Episode 66: The Invisible Struggles: Addressing Mental Health and Grief Literacy with Mandy Capehart

Discover the unexpected truth about grief literacy and its impact on your mental and physical health. You won't believe the valuable resources available, including a free grief coaching group, sliding scale coaching, and a weekly podcast dedicated to navigating grief. 

Dive into the surprising insights from Mandy Capehart, a trauma-informed grief educator and certified life coach, who is transforming the way we understand and address grief. Don't miss out on this eye-opening conversation that could change the way you approach your own grief journey.

In this episode, we discuss

• Why grief literacy is crucial for emotional well-being.
• Explore effective ways to navigate mental health challenges during grief.
• Learn about the impact of loss on physical health and well-being.
• Discover strategies for managing grief and fostering personal growth.
• Access valuable resources for affordable and accessible grief support.

My special guest is Mandy Capehart

Mandy Capehart, a trauma-informed and certified grief educator, as well as a trauma professional, somatic embodiment life coach, author, and speaker, is based in the Pacific Northwest. She is the founder of the Restorative Grief Project, an online community that offers support and movement for individuals dealing with grief. 

Her extensive experience and expertise have culminated in the release of her memoir and 31-day guidebook, "Restorative: Embracing Our Losses Without Losing Ourselves," in 2021. Through her work, Mandy emphasizes the importance of grief literacy both before and after experiencing loss, highlighting the intrinsic link between life and grief, and aims to provide valuable resources and empathetic support to those navigating the challenges of grief.

Grief literacy is necessary because grief is not limited to death. Grief is not just about losing a loved one, it's about loss in many different forms. It's about loss of joy, loss of freedom, loss of personal space. It's about creating space for people to be human. - Mandy Capehart

The key moments in this episode are:

00:01:12 - Importance of Grief Literacy 

00:02:42 - Mandy's Personal Journey 

00:07:39 - Disenfranchised Grief and Minimization 

00:13:47 - Acknowledging the Elephant in the Room 

00:14:31 - The Window of Tolerance 

00:15:57 - Dysregulation and its Effects 

00:18:59 - The Importance of Pausing and Validation 

00:21:58 - Coping with Feeling Stuck 

00:25:09 - Grief Literacy and Creating Psychological Safety 

00:28:12 - Understanding Grief Work 

00:29:36 - Understanding Triggers and Compassion 

00:31:33 - Empathy and Understanding 

00:34:00 - Internal Dialogue and Self-Compassion 

00:36:04 - Accessing Grief Resources 

Resources:

Restorative Grief Coaching with Mandy Capehart

Restorative Grief: Embracing our losses without losing ourselves by Mandy Capehart

Restorative Grief Podcast with Many Capehart