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After more than 18 months of silence, The Broken Pack™ podcast is back, and Dr. Angela Dean is sharing everything.

In this return episode, Dr. Angela Dean, psychologist, thanatologist, bereaved sibling, and host of The Broken Pack™, opens up about why she went quiet, what grief looked and felt like from the inside, and what is coming next for this community of surviving siblings and sibling loss survivors.

Where Dr. Dean Has Been: After nearly five years since losing her brother Tony, something shifted in fall 2024. Despite consistently showing up, recording episodes, building community, and training with Dr. Robert Neimeyer at the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition, she found herself unable to continue at that pace. She reflects on the paradox of avoiding her own grief while pursuing advanced training in grief therapy, and why she needed to step away from narrating loss in order to actually live it.

The Personal Losses Behind the Silence: An adult child moving across the globe, shifts in family dynamics, estrangement, and the growing weight of being her parents' only living child, a reality her brother Tony is no longer here to share.

What Brought Her Back: A grief retreat through the Portland Institute reconnected her with her purpose. After recording an episode with Karin McLean, Dr. Dean began noticing signs from Tony, wolves, Pittsburgh references, and childhood memories only he would have known.

Big News for Surviving Siblings: The Broken Pack is expanding to welcome ALL sibling loss survivors, including those who lost siblings in childhood or before birth. The Wild Grief newsletter moves to Substack, and a sibling loss book club is launching.

Upcoming guests: Dr. Christina Zampitella, Nina Rodriguez, Dr. Heidi Horsley, Susan Kellum, Karin McClean, Anne Pinkerton, Earl Dawn Legault, and sibling loss survivor stories from Valerie, Amy, Paige, Amanda, Jayden, Deidra, and many more.

Support the show

If you would like more information or to share your own sibling loss story, please contact Dr. Angela Dean at contact@thebrokenpack.com or go to our website, thebrokenpack.com.

Please like, subscribe, and share!

Please follow us on social media:
Facebook: @BrokenPack
Instagram: @thebrokenpack
TikTok: @the_broken_pack
YouTube: @thebrokenpack

Sign-up for Wild Grief™, our newsletter: https://thebrokenpack.substack.com/

Thank you!
Angela M. Dean, PsyD, FT

Credits:
The Broken Pack™ Podcast is produced by Not Done Here Media

"If Tomorrow Starts Without Me" © ℗ 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
Performed by Fuji Sounds (feat. Joe Mylward)
Written by Joe Mylward and Brian Dean
Licensed for use to The Broken Pack™
Now available on all streaming platforms including Apple Music & Spotify: https://tiny...

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In this episode of The Broken Pack™: Stories of Sibling Loss, Dr. Dean talks with Kate Chertik, a Pittsburgh woman navigating the devastating grief of losing her brother, Larry, to a fatal scooter accident caused by a city pothole. As a surviving sibling, Kate shares her raw emotions, the impact on her family, and how she turned her grief into advocacy for scooter safety. This episode explores the complexities of sibling loss, the importance of support systems for surviving siblings, and the power of turning tragedy into action.

In this episode you will:

• Hear Kate's powerful story of losing her best friend and brother in a tragic scooter accident has led to advocacy for scooter safety and creation of a support group for sibling loss survivors.
• Be inspired by Kate's resilience and unwavering commitment to honoring her brother's memory.

Support the show

If you would like more information or to share your own sibling loss story, please contact me, Dr. Angela Dean, at contact@thebrokenpack.com or go to our website, thebrokenpack.com.

Please like, subscribe, and share!

Please follow us on social media:
Facebook: @BrokenPack
Instagram: @thebrokenpack
TikTok: @the_broken_pack
YouTube: @thebrokenpack

Sign-up for Wild Grief™, our newsletter: https://thebrokenpack.com/newsletter

Thank you!

Angela M. Dean, PsyD, FT

Credits:

The Broken Pack™ Podcast is produced by Not Done Here Media

"If Tomorrow Starts Without Me" © ℗ 2023, 2024
Performed by Fuji Sounds (feat. MYLWD.)
Written by Joe Mylward and Brian Dean
Licensed for use to The Broken Pack™
Now available on all streaming platforms including Apple Music & Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3vx3kk46

Send us a text

On this episode of The Broken Pack™: Stories of Sibling Loss, Dr. Beth Hoffman, a surviving sibling, joins Dr. Dean to discuss the loss of her sister, Emily. Emily was tragically killed in a pedestrian accident. Dr. Hoffman shares how she navigates life as a sibling loss survivor following Emily's sudden death, including her experience in the ICU and honoring Emily's wish to be an organ donor. They discuss the complexities of sibling grief, the importance of normalizing conversations about loss, and the different ways people cope with the death of a sibling. Dr. Hoffman also discusses the challenges of navigating grief in a society that often avoids conversations about death and the importance of recognizing the different ways people experience and process loss.

About Dr. Beth Hoffman
Dr. Hoffman is a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, specializing in the intersection of popular media and health. Her work explores how television, social media, and other platforms can be used for health promotion and education, as well as the spread of health misinformation. She also teaches courses on community health and entertainment media.

More About Emily:
Caring Bridge - https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/emilycrew
Donor Tribute on UNOS - https://unos.org/donor_tributes/emily-hoffman/

Honoring Emily:
Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh's Catio (in Emily's Honor)
Emily Johanna Hoffman Fund - supporting STEM & experiential learning programs, and other Pittsburgh nonprofits .

To learn more about organ and tissue donation and to become a donor, please see:
In the US:
1. Donate Life America: https://donatelife.net
2. United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) - https://unos.org/transplant/facts/
Globally:

Support the show

If you would like more information or to share your own sibling loss story, please contact me, Dr. Angela Dean, at contact@thebrokenpack.com or go to our website, thebrokenpack.com.

Please like, subscribe, and share!

Please follow us on social media:
Facebook: @BrokenPack
Instagram: @thebrokenpack
TikTok: @the_broken_pack
YouTube: @thebrokenpack

Sign-up for Wild Grief™, our newsletter: https://thebrokenpack.com/newsletter

Thank you!

Angela M. Dean, PsyD, FT

Credits:

The Broken Pack™ Podcast is produced by Not Done Here Media

"If Tomorrow Starts Without Me" © ℗ 2023, 2024
Performed by Fuji Sounds (feat. MYLWD.)
Written by Joe Mylward and Brian Dean
Licensed for use to The Broken Pack™
Now available on all streaming platforms including Apple Music & Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3vx3kk46