Bereaved But Still Me

About Bereaved But Still Me

"Bereaved But Still Me" is a podcast for the bereaved community that was formerly known as "Heart to Heart with Michael." As we entered Season 5, we decided to rebrand our podcast to make it easier for the bereaved community to find us. "Bereaved But Still Me" is a product of the Hearts Unite the Globe Network of Podcasts. Our Host is Michael Liben, our Producer is Nancy Taylor Jensen, and our Executive Producer is Anna Jaworski. Our monthly program has been designed to empower, educate, and support the bereaved community. New episodes are broadcast every 1st Thursday of the month. For more information about the "Bereaved But Still Me," please check out our website: www.heartsunitetheglobe.org and look at the "Bereaved But Still Me" tab. To support the podcast, use this link: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bereaved-but-still-me--2108929/support

Publisher

Anna Jaworski

Category

health & fitness · health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

26 Jan 2017

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

123 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Internal Family Systems Tools For Grief Healing

   Grief can make you feel foggy, raw, and strangely split between “I know this is real” and “this cannot be real.” We sit down with Dr Audrey Davidheiser, a licensed psychologist whose work took on new meaning after the sudden, unexpected death of her father from a heart attack. She shares what those early weeks were like: the shock, the fear, the responsibility she felt as a firstborn, and the way grief can hijack attention, sleep, and memory. From there, we dig into Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS) and why it can be such a steady framework for the grieving process. Audrey explains the idea of “parts” in plain language and why having different inner voices does not mean you are going crazy. We talk about protector parts that keep us functional by pushing distraction and avoidance, and how those same protectors can unintentionally block healing when grief is never allowed to surface. We also widen the lens on bereavement and loss. Grief can follow the death of a loved one, but it can also come from wildfire losses, divorce, miscarriage, the death of a dream, or losing a pet. The takeaway is practical and gentle: we can face grief in bite-sized pieces, led by a steadier core self that can say, “I’m here with you, you’re not alone." If you want grounded grief support, emotional healing tools, and a compassionate way to understand your inner world, press play, then subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more grieving listeners can find this conversation. To buy Dr. Audrey's book, Grieving Wholeheartedly is available here: https://www.amazon.com/-/zh_TW/Grieving-Wholeheartedly-Bringing-Healing-Every/dp/1514010836 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bereaved-but-still-me--2108929/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bereaved-but-still-me--2108929/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).

2. 

   3 Sept 2026

   Survival, Silence, and the Strength We Inherit

   (00:00:00) Khamla Sayavong's Strength (00:00:22) Welcome And Khamphoy’s Story Setup (00:01:21) Growing Up Under Grandma’s Gaze (00:02:53) Silence As Generational Survival (00:04:43) Flood And The Refugee Journey (00:09:41) How Strength Shaped The Women (00:15:12) Assimilation And Learning Two Worlds (00:17:38) Grief After Grandma’s Death (00:22:24) Creating GLOW And Self-Love (00:25:35) Understanding Happiness (00:28:46) Talking About Pain In Families (00:33:47) Legacy, Gratitude, And Closing A single look from her grandmother could reorganize an entire room and, in many ways, an entire life. We’re joined by Khamphoy Sayavong, who grew up in a family led by extraordinarily strong women where survival, sacrifice, and silence were the default setting. Together, we talk about what “strength” can mean inside immigrant and collectivist families and how generational trauma often shows up not as one dramatic event, but as a lifelong pattern of minimizing emotion, avoiding vulnerability, and pushing through at all costs. Khamphoy shares her refugee story in vivid detail: a monsoon flood in the northern hills of Thailand that washed away their hut, the terrifying moment she clung to a trunk as the water rose, the years spent moving through refugee camps, and finally arriving in the San Francisco Bay Area to start school without English. We explore the whiplash of assimilation, the pressure of cultural expectations, and how a childhood built on adaptability can quietly train you to read everyone else’s needs before your own. Later, grief becomes a turning point. Khamphoy reflects on her grandmother’s death, the unexpected unity it revealed among siblings, and the legacy captured in a simple letter that carried love, resilience, and intent. We also dig into her work-in-progress truth: unlearning a survival habit where happiness is only allowed to last a few minutes before the next goal takes over. That realization feeds into GLOW, Grow To Love Oneself Within, her mission to rebuild self-worth from the inside out through healing, not just achievement. If you’ve ever felt like your family “doesn’t talk about pain,” or that you’re only as safe as your next accomplishment, this conversation will meet you there. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help more listeners find Bereaved But Still Me. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bereaved-but-still-me--2108929/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bereaved-but-still-me--2108929/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).

3. 

   6 Aug 2026

   Across the Road: A Mother's Story of Love, Loss, and Staying Close

   (00:00:00) Welcome And Why These Stories Matter (00:01:38) Welcome And Why These Stories Matter (00:03:17) Growing Up Different (00:05:20) David as an Adult (00:06:29) Birthdays & Keeping His Memory (00:11:17) The Medical Crisis (00:15:07) Congenital vs. Acquired Heart Disease (00:16:08) The Miracle & His Final Night (00:22:29) Family After Loss (00:26:43) Advice for Parents & Closing Thoughts A son who could make you laugh, a heart that worked harder than most, and a mother who still talks to him across the road. We’re joined by Connie Wilhoit, who shares the story of her son David, born with a complex congenital heart defect and raised through multiple surgeries, including the Fontan. Connie brings David to life in the small specifics: a jokester with a huge personality, a gamer who loved to holler across the house, and a legendary “trader” who always had a new deal up his sleeve. We also get honest about the parts families rarely say out loud. How do you explain to a child that he’s different from his friends? How do siblings carry the diagnosis, the school questions, and the strange unfairness of hospital time? And what happens when the twin who shared every birthday has to face that date after loss? Connie speaks plainly about daily grief, memory, and the rituals that keep connection close, from visiting a headstone nearby to noticing a truck in the yard that still feels like him. Then the medical reality hits again: the day David asked for an ambulance for the first time, the terror of a sudden crisis, and the loneliness of hospitalization during COVID restrictions. We talk about adult congenital heart disease care, why many adults born with congenital heart defects still rely on pediatric specialists, and what it means to get “miracle” time at home before everything changes. If you’re searching for bereaved parent support, congenital heart disease stories, or real conversations about child loss and sibling grief, this one holds space with warmth and clarity. If this resonates, subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more grieving families can find these stories. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bereaved-but-still-me--2108929/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bereaved-but-still-me--2108929/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 63 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

95

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

76

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Guest appearances

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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