How do we choose what to keep after a loved one dies? It's a question that many grievers struggle with. Certified grief coach and founder of The Grief Gallery Charlene Lam has an uncommon answer: Curating and exhibitions. In this grief podcast with a twist, you'll hear stories about the stuff, find out how curated objects can help us stay connected to our loved ones, and learn how the lens of curating can help us to make hard choices and even find beauty after bereavement.
The Grieving Brain and The Belongings: Mary-Frances O'Connor
Grief coach Charlene Lam welcomes Mary-Frances O’Connor, author of The Grieving Brain and The Grieving Body, to the Curating Grief Show. Together, they talk about grieving as a learning process, and how the belongings and physical items can take on new meaning after a major loss. Dr. O’Connor shares two meaningful objects: her father’s pill case and her mother’s wedding dress, transformed.
Learn more about Mary-Frances O'Connor: https://maryfrancesoconnor.org
Learn more about Curating Grief: https://curatinggrief.com
18 Aug 2026
Curator's Note: Using Our Imaginations For Us
A short note from grief coach Charlene Lam, host of the Curating Grief show, about using our imaginations for us as grieving people.
9 May 2026
Mother's Day Grief: 5 Tips from a Grief Coach
Struggling with what to do about Mother's Day when you're grieving? Certified grief coach Charlene Lam shares 5 things to consider when you're figuring how to cope or even celebrate after the loss of your mother or mother figure, whether you've lost her to death, estrangement, or illness.
Find more grief resources https://www.charlenelam.com
Register for the free monthly grief gathering at https://curatinggrief.com/gathering
20 Feb 2026
Dealing With Belongings After a Death: Ask a Professional Organizer and Grief Coach
Struggling with belongings after a death or major loss? In this conversation, a Professional Organizer and Grief Coach share their advice and approaches for helping grieving people with these difficult tasks. Grief Coach Charlene Lam, author of "Curating Grief: A Creative Guide to Choosing What to Keep After a Loved One Dies," speaks with Chaos Counselor Tinka Markham Piper about this tender topic.
More about Tinka Markham Piper, founder of Solve My Space https://solvemyspace.com (https://solvemyspace.com)
More about Curating Grief and the Sorting the Stuff of Life and Loss course https://curatinggrief.com (https://curatinggrief.com/)
13 Jan 2026
New Year Grief and the Dash Between [Rebroadcast]
“I don’t want to move on without them …” Have you ever thought this after losing a loved one? The idea of leaving a loved one behind can be very painful.
In this episode of the Curating Grief podcast, certified grief coach Charlene Lam explores the idea of the "dash between" - that stretch between date of birth and date of death - and how we can carry our loved ones forward with us into the future.
Register for the free monthly gathering of The Grief Gallery: https://www.curatinggrief.com/gathering (https://www.curatinggrief.com/gathering)
Connect on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/curating_grief (https://www.instagram.com/curating_grief)
Learn more about Grief Coaching: https://www.charlenelam.com/ (https://www.charlenelam.com/)
18 Dec 2025
Ask a Grief Coach: Is It Okay to Gift a Loved One’s Belongings During the Holidays?
Is it okay to gift a loved one’s belongings after they’ve died, especially during the holidays?
In this Ask a Grief Coach episode of The Curating Grief Show, author and grief coach Charlene Lam addresses an emotional and sometimes complicated question that many grieving people face: Can you or should you give away a loved one’s belongings as holiday gifts?
There’s no one right answer, but here are five important things to consider.
Have more questions about what to do with the belongings after someone dies? Want practical and emotional support with grief? Visit curatinggrief.com to learn more about the Sorting the Stuff of Life and Loss course from grief coach Charlene Lam.
11 Dec 2025
Missing Our People, Cherishing Their Stuff with Rebecca Feinglos of Grieve Leave
From jewelry to world-class mineral collections, we can have so many decisions to make about what to with the belongings after a loved one dies. What Join grief coach Charlene Lam in conversation with Rebecca Feinglos, founder of Grieve Leave, on this episode of the Curating Grief Show.
Learn more about Grieve Leave: https://www.grieveleave.com (https://www.grieveleave.com/)
Learn more about Curating Grief and the Sorting the Stuff of Life and Loss course: https://curatinggrief.com/ (https://curatinggrief.com)
3 Dec 2025
What We Kept: Stories of the Objects from the Curating Grief Show
"What We Kept: Stories of the Objects from the Curating Grief Show” is a special episode featuring a curated collection of short clips about the meaningful objects people keep after loss, drawn from podcast interviews and conversations with leaders and experts in the grief and end-of-life space.
