
69 Mary-Frances O’Connor | The Grieving Brain
03/18/24 • 53 min
HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.
Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you!
For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.
About this week’s episode
Mary-Frances’s book The Grieving Brain has inspired me from the moment I started reading it. I recommend it to so many of my therapy clients who express a desire to understand grief – I’ve lost count. As a neuroscientist, she shares groundbreaking discoveries about what happens in our brain when we grieve, providing a new paradigm for understanding love, loss, and learning.
So I’m very excited today to be speaking with Mary-Frances, neuroscientist and author of the book The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss, and to find out even more about the science behind grief and all that Mary-Frances and her colleagues have researched in their lab.
I have been excitedly and patiently waiting for today’s episode to find out even more of my favourite topics: grief and trauma and to have Mary-Frances enlighten our brains on those topics in a language that we can all understand.
About this week’s guest
Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Grief, Loss and Social Stress (GLASS) Lab.
Her research focuses on the physiological correlates of emotion, in particular, the wide range of physical and emotional responses during bereavement, including yearning and isolation. She believes that a clinical science approach toward the experience and mechanisms of grieving can improve interventions for prolonged grief disorder, newly included in the revised DSM-5.
- Website: maryfrancesoconnor.org
- Twitter: @doctormfo
- Instagram: @doctormfoconnor
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Mary-Frances’ book: The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Lov
Find support:
Support the show:
- Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month
- Join Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network
- Download the FREE grief resource eBook
- Book a Discovery Call
- Leave a review
Follow on socials:
HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.
Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you!
For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.
About this week’s episode
Mary-Frances’s book The Grieving Brain has inspired me from the moment I started reading it. I recommend it to so many of my therapy clients who express a desire to understand grief – I’ve lost count. As a neuroscientist, she shares groundbreaking discoveries about what happens in our brain when we grieve, providing a new paradigm for understanding love, loss, and learning.
So I’m very excited today to be speaking with Mary-Frances, neuroscientist and author of the book The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss, and to find out even more about the science behind grief and all that Mary-Frances and her colleagues have researched in their lab.
I have been excitedly and patiently waiting for today’s episode to find out even more of my favourite topics: grief and trauma and to have Mary-Frances enlighten our brains on those topics in a language that we can all understand.
About this week’s guest
Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Grief, Loss and Social Stress (GLASS) Lab.
Her research focuses on the physiological correlates of emotion, in particular, the wide range of physical and emotional responses during bereavement, including yearning and isolation. She believes that a clinical science approach toward the experience and mechanisms of grieving can improve interventions for prolonged grief disorder, newly included in the revised DSM-5.
- Website: maryfrancesoconnor.org
- Twitter: @doctormfo
- Instagram: @doctormfoconnor
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Mary-Frances’ book: The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Lov
Find support:
Support the show:
- Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month
- Join Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network
- Download the FREE grief resource eBook
- Book a Discovery Call
- Leave a review
Follow on socials:
Previous Episode

68 Helen Morris | The Beautiful Side of Grief
HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.
Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you!
For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.
About this week’s episode
I first met Helen when I was being a guest on her podcast called The Beautiful Side of Grief and in my opinion, we connected on a deeper level. As you can guess from the title of her podcast, Helen is also fluent in the language of grief and loss. After losing her 18-year-old daughter and only child, Helen has managed to create new meaning in a way that inspired me. Not because of her loss but despite it.
So here we go: For today's episode, we've got two podcast hosts, two bereaved mothers who have made it their lives' mission to bring hope and meaning into life after loss. Not just their own, but also to those people they touch with their messages.
About this week’s guest
Helen Morris hosts a podcast called The Beautiful Side of Grief and is a certified Emotion Code and Body Code practitioner based out of Rotorua, New Zealand. She came across this healing modality after tragically losing her 18-year-old daughter, and only child, in a motor vehicle accident in 2017. Prior to this, she worked in the health sector in Health Intelligence, supporting general practices in Hawke’s Bay with national health initiatives and programs. In March of 2021, Helen launched a podcast called The Beautiful Side of Grief where she interviews guests who have moved through heart-wrenching loss or those who are at the coalface supporting this process. It is diverse, and heart-warming, though most of all it is positive and filled with go-tos for anyone experiencing to use. She is also about to launch an 8-week grief support resource called A Letter of Hope & Aroha.
- Website thebeautifulsideofgrief.com
- YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thebeautifulsideofgrief
- Facebook: facebook.com/thebeautifulsideofgrief
- Instagram: @thebeautifulsideofgrief
Find support:
Support the show:
- Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month
- Join Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network
- Download the FREE grief resource eBook
- Book a Discovery Call
- Leave a review
Follow on socials:
Next Episode

70 Nathalie Himmelrich | Person-centred Grief Support
HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.
Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you!
For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.
About this week’s episode
Today’s episode is a profound journey into the world of person-centred grief and trauma support.
To start you off right: I highly recommend downloading the 33-step guide from my website, a simple guide that will teach you to feel supported or give support while grieving. It contains the wisdom collection from my latest book Bridging the Grief Gap. If you want to find out more about it, check out my website.
Grief and trauma are universal experiences, yet deeply personal. Each journey through them is unique, but one thing remains constant—the need for empathy, understanding, and support. Today, we'll explore the challenges faced by those navigating these tumultuous waters and the people beside them, offering insights and strategies for meaningful support.
The following topics are being discussed:
- Understanding Grief and Trauma
- The Challenges of Navigating Grief and Trauma
- Supporting Yourself Through Grief and Trauma
- The Challenges for Supporters
- Strategies for Effective Support
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- A simple 33-step guide on giving or feeling supported while grieving.
- Episode overview page
- Resources for grievers
- Resources for supporters
Find support:
Support the show:
- Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month
- Join Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network
- Download the FREE grief resource eBook
- Book a Discovery Call
- Leave a review
Follow on socials:
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