If you’ve ever questioned why your grief feels different, episode 394 of the Grief and Happiness podcast is for you. Award-winning author and grief educator Theo Boyd shares the life-shifting losses that shaped her work and the signs that helped her forward. She explains why comparing grief adds to the pain and why sadness is not a disorder. Her story offers a clear, hopeful reminder that healing begins when you honor your own way through loss.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

(01:02) How a tragic farm accident changed Theo’s life overnight

(02:40) Why journaling became her first lifeline through overwhelming grief

(03:55) The moment she realized her notes needed to become a grief book

(04:50) How compounded loss shaped My Grief Is Not Like Yours

(06:10) The story behind her second book Hope All the Way and the signs that inspired it

(09:03) What her national grief study reveals about America’s hidden grief crisis

(11:37) Why society’s discomfort with sadness harms grievers

(12:47) The real meaning of “complicated grief” and why labels can be damaging

(14:22) How early counseling support helped her survive the darkest period

(17:22) How signs and moments of meaning helped her rediscover purpose

Thelizabeth “Theo” Boyd is an award-winning author, speaker, podcast host, and certified grief educator whose work centers on validating the many forms of loss. A former high-school English and creative writing teacher, she turned to journaling after a series of life-altering events, including the accidental death of her mother, the sudden loss of her longtime counselor, the end of her marriage, and later her father’s suicide. These experiences shaped her first book, My Grief Is Not Like Yours, and her upcoming release Hope All the Way, which also incorporates findings from her national study on the state of grief in America.

In her conversation with Emily, Theo reflects on how writing became both an anchor and a purpose after her world collapsed. She explains why grief must be witnessed, why comparisons rarely comfort, and how meaning deepens into purpose only when it serves others. Theo also shares the powerful signs she’s received from her parents, the importance of normalizing sadness instead of pathologizing it, and the urgent need to address the country’s grief crisis. Her perspective offers listeners a grounded, hope-filled reminder that healing grows from honesty, connection, and staying open to moments of grace along the way.

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The Grief and Happiness Alliance

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• You can join the Grief and Happiness Alliance which meets weekly on Sundays by clicking here
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If you’ve ever felt pressured to “push through” grief alone, episode 392 of the Grief and Happiness Podcast is a must-listen. Evermore founder Joyal Mulheron shares what she learned after losing her daughter—how bereavement can quietly damage a person’s health, stability, and future, and how our systems often worsen the pain. Drawing on years of policy work and real stories from grieving families, she reveals what truly helps people begin to recover. Her insights will change how you understand loss and how you support others through it.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

(01:03) Joyal’s story and the loss that changed her mission

(02:10) Leaving policy work to build Evermore

(04:19) What national tragedies revealed about America’s grief gap

(06:02) What six years of listening taught her about bereavement

(07:45) The real health and economic costs of grief

(09:57) Why people pull away—and how to truly support a griever

(11:54) Emily’s turning point: the power of saying yes

(17:30) Why community witnessing matters

(18:47) The harm of common grief clichés

(21:37) How workplaces often get grief wrong

(23:12) How loss reshapes relationships

(29:31) Reconnecting with long-lost friends during grief

(33:14) Finding meaning—and why systemic change is urgent

Joyal Mulheron is the founder and executive director of Evermore, a national nonprofit working to improve how society supports bereaved people. After a policy career advising governors, federal agencies, and the White House on science-based public health strategy, the death of her daughter redirected her work toward understanding the real impact of loss. Since then, she has become a leading advocate for reform, helping secure paid bereavement leave for U.S. Armed Forces and creating the country’s first community bereavement response guide. Her mission bridges science, policy, and community action to build more compassionate and effective systems for those experiencing grief.

In the episode, Joyal explains how personal tragedy revealed the deep health, social, and economic effects of bereavement—and how current systems consistently fall short. Drawing on years of research and conversations with families nationwide, she emphasizes that bereavement is a life-altering event that requires more than emotional support. She shares how Evermore pushes for stronger national policies, better community responses, and evidence-based tools that help people “weather” loss rather than face it alone. Her insights highlight the urgent need for more humane, prepared, and responsive structures for grieving individuals.

Connect with Joyal Mulheron:

Evermore Website

Evermore Instagram

LinkedIn

Instagram

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