midlife Reinvention With Carolina Gonzalez

In this episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, Chris sits down with Carolina Gonzalez, a Sydney-based mindfulness and meditation teacher who helps women in midlife feel calm, grounded, and clear again. Carolina shares how her life began to unravel after her 20-plus-year marriage ended while she was raising two young children. As she was grieving the loss of the relationship, the future she imagined, and the identity she had built as a wife and mother, her mom was unexpectedly diagnosed with terminal cancer while visiting family in Australia. Carolina describes that season as feeling like she was “free-falling,” with the people and structures she once relied on no longer there in the same way. Through that grief, Carolina began turning inward. She found mindfulness, meditation, self-compassion, and nervous system regulation as tools to rebuild her relationship with herself. Chris and Carolina also discuss her work with women 40+ and women in midlife who are exhausted from people-pleasing, overgiving, perfectionism, and constantly putting everyone else first. Carolina explains why this stage of life often becomes a turning point where women begin asking, “When is it my turn?” and how learning to say no, honor your needs, and rebuild self-trust can become a powerful part of healing. In this episode, we explore grief after separation, losing a parent, identity shifts in midlife, nervous system regulation, boundaries, self-compassion, and what it means to come back to yourself after life changes everything.

Grieving the Loss of Two Children as a Couple

In this deeply emotional episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, Chris sits down with Tim and Becky Graff to talk about the unimaginable—losing both of their daughters—and what it took to navigate that level of grief as a couple. Tim and Becky share their story openly, including how each of them processed the loss of their daughters in different ways, and the strain that kind of grief can place on a relationship. They speak honestly about the moments where disconnection could have taken over—and the intentional choices they made to stay present, communicate, and support each other through it. This conversation sheds light on something many couples experience but rarely talk about: how profound loss can either create distance or become something you learn to move through together. They also share what helped them begin rebuilding—not just individually, but as partners learning how to carry grief side by side.

Frank DiMaio on Losing His Wife & Learning to Live Again

In this deeply personal episode of The Empowered Grief Journey, Chris sits down with Frank DiMaio to talk about the reality of losing a spouse and having to rebuild your life from the ground up. Frank shares his story of losing his wife and what that loss actually looked like—not just emotionally, but in the day-to-day reality of waking up to a life that no longer felt familiar. He opens up about the shock, loneliness, and identity shift that followed, and the difficult process of learning how to move forward without the person he built his life with. This conversation goes beyond surface-level grief and into the moments most people don’t talk about—what it’s like to sit with the silence, to question what comes next, and to slowly begin rebuilding when you didn’t choose to start over. Frank also shares how he began finding purpose again, what helped him take steps forward, and how his perspective on life has changed through loss.