About Hope after Loss... Gentle conversations for grieving hearts
Welcome to Hope After Loss: Gentle Conversations for Grieving Hearts.
If you've found your way here because you've lost someone you love, you're not alone and I'm really glad that you are here.
I'm Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., a licensed professional clinical counselor, author and fellow traveler through grief. Through personal stories, professional insight and compassionate conversations, this podcast offers hope, practical guidance and encouragement for anyone navigating the pain of loss.
This podcast is lovingly dedicated to my beloved son, Chris, whose life, love and memory continue to inspire my work and my commitment to bringing hope to others.
Whether your loss is recent or many years ago, my hope is that each episode reminds you that healing is possible, love never truly leaves us and hope can be found even in life's deepest sorrow.
Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and inspirational purposed only and is not a substitute for professional counseling, diagnosis or treatment. Listening to these podcasts does not establish a therapist-client relationship. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or need immedidate help, please contact a qualified mental health professional or your local emergency services.
The Empty Leash: Grieving the Loss of a Beloved Pet
An empty leash. A quiet house. A favorite spot on the couch that suddenly feels too still. Losing a beloved pet can leave a deep ache in our hearts and in the everyday routines we once shared. In Episode 16 of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., offers a compassionate message for anyone grieving an animal who was part of the family. Marilyn explores the loneliness of pet loss, grief that begins before the goodbye, and the guilt that can follow difficult end-of-life decisions. She ...
26 Sept 2026
Is it Okay to Be Happy Again? Finding Joy Without Leaving Love Behind
Can we experience happiness after losing someone we love without feeling that we're leaving them behind? In this episode of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., explores the guilt that sometimes accompanies laughter, pleasure, and moments of happiness after a death. Drawing on her personal experience and professional perspective as a licensed counselor, Marilyn reflects on the enduring nature of love and how our relationships continue to shape our lives even after physical loss. Fr...
12 Sept 2026
What Do I Do With All This Love? Finding a Place for Love After Someone Dies
What happens to all the love we still carry when someone we love is no longer here? When someone dies, the relationship changes—but the love doesn't simply disappear. We may still reach for the phone, think of something we want to tell them, hear a song that brings them close, or find ourselves wondering where all that love is supposed to go. In this episode of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., explores the idea of continuing our bond with someone after death. Through memories...
31 Aug 2026
When Grief Is Filled with Guilt and Regret: Learning to Forgive Yourself After Loss
What if the hardest person to forgive after a loss is yourself? Guilt and regret can begin long before someone dies. When someone we love it ill, we may feel exhausted, impatient, frightened, or even wish for a break--and then feel guilty for having those feelings at all. After a death, those feelings can become even more powerful. We replay conversations, decisions, things we said, and things we wish we had said. The mind becomes filled with if onlys: If only I had known.&n...
16 Aug 2026
When Everyone Else Has Moved On: Grieving Long After the Funeral
What happens when the funeral is over, the phone stops ringing, and everyone else seems to have returned to their lives—but you're still grieving? Grief doesn't follow a timetable. Whether it has been one year, five years, or twenty years since the death of someone you love, unexpected waves of sadness, memories, anniversaries, songs, and even ordinary moments can bring grief rushing back. In this episode of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., explores what it means to grieve long...
3 Aug 2026
When Grief Becomes Your Greatest Teacher: How Loss Changes Your Life Forever
Episode 11: When Grief Becomes Your Greatest Teacher: How Loss Changes Your Life Forever Grief changes us in ways we never expect. While none of us would choose the pain of losing someone we love, our losses can become some of life's greatest teachers. In this episode, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., reflects on the unexpected lessons grief can bring—including deeper compassion, greater resilience, renewed purpose, and a fresh perspective on what truly matters. Drawing on nearly five decades a...
19 Jul 2026
Helping Children Grieve: What Every Adult Should Know
Children experience grief differently than adults, yet their pain is just as real. As a licensed professional clinical counselor for nearly five decades, I've had the privilege of walking alongside grieving children and their families. In this episode, I share what I've learned about how children process loss, the questions they often carry in their hearts, and how the caring adults in their lives can offer comfort, honesty, and hope. We'll talk about common misconceptions about children's ...
