Katie Cosgrove experienced the death of someone close to her every year between the ages of 15 and 21. The first was her father, who died of brain encephalitis. For the next five years, Katie did what so many teens do - she didn’t talk about her grief. Until she did. Now, she's the founder of Grief is Good and the author of new children's book, "I'll see you in your dreams tonight," which invites children (and adults too) to find ways to make new memories with their person who died. 

"How do I help someone who is grieving?" This is the perennial question when it comes to showing up for people we care about after someone dies. Zack Wheat, a Board Certified Chaplain, knows more than most about what people who are grieving need - and don't need. Professionally, Zack knows about this from his work as a hospital chaplain for an inpatient palliative care team. He also knows about it from his time volunteering as a facilitator in peer grief support groups at Dougy Center. But, long before he was a hospital chaplain or a grief group facilitator, Zack learned about how to be there for others when he was 21 and his friend Leanna died in a car accident. 

In this episode we talk about:

• What it was like for Zack to speak at his friend’s funeral 

• His draw to working as a chaplain 

• The difference between hospital and hospice chaplaincy 

• How the pandemic impacted Zack and his hospital colleagues 

• What people who are grieving need – and don’t need 

• How to be human with other humans who are grieving 

• What keeps people from showing up for others 

• The value of acknowledgment, empathy, and presence 

• What Zack’s learned as a facilitator in a peer grief support group