Grief Is Not A Dirty Word

Grief Is Not A Dirty Word is a weekly podcast that brings honest, real-world conversations about grief, loss, trauma, healing, and mental health into the light. Hosted by Nick Gaylord , the show creates a safe, compassionate space for anyone navigating the complicated emotions that come with losing a parent, partner, child, friend, relationship, or former version of themselves. Originally launched as Our Dead Dads , the podcast has evolved into a broader mission: to normalize grief and break the stigma around talking about it. Nick explores every corner of the grieving experience — from anticipatory grief and sudden loss to complicated family dynamics, unresolved anger, identity shifts, and the invisible pain people carry long after the world assumes they’re “fine.” Each episode features powerful, unfiltered stories from guests who have lived through loss and rebuilt their lives in deeply personal ways. Through conversations cen

Grief Is Not A Dirty Word is a health podcast hosted by Nick Gaylord, with 105 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Nick Gaylord hosts Grief Is Not A Dirty Word, a health show with 105 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #94

  The Grieving Child Everyone Missed: Violent Loss, Trauma and Hope with Susan Snow (Part 1) - Episode 94

  Aug 18, 202653 min

  WHO THIS EPISODE HELPS: Anyone carrying traumatic grief, childhood loss or emotional pain they have learned to hide from the people around them. WHAT LISTENERS WILL GET: A deeper understanding of PTSD, trauma recovery and the difference between appearing strong and genuinely healing after loss. DESCRIPTION: When Susan Snow was 17, her father, LAPD Detective Thomas Williams, was assassinated outside her six-year-old brother’s school. In the confusion that followed, Susan learned how easily a grieving child can become invisible when the adults around them are overwhelmed by their own loss. She joins Nick Gaylord to discuss the traumatic grief, PTSD and emotional masking that shaped her life for years afterward. Susan explains how being praised for her strength helped create a version of herself that appeared fine while she remained trapped in fight-or-flight beneath the surface. Fourteen years later, coverage of the Columbine shooting forced the trauma she had buried back into her life and finally led her to trauma-informed therapy. She and Nick explore why functioning is not the same as healing, how grief and joy can coexist and why grieving children need adults who allow them to find language for their pain. Susan also shares how vulnerability, nervous-system regulation and the right professional support helped her reclaim her life and turn her experience into hope for others. This episode answers: How do I heal from traumatic loss and PTSD? What happens to a child when a parent is murdered? Can grief and trauma cause PTSD years later? Why do I still feel broken even though a therapist said I was fine? How do I stop masking my grief and start healing? Key Takeaways: Children experiencing grief need direct support, honest communication and space to express emotions they may not yet know how to name. Appearing strong and continuing to function do not necessarily mean someone is healing from trauma or loss. Unprocessed trauma can remain beneath the surface for years before a reminder or triggering event brings it back. Finding a trauma-informed therapist who understands the specific type of trauma involved can make an enormous difference. Grief and joy can exist together, and learning to manage PTSD can create real hope even when the past cannot be changed. SUSAN'S LINKS: Susan's websites: https://susansnowspeaks.com/ https://traumatalksbysusansnow.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/traumatalksbysusansnow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susansnowrealtor/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susan_snow1/ Support the show GIVE THE SHOW A 5-STAR RATING ON APPLE PODCASTS! FOLLOW US ON APPLE OR YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM! BOOKMARK OUR WEBSITE: www.griefisnotadirtyword.com FOLLOW OUR DEAD DADS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/griefisnotadirtyword Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefisnotadirtyword TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@griefisnotadirtyword YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmmv6sdmMIys3GDBjiui3kw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-gaylord/

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  Episode #93

  From Traumatic Loss and Suicidal Grief to the Choice to Keep Living with Devin Fish - Episode 93

