When "It's Not Your Fault" Falls Flat - Grief & Guilt

What Happens When You Stop Outrunning Grief? Camila Crews & Sorry For Your Loss (Cards)

Have you ever found yourself trying to outrun grief? That's what Camila Crews [https://www.sorryforyourlosscards.com/aboutus] did when she was 19 and her mother died. Twenty years later, following the heartbreaking disappearance and death of her father, Camila stopped running and started feeling. Unable to just keep pushing through, she had to face her grief and learn how to care for herself in the process. Facing her grief inspired Camila to start Sorry for Your Loss (Cards) [https://www.sorryforyourlosscards.com/], an initiative to help people better understand grief and show up for those who are mourning. Centering the experiences of Black and Brown communities, Sorry for Your Loss (Cards) provides workshops [https://www.sorryforyourlosscards.com/workshops], cards, resources [https://www.sorryforyourlosscards.com/cardsandfree], and community experiences designed to decrease the isolation that so often accompanies grief. We discuss: * The fiery, creative energy Camila's parents shared * Losing her mother twice: first as a child when her mother moved away, and then as a young adult when she died * The instinct to just keep moving forward after her mother's death * Having to slow down and finally face grief after her father was killed * Living with the unanswered questions surrounding her father's disappearance and presumed death * The vital importance of culturally specific grief resources * Finding connection with other people who are grieving * The origin of Sorry for Your Loss (Cards) and Camila's commitment to helping others understand grief Camila A. Crews builds tools, experiences, and cultural conversations that help people show up for grief in real, tangible ways. After losing both of her parents over the course of two decades, she experienced firsthand how lonely grief can feel and how often people want to support others but don't know how. The purpose of Sorry For Your Loss is to help people get familiar with grief before it overwhelms them or someone they love. Since founding Sorry For Your Loss, Camila has developed therapist endorsed grief support tools and facilitated workshops based on her frameworks at wellness and mental health summits. Before building her own platform, Camila held public relations leadership roles shaping multicultural campaigns for global brands including Apple TV+, Netflix, and Universal Pictures. She blends storytelling, empathy, and lived experience to create meaningful tools for grief, connection, and community. Follow on IG [https://www.instagram.com/sorryforyourlosscards/] - @sorryforyourlosscards

When "It's Not Your Fault" Falls Flat - Grief & Guilt

In December of 2021, Sawyer was halfway through their final year of college in a world that was still reeling from the pandemic. Home for the holidays, Sawyer got the heartbreaking news that their older brother, Jason, had died by suicide - a before-and-after moment that continues to reverberate today. Sawyer shares their nuanced perspective on grief, delving into how mental health, incarceration, and other systemic barriers impacted Jason's life and death. We also explore how the phrase, "It's not your fault," while well-intentioned, can leave little space for those who are grieving to truly reckon with both guilt and regret. We discuss: * Jason's artistry, love of cars, and enduring pride in Sawyer's academic accomplishments * Navigating grief while finishing college and graduating * The intersection of grief and institutional failures, including incarceration, a lack of stable housing, and inadequate mental health support * How peer support - both formal and informal - gave Sawyer space to reckon with both grief and guilt * The power of logistical support to help those who are grieving If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out. You can call 988, the National Crisis Line, or text HELLO to 741-741. Other resources include: The Trevor Project for LGBTQ+ youth (1-866-488-7386) and BlackLine (1-800-604-5841). Resources Mentioned: * Wild Grief - Grieving Together in Nature [https://www.wildgrief.org/] * Dougy Center - Resources for Young Adults [https://www.dougy.org/grief-support-resources/young-adults] If you want to learn more about supporting children and teens who are grieving, sign up for our online courses here: https://classes.dougy.org/ [https://classes.dougy.org/]

When Grief Gets Silenced: Supporting Black Youth & Families With Dr. Allen Lipscomb

Acknowledgment, validation, and curiosity – meeting grief with these three elements is crucial in creating supportive, culturally relevant grief support environments for children and adults. Dr. Allen Lipscomb has spent his career researching, designing, and implementing anti-racist interventions that directly support not just grief from death loss, but also the grief from racialized trauma experienced by those in the Black community. Dr. Lipscomb shares his personal experiences with grief, including the death of his grandmother when he was a child and being wrongly accused of a crime in his adolescence. He also discusses the roots of his work as a clinician, researcher, and Professor of Social Work, including the culturally specific ways he engages with clients that prioritize choice and naming racism and racialized trauma that play a role in how people grieve. We discuss: * How childhood experiences of death, racism, and wrongful accusation shaped Dr. Allen Lipscomb's understanding of grief, trauma, and identity * The impact of racialized trauma on how Black youth and men experience, express, and silence grief * Why naming experiences like racism, PTSD, and loss can be profoundly important and validating * What culturally responsive grief support looks like, including storytelling, oral histories, grief mapping, somatic awareness, and community-centered care * How grief supporters can avoid rescuer dynamics and instead create invitational, choice-centered spaces to explore grief * The importance of preparing mental health providers, schools, and communities to offer anti-racist, culturally relevant grief support for Black youth and families Allen E. Lipscomb, PsyD, LCSW, Professor of Social Work, Associate Chair, Director of MSW Online Program; and Director of Minority Male Mentoring (M3) and Student Success Allies (SSA) program at California State University Northridge in the Department of Social Work. Dr. Lipscomb is a clinical psychologist and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of California. Dr. Lipscomb specializes in providing anti-oppressive and inclusive mental health services to individuals, children, youth, couples, and families of color. His areas of research are centered on the psychiatric epidemiology among racialized and marginalized individuals who have experienced trauma (i.e., complex trauma, traumatic-grief, and race-based trauma). Dr. Lipscomb has conducted numerous qualitative research studies on racialized Black identified men across the Black/African Diaspora exploring their grief, loss, and complex-trauma experiences. His pedagogy is centered on cultural anti-oppressive and clinically responsive inclusive practices with communities of color. Dr. Lipscomb maintains a private practice; conducts local, national, and international trainings; is a consultant/coach, and keynote speaker. Dr. Lipscomb has numerous peer reviewed journal articles that centers Black male grief experiences and has a published five books all centered around Black men and boys grief, trauma, and healing journeys. Resources mentioned in our conversation: * Reframing Grief for Black Students: A Qualitative Analysis of Grief Resilient Affirming Care through Empowerment (G.R.A.C.E) Training [https://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijsw/article/view/23699] * My Grandmother's Hands [https://resmaa.com/merch/] by Resmaa Menakem Connect with Dr. Lipscomb * Website [https://drallenlipscomb.my.canva.site/] * IG [https://www.instagram.com/dr.alipscomb/] @dralipscomb