5 Jul 2026
Can Dreams Bring Hope? My Journey
Can Dreams Bring Hope? My Journey Can dreams bring comfort after the loss of someone we love? In this deeply personal episode, I share a dream that forever changed my understanding of grief—and ultimately led me to write my book, Lost No More. I explore how dreams can become a source of hope, healing, and connection during our darkest seasons. Whether you believe dreams are spiritual experiences, messages from our subconscious, or simply part of the grieving process, my hope is that this conv...
21 Jun 2026
Moving Forward Without Moving On: Learning to Coexist with Grief
How do we move forward after losing someone we love without feeling like we're leaving them behind? In this episode of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., explores one of the most common fears grieving people face: the belief that healing means forgetting. The truth is, grief isn't something we "get over." Instead, we learn how to carry our loss alongside our love, memories, and hopes for the future. Marilyn shares insights from both her personal journey as a bereaved mother and h...
7 Jun 2026
Episode 7 Signs From Our Loved Ones: Coincidence, Comfort, or Connection?
Signs From Our Loved Ones: Coincidence, Comfort, or Connection? After a significant loss, many people report experiences that leave them wondering whether their loved one is still near. In this episode, Marilyn Burns explores the common signs people describe after loss, including dreams, meaningful coincidences, familiar scents, songs, animals, and moments of unexpected peace. Through personal stories and professional insight, Marilyn offers a compassionate conversation about connection, hope...
23 May 2026
Faith After Loss Finding Strength in Something Greater Than Your Pain
Episode 6: Faith After Loss: Finding Strength in Something Greater Than Your Pain Grief has a way of shaking not only our hearts, but our beliefs. In this episode of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., explores what happens when loss leaves us questioning faith, meaning, and the very things that once grounded us. Whether your comfort comes through God, prayer, spiritual connection, nature, the universe, or simply the hope that something greater exists beyond your pain, this conver...
15 May 2026
Who Am I Now? Identity After Loss
Grief doesn't just change our lives--it can change our sense of self. In this episode of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns M.S., L.P.C.C. explores the deep sense of identity loss that often follows grief. When we lose someone we love, we don’t just lose the person — we also lose the parts of self connected to them, the roles we carried, and the life we once knew. Through compassionate reflection and emotional insight, Marilyn discusses the importance of embracing the changes happening with...
26 Apr 2026
Finding Your Way Through the Darkness of Grief
Grief can feel like darkness—quiet, heavy, and hard to move through. In this episode, Marilyn gently explores what it means to live in that darkness, and how we begin, slowly and softly, to find our way again. When we are grieving, it’s common to feel lost, disconnected, and unsure of who we are or how to move forward. This isn’t weakness—it’s the mind and body trying to cope with something overwhelming. Through both personal experience and professional insight, Marilyn offers a compassionate...
12 Apr 2026
Living in the Space Between Hope and Fear
There is a kind of grief that begins long before loss. In this episode, Marilyn shares the emotional reality of loving someone who is struggling, and what it feels like to live in the space between hope and fear. This is the space where you find yourself waiting… waiting for the phone to ring… waiting for things to change… and carrying a quiet fear that never fully goes away. Through her personal experience as a mother and her professional understanding of grief, Marilyn gen...
29 Mar 2026
Grief and the Emotional Brain
Grief is not just an emotional experience—it is also neurological. In this episode of Hope After Loss, Marilyn Burns, M.S., L.P.C.C., explores how the emotional brain responds to grief and loss, and why so many people experience overwhelming thoughts, anxiety, and emotional distress during the grieving process. This episode gently explains: – Why your thoughts may feel out of control after loss – How the emotional brain processes grief – The connection between grief, anxiety, and ...
22 Mar 2026
When Grief begins Before Loss
Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional counseling, diagnosis, or treatment. Listening to this podcast does not establish a therapist-client relationship. If you are in need of support, please seek help from a licensed professional in your area. In this first episode of Hope After Loss: Conversations on Grief, Marilyn Burns shares a deeply personal and honest reflection on how grief often begins long b...
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