  Aug 12, 20261h 6m

  WHO THIS EPISODE HELPS: People carrying unresolved grief, traumatic loss, family addiction, shame, suicidal thoughts, or the weight of generational trauma—especially anyone who feels trapped inside a chapter they cannot imagine surviving. WHAT LISTENERS WILL GET: An honest look at how isolation magnifies shame, why asking for help can interrupt a suicidal crisis, and how grief recovery is built through imperfect, repeated choices rather than one dramatic turning point. DESCRIPTION: Army veteran and author Devin Fish joins Nick for an unflinching conversation about unresolved grief, childhood trauma, family addiction, suicidal ideation, and the long road toward healing. Before turning eighteen, Devin moved sixteen times, attended seven schools, and learned to survive instability by withdrawing from the people around him. At nineteen, after his mother Rachel died unexpectedly, he was forced to make the decision to remove her from life support and then returned to military life without truly processing the traumatic loss. Years of loneliness, shame, online exploitation, and repeated blackmail eventually convinced him that his career and future were over—and that suicide might be his only escape. Devin tells Nick how thirty seconds of courage allowed him to admit the truth to a military family life counselor and begin a grief recovery process that unfolded over several difficult years. He also explains how becoming an Army career counselor gave him purpose, how he learned to recognize old destructive patterns, and why healing does not require forgetting the past. Their conversation explores generational trauma, complicated grief, self-forgiveness, faith, and the difference between wanting life to end and desperately needing life to change. Through his book, Answering the Hard Questions, Devin offers listeners a message rooted in lived experience: let this be the end of a chapter, not the end of the book. This episode answers: · How do I cope with unresolved grief and regret after my mother dies? · Why can loneliness, shame, and blackmail lead to suicidal thoughts? · What should I do when I feel like suicide is the only way out? · How do you heal from childhood trauma and addiction in the family? · Can you forgive your parents without excusing the harm they caused? Key Takeaways: · Isolation can turn fear and shame into convincing lies; telling one safe person the truth can interrupt that spiral. · A suicidal crisis may come from desperately needing the current pain or circumstances to end—not from an unchangeable desire to die. · Grief recovery is rarely one clean turning point. It is a turning curve built through support, setbacks, boundaries, and repeated choices. · Understanding the trauma and addiction carried by previous generations can create compassion without erasing accountability or harm. · Sharing an honest survival story can return hope to someone who cannot yet imagine the next chapter of their own life. Guest Resources Answering the Hard Questions — book: https://a.co/d/028ZBmgD Devin Fish on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devin.fish.79/ 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/ DEVIN'S LINKS Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/devin.fish.79/ YouTube — Answering the Hard Questions: https://www.youtube.com/@9d7fish LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-fish-179069386 Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/devin_5054/ EMPOWERED Voices: Recovery to Resiliency A heartfelt podcast series that brings to light the challenges and triumphs of... Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show GIVE THE SHOW A 5-STAR RATING ON APPLE PODCASTS! FOLLOW US ON APPLE OR YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM! BOOKMARK OUR WEBSITE: www.griefisnotadirtyword.com FOLLOW OUR DEAD DADS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/griefisnotadirtyword Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefisnotadirtyword TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@griefisnotadirtyword YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmmv6sdmMIys3GDBjiui3kw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-gaylord/

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  Episode #92

  Finding Hope Through Grief, Trauma and Brain Injury Recovery with Nicholas Ruchlewicz - Episode 92

