In this episode of Tell Me Everything, host Danielle Moss welcomes grief specialist Barri Leiner Grant for an open conversation about grief, loss, and the importance of community support, just weeks after Danielle lost her rescue dog of 17 years. Drawing from her personal experience of losing her mother, and her professional journey as a certified grief coach, Barri shares insights into how grief manifests differently for each of us, the complexities surrounding both death and non-death losses, and ways to build meaningful rituals of remembrance.

Throughout the discussion, Danielle and Barri explore their personal stories and offer offer practical advice on supporting others through grief, honoring loved ones, and tuning into what one needs while navigating loss. The episode delivers comfort, wisdom, and actionable tools for anyone going through difficult times—and for those seeking to show up for grieving friends.

Key Topics Discussed

• How Barri became a grief specialist after losing her mother, and the impact of societal messages about grief.
• Grieving as a Full-Body Experience: The physical and emotional responses to grief, including exhaustion, tears, and altered daily routines.
• Death Loss vs. Non-Death Loss: Understanding the different types of grief, including bereavement from death, anticipatory grief, divorce, illness, and the recent “grief pandemic” during COVID.
• Pet Loss and Its Validation: The disenfranchised nature of grieving a pet, societal minimization, and the importance of rituals (such as “ashes day”) to honor animal companions.
• Rituals of Remembrance: Creating personalized rituals to remember loved ones and pets—framing photos, wearing meaningful jewelry, telling stories, and annual traditions.
• Supporting Children Through Grief: Modeling healthy grieving for kids, allowing them to see sadness and emotion, and integrating conversations about loss.
• The Workplace and Grief: Challenges in workplace bereavement policies, advocating for best practices, and how to support colleagues after a loss.
• Communicating with the Bereaved: Helpful ways to reach out, what to say (and what not to say), the power of sharing stories and using the names of those lost, and the value of simple gestures like texts and handwritten notes.
• Grief’s Nonlinearity and Individuality: Accepting that grief is messy, not linear or “tidy,” and allowing oneself and others to experience it in their own way.
• Self-Care During Grief: Concrete strategies for tending to your own wellbeing, such as movement, music, yoga, asking for help, tuning into bodily sensations, and practices for soothing the nervous system.
• Continuing Bonds and Meaning Making: Staying connected to lost loved ones through traditions, objects, and intentional memories—plus the role of signs, synchronicities, and spirituality.
• Grief as a “Superpower” and Companion: Reframing grief’s ongoing presence in life and how it shapes personal growth, compassion, and connectedness.

--

Links for this episode:

Follow Barri Leiner Grant:

The Memory Circle

https://thememorycircle.com/about

Barri's Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/thememorycircle/?hl=en

Danielle's Dog Tag Necklace

https://bit.ly/3Ym7YHu

Photo Album

https://go.shopmy.us/p-37248893

Follow Danielle Moss:

Website - https://www.danielle-moss.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/daniellemoss_/

Substack - https://daniellemoss.substack.com/