Hosted by grief coach and author Charlene Lam, this series about stuff on the Curating Grief Show explores how belongings can become vessels for memory and connection, as well as important teachers, for so many grievers.
Find the full conversation with Brennan Wood, executive director of the Dougy Center on their YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtLX0wNqdwQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtLX0wNqdwQ)
Full conversations with Claire Bidwell Smith, Rebecca Feinglos and Alica Forneret to come on episodes of the Curating Grief Show
curatinggrief.com (http://curatinggrief.com/)
14 Feb 2024
"I don't want to leave them behind" How the The Dash Between can help grieving people
“I don’t want to move on without them …” Have you ever thought this after losing a loved one? The idea of leaving a loved one behind can be very painful.
In this episode of the Curating Grief podcast, certified grief coach Charlene Lam explores the idea of the "dash between" - that stretch between date of birth and date of death - and how we can carry our loved ones forward with us into the future.
Register for the free monthly gathering of The Grief Gallery: https://www.charlenelam.com/gathering (https://www.charlenelam.com/gathering)
Connect on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/curating_grief (https://www.instagram.com/curating_grief)
Learn more about Grief Coaching for individual grief support and book your complimentary call: https://www.charlenelam.com/ (https://www.charlenelam.com/)
31 Jan 2024
It's a Hard Time of Year for Me. How About You? (Postcard from Portugal)
The start of the year can be a hard time for many people – how about you? I'm Charlene Lam, certified grief coach and curator of The Grief Gallery. In this episode of the Curating Grief show, I check in with my own grief and I have to admit, “This time of year is hard for me.”
As I walk and talk from the streets of Lisbon, we explore the concept of 'seasons of grief', tying it to significant dates and times of the year that can trigger feelings of loss.
I talk about the loss of my grief colleague Poppy, and how different losses may require different coping skills. I introduce the concept of the 'terroir of my being', where the influence and loss of loved ones shape me as a person, much like soil conditions affect the flavors of wine or beef. I’d love to hear what this season is life for you and your grief.
00:00 Introduction to Seasons of Grief
00:37 Checking in with my own grief: A Postcard from Portugal
02:41 Coping with Grief: The Loss of Poppy
05:07 The Terroir of My Being: A New Perspective on Grief
08:19 Connect with me
Register for the free monthly gathering of The Grief Gallery: https://www.charlenelam.com/gathering (https://www.charlenelam.com/gathering)
Connect on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/curating_grief (https://www.instagram.com/curating_grief)
Learn more about Grief Coaching: https://www.charlenelam.com/ (https://www.charlenelam.com/)
11 Dec 2023
Holiday Grief: How I Cope AND Celebrate
Grief and the Holidays: This time of year can bring up a lot for grieving people. It will be my 11th winter holidays since my mother died. I'm Charlene Lam, certified grief coach and curator of The Grief Gallery. In this episode, I share how I cope with and celebrate during the holidays, despite the disruption to cultural traditions and seasonal rituals.
Register for the free monthly gathering of The Grief Gallery: https://www.charlenelam.com/gathering (https://www.charlenelam.com/gathering)
Connect on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/curating_grief (https://www.instagram.com/curating_grief)
Learn more about Grief Coaching: https://www.charlenelam.com/ (https://www.charlenelam.com/)
1 Aug 2023
Curating Grief - How It Started
Why "curate" grief? What does it mean to "curate" anyway? In this episode, certified grief coach Charlene Lam shares the origin story of The Grief Gallery and why she believes we are ALL curators after a loved one dies. It starts with the soy sauce ...
Links mentioned:
Connect with me on Instagram @Curating_Grief (https://www.instagram.com/curating_grief/)
RSVP for The Grief Gallery's free monthly gathering on Zoom https://charlenelam.com/gathering (https://charlenelam.com/gathering)
Book a complimentary call if you're interested in getting more grief support with 1:1 grief coaching https://charlenelam.com/call (https://charlenelam.com/call)
www.curatinggrief.com (https://www.curatinggrief.com)
Special thanks to Braeden at landline radio (https://www.landlineradio.com/) for the music interludes and audio help!
29 Mar 2023
Trailer: Curating Grief podcast
Welcome to the Curating Grief podcast. How do we choose what to keep after a loved one dies? It's a question that many grievers struggle with. Certified grief coach and founder of The Grief Gallery Charlene Lam has an uncommon answer: Curating and exhibitions.
Learn more at www.charlenelam.com (https://www.charlenelam.com/)
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