  Aug 4, 20261h 2m

  WHO THIS EPISODE HELPS: People grieving who they were before a traumatic brain injury, life-changing accident or major loss, along with the families and caregivers supporting them through trauma recovery. WHAT LISTENERS WILL GET: An honest conversation about identity loss, grief, therapy, post-traumatic growth, dark humor and rebuilding a meaningful life when returning to the old version of yourself is no longer possible. DESCRIPTION: After a near-fatal motorcycle crash, Nicholas Ruchlewicz woke up to a life he did not recognize and a brain that no longer worked the way he expected. In this episode of Grief Is Not A Dirty Word, he joins Nick to talk about traumatic brain injury, identity loss and the rarely acknowledged grief of mourning your former self. Nicholas shares why losing his ability to focus and solve problems was more frightening than his physical injuries, and how years of therapy helped him face guilt, anger and the pressure to become who he had been before. He explains the question that shifted his perspective: What gifts did your trauma give you? Their conversation also explores dark humor as a survival tool, the value of peer support and why every person’s grief remains valid without comparison. Nicholas describes becoming “beyond 100%” not because every symptom disappeared, but because his recovery allowed him to stand beside other trauma survivors. This is a candid conversation about healing after trauma, reclaiming your story and realizing that a changed identity is not a lost identity. This episode answers: · How do you grieve the person you were before a traumatic brain injury? · How can a traumatic brain injury change your identity and personality? · Can therapy help with grief and depression after a life-changing accident? · How do you rebuild your life when you cannot return to who you were before? · Why does humor help people cope with trauma, grief and chronic pain? Key Takeaways: · Grief can include mourning your former identity, abilities and imagined future while you are still alive. · Healing does not require erasing what trauma took away or forcing yourself to call the experience a blessing. · Therapy can help uncover the fear, guilt and frustration beneath anger while challenging you to see your story from a different perspective. · Humor can reduce trauma’s power and give survivors a sense of control over experiences they never chose. · Recovery is not always a return to an old baseline; purpose, advocacy and connection can create a life that is different and still deeply meaningful. Connect with Nicholas Ruchlewicz Linktree / complete resource hub: https://linktr.ee/giftofperspective Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/npr_nerd/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NPR_Nerd Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/31vgmhbu654nulf6pcfso4khw6i4 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicholas.ruchlewicz/ Email: giftsinperspective@gmail.com SameYou survivor portrait, “A Gift of Perspective”: https://www.sameyou.org/portrait_nicholas_r Trauma Survivors Network guest feature: https://www.traumasurvivorsnetwork.org/guest-appearance-surviving-the-impact/ Support the show GIVE THE SHOW A 5-STAR RATING ON APPLE PODCASTS! FOLLOW US ON APPLE OR YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM! BOOKMARK OUR WEBSITE: www.griefisnotadirtyword.com FOLLOW OUR DEAD DADS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/griefisnotadirtyword Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefisnotadirtyword TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@griefisnotadirtyword YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmmv6sdmMIys3GDBjiui3kw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-gaylord/

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  Episode #91

  Repairing Trauma, Childhood Grief & Emotional Neglect with Danielle Bernock - Episode 91

  Jul 28, 20261h 17m

  WHO THIS EPISODE HELPS Anyone carrying the lasting effects of childhood emotional neglect, unresolved grief, spiritual trauma, complicated loss, or relationship wounds. This conversation is especially meaningful for people who have spent years believing they needed to earn love, acceptance, or belonging. WHAT LISTENERS WILL GET A deeply honest conversation about grief beyond death, healing childhood trauma, repairing broken relationships, understanding emotional neglect, and discovering that recovery begins by acknowledging what happened instead of pretending it didn't. DESCRIPTION : Some losses leave a headstone. Others quietly shape an entire lifetime without anyone recognizing them as grief. In this episode of Grief Is Not A Dirty Word , Nick sits down with author, speaker, and trauma survivor Danielle Bernock to explore childhood emotional neglect, spiritual trauma, accumulated grief, family loss, and the lifelong process of healing. Danielle shares how losing multiple family members, experiencing rejection inside her church, and growing up believing she had to earn love affected every relationship she would later have. Together, Nick and Danielle discuss why grief is often much bigger than death, why trauma compounds over time, and why repairing our relationship with ourselves often becomes the foundation for healing every other relationship in our lives. This conversation is filled with honesty, compassion, laughter, and hope for anyone learning that their story is not over. THIS EPISODE ANSWERS : What is childhood emotional neglect, and how does it affect adults later in life? How can unresolved childhood trauma influence grief and relationships? What is spiritual trauma, and how can someone begin healing from it? Why do multiple losses seem to become harder instead of easier over time? How do you begin repairing your relationship with yourself after years of emotional pain? KEY TAKEAWAYS : Emotional neglect can leave lifelong wounds even when parents genuinely loved their children. Grief extends far beyond death and often includes the loss of safety, belonging, identity, trust, and connection. Trauma frequently accumulates over time, making later losses feel even heavier than earlier ones. Healing does not require blaming others forever, but it does require honestly acknowledging what happened. Repairing the relationship you have with yourself often becomes the first step toward repairing relationships with others. DANIELLE'S LINKS: WEBSITE: https://www.daniellebernock.com CONTACT: https://www.daniellebernock.com/contact/ COACHING: https://www.daniellebernock.com/coaching/ SPEAKING: https://www.daniellebernock.com/speaking/ TO BUY DANIELLE'S BOOKS: https://www.daniellebernock.com/books/ Support the show GIVE THE SHOW A 5-STAR RATING ON APPLE PODCASTS! FOLLOW US ON APPLE OR YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM! BOOKMARK OUR WEBSITE: www.griefisnotadirtyword.com FOLLOW OUR DEAD DADS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/griefisnotadirtyword Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefisnotadirtyword TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@griefisnotadirtyword YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmmv6sdmMIys3GDBjiui3kw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-gaylord/

