Feel Free Again with Cole James

041: Why Unresolved Grief Is Behind So Much Pain (and How to Heal It) with Victoria Volk

Connect with Victoria Volk: Website: www.theunleashedheart.com [http://www.theunleashedheart.com/] Instagram: www.instagram.com/theunleashedheart [http://www.instagram.com/theunleashedheart]   As the host of the Feel Free Again Podcast, I’ve had the privilege of hearing countless stories of loss and restoration — but few moved me like my conversation with Victoria Volk, a grief recovery specialist and mother of three from rural North Dakota. In this episode, we explore what it really means to confront decades of buried pain and how doing so can restore connection, compassion, and freedom. Victoria opens up about losing her father at age 8, enduring abuse, and spending 30 years trying to outrun grief through achievement, distraction, and numbing. Her breaking point led her to the Grief Recovery Method, which completely changed her life — and even saved her relationship with her mother. She shares how healing her heart didn’t require others to change, but instead invited empathy, forgiveness, and peace that rippled through her entire family. We also talk about how grief recovery helps parents and children communicate more openly, why boundaries create safety, and what happens when anger is finally understood instead of suppressed. If you’ve ever lost someone, faced trauma, or felt emotionally stuck, this episode will remind you that you can’t heal what you won’t feel — and that freedom is closer than you think.   ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 – Intro & Welcome to the Feel Free Again Podcast 01:05 – Meet Victoria Volk: Finding Grief Recovery After 30 Years 04:56 – The Midlife Unraveling: Identity, Motherhood & Burnout 06:50 – Discovering the Grief Recovery Method & Choosing Healing 10:05 – Why You Can’t Heal Alone: The Power of Safe Spaces 16:42 – Healing the Relationship with Her Mother Through Compassion 23:04 – Boundaries, Body Awareness & Feeling Safe Again 31:02 – Teaching Kids Emotional Honesty & Healthy Anger 45:00 – Victoria’s Son’s Accident: How Grief Tools Saved Their Family 1:00:07 – Grief Is Everywhere: Why the World Needs This Work

040: Can You Grieve Someone You’ve Never Met? The Truth About Hidden Grief with Cindy Cipriani

Connect with Cindy: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCindyCipriani/ [https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCindyCipriani/] Website: https://www.cindycipriani.com/ [https://www.cindycipriani.com/] Contact: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/cindy-cipriani-sewell-nj/223227 [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/cindy-cipriani-sewell-nj/223227] Today’s conversation moved me deeply. I sat down with Cindy Cipriani, an emotional wellness coach and grief recovery specialist, whose story of loss, healing, and redemption is nothing short of powerful. From being excommunicated by her faith community and surviving domestic abuse, to finding new purpose through the Grief Recovery Method, Cindy’s testimony shows how emotional healing is possible — no matter your past. Cindy shares how grief can hide in plain sight — not just through death or divorce, but through lost dreams, childhood beliefs, or even fictional characters who brought comfort during hard times. We explore how to process those emotions instead of carrying them silently for years, and why forgiveness isn’t about condoning pain but releasing it. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt unseen in their grief or unsure where to start healing. You’ll learn about the five C’s of emotional wellness, how to reconnect with who you truly are, and why grief recovery is more than therapy — it’s a path to freedom. If this conversation resonates, please share it with someone who needs hope today.   Chapters: 00:00 – Welcome to the Feel Free Again Podcast 01:03 – Cindy’s Story: From Religious Trauma to Renewal 02:07 – Surviving Loss, Isolation, and a Suicide Attempt 04:13 – The Turning Point: Discovering the Grief Recovery Method 08:00 – Can You Grieve Someone You’ve Never Met? 15:08 – How the Grief Recovery Process Actually Works 21:23 – The Five C’s of Emotional Wellness Explained 33:04 – Rebuilding Identity After Loss and Forgiveness 44:08 – How Grief Recovery Changes Families and Workplaces 49:20 – Where to Find Cindy’s Books & How to Start Your Own Healing Journey

039: Why You Can’t Think Your Way Out of Grief | Healing the Heart, Not Just the Mind with Andrea Szegedi

In this episode of the Feel Free Again Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Andrea Szegedi, a medical doctor, grief recovery specialist, and founder of a clinic in Budapest, Hungary. Andrea’s story is both heartbreaking and deeply inspiring — after losing her third son, she began searching for answers that science, logic, and faith alone couldn’t provide. What she discovered was that grief isn’t just emotional — it’s cellular. It lives in the body, and true recovery means reconnecting the mind, body, and heart. Connect with Dr. Szegedi: https://www.griefrecoverymethod.com/grms/andrea-szegedi-md [https://www.griefrecoverymethod.com/grms/andrea-szegedi-md] Throughout our conversation, Dr. Andrea Szegedi shares how the Grief Recovery Method gave her stability in the chaos of loss, helping her rebuild her life from the inside out. She opens up about how grief physically affected her body, why expression is the opposite of depression, and how movement, music, and writing became sacred tools for healing. From crawling on the floor to completing two half-marathons, her journey is proof that emotional recovery leads to physical restoration. We also talk about the missing education around grief, how children naturally process loss, and why modern medicine must integrate emotional healing with physical care. Andrea now uses her platform to help parents, cancer patients, and grievers around the world find peace, laughter, and hope again. Whether you’re grieving a loved one, your health, or simply trying to understand your emotions — this conversation will help you reconnect with the part of yourself that still believes in wholeness. Chapters: 00:00 – Welcome & Introduction to Dr. Andrea Szegedi 03:00 – Losing a Child and the Birth of a Calling 06:00 – Why Logic and Faith Aren’t Enough to Heal Grief 10:00 – Understanding Grief as an Emotional Process 13:00 – The Pyramid of Grief and Finding Stability 17:00 – How Movement, Crying, and Singing Healed Her Body 23:00 – Laughter and Light Returning After Loss 31:00 – Teaching Children to Process Grief Naturally 40:00 – Integrating Medicine and Grief Recovery in Healthcare 55:00 – The Biology of Trauma and Path to Wholeness