A Mother's Legacy, A Daughter's Grief - N'keya Peters-Camille

In this episode of Grief Out Loud, Jana is joined by N'keya Peters-Camille [https://www.hopesdaughter.com/about], LCSW, RYT® 200, a social worker, certified Grief Yoga teacher, facilitator for e-motion [https://www.emotion-mc.org/] grief meet ups, and creator of Hope: A One Line A Day Journal for the Bereaved [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZJH6W4W]. N'keya shares the story of her mother, Hope - a woman she describes as her soulmate - who died of pancreatic cancer in 2021 at the age of 46. N'keya reflects on growing up alongside her mother, witnessing her overcome immense challenges, and experiencing firsthand what it meant to be deeply seen, supported, and loved. After her mother's death, N'keya found herself navigating grief without strong cultural or community rituals to hold her. In response, she created her own network of support through grief counseling, retreats, movement practices, and eventually, offering those same resources to others - particularly within her Afro-Caribbean and African American communities. The conversation explores caregiving during the pandemic, the absence of end-of-life conversations, and what it means to grieve while parenting young children. N'keya shares how she spoke honestly with her three-year-old son about death, how grief continues to evolve five years later, and how she makes space for both sorrow and joy - especially on complex days like Mother's Day. N'keya also speaks candidly about pregnancy loss and infertility following her mother's death and how those grief experiences intersected. She describes how her mother's voice continues to guide her—in her work, her parenting, and her sense of self—and how she honors that connection by living fully, while also deeply grieving. Note: this episode mentions childhood sexual assault. Please take care while listening. In this episode, you'll hear about: * Grieving the death of a parent while raising young children * The impact of limited cultural grief rituals and creating your own * Movement, community, and storytelling as grieving practices * Navigating Mother's Day while holding multiple losses * Pregnancy loss, infertility, and layered grief experiences * Maintaining an ongoing bond with someone who has died N'keya Peters-Camille, LCSW, RYT® 200, is a Social Worker and Grief Educator who integrates clinical support with somatic healing. Her work is deeply rooted in her own grief history—from navigating the death of her beloved mother, Hope, to the profound challenges of miscarriage and the complexities of IVF and IUI. As an African American woman born and raised in Brooklyn with Caribbean roots, N'keya is dedicated to bringing meaningful grief support to her community. Certified in Grief Yoga, she believes that grief is often too heavy to carry alone and too deep to process through words alone. In addition to her private practice, she serves as a volunteer with E-Motion, facilitating 6–8 week grief movement groups. By blending clinical social work with somatic movement and meditation, N'keya provides a "soft landing" for those walking the path of loss—helping them bridge the gap between mind and body, find their breath again, and carry their loved ones' legacies forward. Want to learn more about supporting children and teens who are grieving? Sign up for our online courses here: https://classes.dougy.org/ [https://classes.dougy.org/]

Tips For Grieving Through Mother's Day

Mother's Day is approaching - Sunday, May 10th, 2026 - and it's a "holiday" that comes with lots of mixed emotions for those who are grieving. Whether you're a child grieving a parent, a parent grieving a child, or anyone who is carrying grief into the day, this episode might be for you. We explore why holidays connected to particular relationships can be so tough in grief and outline ideas for navigating both the lead-up and the day itself. This episode originally aired in April 2015. Other Grief Out Loud episodes related to mothers, mothering, and Mother's Day: Ep. 127 What God Is Honored Here? Shannon Gibney & Kao Kalia Yang [https://www.dougy.org/news-media/podcasts/what-god-is-honored-here-shannon-gibney-kao-kalia-yang] Ep. 147 Grief & Mother's Day - A Teen's Take [https://www.dougy.org/news-media/podcasts/grief-mothers-day-a-teens-take] Want to learn more about supporting children and teens who are grieving? Sign up for our online courses here: https://classes.dougy.org/ [https://classes.dougy.org/]