TRUST GBS with Lori Bolander and Lauren Gallagher, Episode 19

In this episode of TRUST GBS, Lori Bolander and Lauren Gallagher speak with Wendy Kessler, grief counselor and founder of Grief Guide Consulting, about what grief really looks like and why it extends far beyond sadness. Drawing on nine years of grief work, including five years as a hospice bereavement counselor, Wendy explains how loss can affect the heart, mind, body, soul, relationships and the way we move through everyday life.

Wendy also explores what happens when grief intersects with family dynamics and estate administration, from guilt and conflict to the pressure of handling paperwork and trustee responsibilities while grieving. She offers a different way of thinking about grief, not as something to “get over,” but as an experience we learn to adapt to as we move forward.

Tune in to the episode to hear about:

 * Wendy Kessler’s distinction between grief as a noun and grieving as a verb and how actively grieving can help us adapt to life after loss

 * Why does the brain choose guilt over helplessness after someone dies and how can guilt become a way of maintaining connection?

 * How anticipatory grief can begin before a death while remaining fundamentally different from the grief that follows the loss itself

 * Why does family conflict intensify after someone dies, especially when grief, old dynamics, money and inheritance collide?

 * Wendy on why possessions can become “linking objects” to someone who died, giving even seemingly ordinary items deep emotional meaning during estate distribution

Learn more about Wendy Kessler:

 * Connect with Wendy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-kessler-msw-ft-70a3a5244/ 

 * Visit Grief Guide Consulting’s website: griefguideconsulting.com 

 * Follow My Grief Guide on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/my.griefguide/ 

 * Find Grief Guide Consulting on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriefGuideConsulting 

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About the TRUST GBS podcast with Lori Bolander and Lauren Gallagher: 

In each episode of TRUST GBS, we'll get together with other professionals and have fun talking about trust and estate matters.

Watch more episodes of TRUST GBS:

 * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LawGBS

Connect and learn more from your hosts, Lori Bolander and Lauren Gallagher:

 * Connect with Lori on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-bolander-a62b97177

 * Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-gallagher-3b213b12

 * Visit Lori and Lauren’s firm’s website: http://www.lawgbs.com