038: Grief Recovery in the Workplace: Healing Beyond Loss with Michele Mariscal

Welcome back to the Feel Free Again Podcast! In today’s episode, I’m joined by grief recovery specialist Michele Mariscal, who brings over 8 years of experience helping people process grief through the Grief Recovery Method. We dive deep into her unique journey—from molecular biology to esoteric philosophy—and how these experiences shaped her approach to grief and healing. Michelle shares how her personal grief journey inspired her to become certified in grief recovery and how she uses powerful tools like HeartMath to help people heal from emotional trauma in both personal and workplace settings. Connect with Michele: https://energym.org/ [https://energym.org/] https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelemariscal-phdgrief/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelemariscal-phdgrief/] https://www.facebook.com/michele.mariscal/ [https://www.facebook.com/michele.mariscal/] https://www.amazon.com/GROWING-THROUGH-GRIEF-Alchemy-Healing/dp/1791800246/ref=sr_1_1?sr=8-1 [https://www.amazon.com/GROWING-THROUGH-GRIEF-Alchemy-Healing/dp/1791800246/ref=sr_1_1?sr=8-1] Grief is often misunderstood, and we’re shedding light on its far-reaching impacts—especially in the workplace. Employers and coworkers often fail to recognize the daily grief events that impact productivity, mental health, and relationships. Michelle shares how grief recovery can support employees in overcoming unresolved grief, helping them process not only personal loss but also unspoken disappointments, broken relationships, and unmet expectations. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to understand grief beyond the obvious and learn about the transformative tools that can change the way we communicate and heal, whether in our personal lives or at work. Tune in as we explore the often-overlooked concept of "emotional maintenance," how unresolved grief impacts workplace dynamics, and why it’s crucial for employers to integrate grief recovery into their employee wellness programs. Whether you’ve experienced personal loss or are navigating unresolved emotions in your workplace, this episode offers valuable insights on how to heal and move forward. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to the Episode 00:06 - Michelle Mariscol’s Background and Grief Recovery Work 01:50 - From Molecular Biology to Esoteric Philosophy 03:43 - Michelle’s Personal Grief Journey and the Catalyst for Certification 06:01 - Finding the Grief Recovery Method in 2017 08:25 - The Power of the Grief Recovery Method as a "Template" 10:36 - The First Steps in Michelle's Grief Recovery Practice 12:57 - Grief in the Workplace: A Hidden Epidemic 15:23 - The Importance of Emotional and Mental Health for Employees 17:50 - How Grief Recovery Can Prevent Workplace Conflict 21:15 - Addressing Unmet Expectations and Grief in Career Development 23:33 - Understanding “Emotional Maintenance” in the Workplace 27:00 - How Grief Recovery Tools Strengthen Employee Relationships 31:12 - The Role of Grief Recovery in Post-Trauma Communities 34:02 - HeartMath and Grief Recovery: A Powerful Combination 38:21 - Wrapping Up and Michelle’s Final Thoughts on Grief 41:09 - Where to Find Michelle and Connect with Her Services 44:00 - Conclusion and Call to Action: Share This Episode

037: Military's Grief Recovery Challenges: Sandy Wheeler's Journey Through Grief and PTSD

In this episode of the Feel Free Again podcast, host Cole James interviews Sandy Wheeler, a Vietnam veteran and creator of the Life's Final Thoughts app. The conversation explores the importance of emotional communication, especially in the context of grief and loss. Sandy shares his personal experiences with PTSD and the impact of unresolved grief, particularly in military settings. The app aims to help individuals record video messages for their loved ones, preserving their voices and messages for future generations. The discussion emphasizes the need for emotional debriefing, the role of family in healing, and the significance of leaving a legacy through meaningful communication. Connect with Sandy: https://www.lifesthoughts.com [https://www.lifesthoughts.com] Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to Sandy Wheeler and His Mission 06:12 -Sandy's Journey Through Grief and PTSD 12:24 - The Impact of Technology on Grief Recovery 18:03 - Creating Lasting Memories Through Video Messages 23:51 - The Importance of Emotional Communication 29:51 - Collaborative Efforts in Grief Recovery 35:42 - Technical Difficulties and Transition 36:56 - The Military's Grief Recovery Challenges 40:26 - The Impact of Grief on Individuals 42:34 - Communication and Emotional Intelligence 44:56 - Understanding the Warrior's Experience 48:45 - The Power of Personal Videos 51:32 - Navigating Estranged Relationships 55:12 - Final Thoughts on Love and Legacy