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  Episode #89

  Ambiguous Grief, Traumatic Brain Injury and Healing Through Loss with Andrew Davie - Episode 89

  Jul 15, 202657 min

  WHO THIS EPISODE HELPS: Anyone navigating ambiguous loss, identity grief, caregiving, traumatic brain injury recovery, anticipatory grief, major life transitions, or the challenge of rebuilding life after unexpected trauma. WHAT LISTENERS WILL GET: A deeper understanding of ambiguous grief, anticipatory grief, caregiving, resilience, identity loss, post-traumatic growth, and practical insight into finding purpose when life no longer looks the way you expected. DESCRIPTION: Andrew Davie thought he knew exactly where his life was headed until a ruptured brain aneurysm changed everything in an instant. In this powerful conversation, Andrew joins Nick to explore the grief that comes from losing a future, an identity, and a version of yourself that never fully came to exist. Together they discuss traumatic brain injury recovery, ambiguous loss, anticipatory grief, and the emotional challenges of rebuilding life after trauma. Andrew also shares his experience becoming a full-time caregiver after his mother's ALS diagnosis and the lessons he learned while helping her create joy during the final years of her life. Throughout the conversation, Andrew offers profound insights about resilience, uncertainty, purpose, and healing. This episode is a reminder that grief is not limited to death and that growth can emerge even from life's most unexpected losses. This episode answers: What is ambiguous grief and how does it affect identity after trauma? How do you grieve the life you thought you were going to have? What is anticipatory grief and how do caregivers experience it? How can someone find purpose after a traumatic brain injury or major life change? What helps people rebuild their lives after loss, trauma, and uncertainty? Key Takeaways: Grief can stem from the loss of identity, future plans, and life expectations. Ambiguous loss often creates unique challenges because there is no clear ending or resolution. Caregiving can be both emotionally difficult and deeply meaningful. Healing rarely follows a straight line and often requires patience and self-compassion. Purpose and fulfillment can emerge in unexpected ways when people remain open to new possibilities. CHECK OUT ANDREW'S PAGES: FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/adavieauthor INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/adavieauthor TWITTER/X: https://x.com/adavieauthor WEBSITE: https://www.andrew-davie.com Support the show GIVE THE SHOW A 5-STAR RATING ON APPLE PODCASTS! FOLLOW US ON APPLE OR YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM! BOOKMARK OUR WEBSITE: www.griefisnotadirtyword.com FOLLOW OUR DEAD DADS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/griefisnotadirtyword Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griefisnotadirtyword TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@griefisnotadirtyword YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmmv6sdmMIys3GDBjiui3kw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-gaylord/

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