Grief, Love, And Letting Go with Gina Economopoulos

Death isn’t a topic most of us run toward, yet few conversations feel more human than an honest talk about grief, love, and what it means to be present at the end of life. We sit down with end-of-life doula Gina Economopoulos to explore how loss can open us to deeper compassion, clearer priorities, and a steadier way of living. From the death of her mother to years in a convent, from heartbreak and addiction to long-term sobriety, Gina’s path shows how facing pain can become a calling to serve.

We unpack what a doula actually does for the dying and their families—guiding legacy projects, holding space without fixing, offering comfort rituals, and being the calm voice when fear spikes. Beyond hospice and clinical protocols, this work centers on presence, dignity, and small acts of love. The conversation widens to grief that doesn’t look like funerals: losing health, ending a marriage, closing a business, or aging out of an identity. Nicole shares personal losses and the idea of living as someone’s legacy, while Gina offers grounded practices for feeling feelings without numbing—slow breathing, journaling, and even messy, wordless art.

You’ll hear a refreshing take on the five stages of grief as a non-linear map, how acceptance and gratitude emerge after we stop running, and why “this too shall pass” is a nervous system skill, not a platitude. Gina also shares her memoir, Shake the Dust Off Your Feet and Walk, along with a free chapter and ways to reach her for support. The heart of this episode is simple and strong: you’re not alone, and you don’t have to do grief perfectly for it to heal you.

If the conversation resonates, share it with someone who needs gentleness today, subscribe for more thoughtful stories, and leave a review to help others find the show. What practice will you try this week—breath, journaling, or art?

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Hello there and welcome back to the next episode of Overcome Yourself the Podcast. As you know, my name is Nicole, and I'm very excited to be here today with Gina. Now, Gina is, it's not scary, I promise, an end-of-life doula. And she's gonna be talking to us today about, I don't know, let's find out. So, Gina, please go ahead and introduce yourself. Um, and she's gonna be talking to us about her journey. Um, uh go ahead, like I said, introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about who you are and who you help.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

Well, thanks, Nicole. Uh, it's good to be here and to all your listeners. Yes, my name is Gina Ekonomopoulos, and yes, today I am an end-of-life dueler certified, which means that I am present to the dying. I my service is to help those who transition from this life to the next and to be with their family. Uh, it wasn't something that I thought I would be or do 30 years ago. And uh, and and I'm grateful to God because he put it in my heart this the seed 30 years ago. He did. He actually really put the seed of being present to the dying and helping them, whether it's prayer, whether it's holding their hands, not saying a word, maybe reading to them, what whatever they want as they exit out, you know, whatever the family wants, as you know, as they're you know, during this uh challenging and difficult time for all. I and even the world, because you know, death doesn't nobody talks about it, dying, nobody wants to hear about it, and it's fear there's and which is healthy, there is healthy. So I try to bring a peaceful presence to those that call upon me to be there to give them that peaceful ending, uh transition, like I said, from this life to the next, to to a peaceful place.

Nicole’s Personal Losses And Legacy

Gina’s Mom’s Death And Faith Awakening

SPEAKER_00 2:15

So, yes, and that's beautiful. Um, as someone who's lost two moms, um I know, and you know, the and then I lost my mom, and then my great-grandma raised me, but then she passed away because she was older, then my stepmom passed away, and so death has been a unfortunately present in my whole life. And um, I've had to deal with a lot of those transitions, and so I know that it's um it's a lot. There's just a lot of emotions. There's the joy of having known someone, the fear of losing them, of not, you know, not hearing their voice, of all those things. Um, but also learning to carry on, um, you know, in the in in them and that they carry on in you, right? Like my mom is I am her legacy. And so I carry that I carry her with me. And so learning also the confusion, can I be happy after something like this happened to me? So there's a lot that is involved in in this, not just for the person passing away, but for the people that they leave behind. Um, but before we get into that, can you tell us a little bit about your journey and how you overcame yourself to to become such an important part of so many people's lives?

Convent Years, Exile, And Dark Night

Love, Danny’s Death, And Hitting Bottom

Sobriety, Calling, And Doula Certification

What A Doula Does Beyond Hospice

Grief Beyond Death: Life Transitions

SPEAKER_01 3:37

Uh yes. Uh it started um 33 years ago. Uh, I was at the presence of my mom's death. She was diagnosed with cancer, five months to live, terminally ill, 23 years old. What is death? What is life? Where is she going? And she's leaving me. Those are those thoughts. So I did everything I could and my power to keep her alive. No, I need you. I need you for another 10, 15 job. I need you. And uh, but when she died, which the doctors were correct at this time, and uh I literally died. Uh, I did not have any faith, any hope, no life. There was not a God in my life. I was a practicing, I was raised Catholic. Was I practicing at the time? No, because at 23, who needs God? Who needs Jesus? Who needs the church? And that was my motto. So when this happened in my life with my mom passing, yes, I went back to God. I'm like, yeah, pray for healing. And when he didn't do it, I was very upset with him. I went back to church to find out who this God person is because everyone said my mom's in heaven and that she's with God, uh, because she was a very devout Catholic. And I'm like, who's God? So I went back to my to the Catholic church to search. I went to the church, God, who are you? And then in that, I came to know who God was. I had what we call like a conversion or just like, yeah, I love Jesus, like a moment of clarity. And it's like, I know where heaven is. I, you know, Bob, you're at peace and everything. And in that, I went to join the convent. I became a Catholic nun. I was a Catholic nun for 12 years. And during that time, now having a faith and a hope in God in my life, during that time, I I don't want to say for some reason, God for many people, many people in my life that were dying, called me to bedsides to many people. People I did not know, young, old, whoever they were, could have been a neighbors, friends, you know, they would say, Sister, can you go and pray? And and I and it was a joy. It was like, okay, because they're going to see God. Like, my faith is telling me they're going to a better place. My faith is telling me that they're going to see my mom before I do. You know, this was my faith. You know, I'm like, yeah, and it still is. And so I continue my sister journey, but then of course, that was a journey in itself. I endured a lot of mistreatment and suffering, and and I got kicked out. So I continue my my journey of purpose of life. I'm 42 years old. I didn't, um and I and as a sister, I lived a very austere life, and we did a lot of service. That my heart was full of service, helping people, wherever they may be, the elderly, the dying, the the gangs, and all that, which was a joy. But then when I got kicked out, I was in such a dark place again. And I couldn't, I I questioned myself, I questioned life, I questioned God, saying, God, you you you called me. I was married to you, and now you're divorcing me, you're getting rid of me. Like I couldn't understand. But the sisters in hindsight, and they're dysfunctional, whatever it may be, they had their own issues, and I just wasn't gelling with them. So I go continue my journey, and I said, continue my journey. I had to really learn how to live life again in society because I wore a full full habit. I, like I said, it was an austere life. So I went to live with men and women with disabilities, which they brought me back to life because they just loved me unconditionally. And then after that, I I uh went back to bartending because I was tired of service. And then um, so here my my life keeps going, you know, I was opening up new doors and everything like that. And here I'm bartending, and I meet a guy named Dandy, comes to find out he's an alcoholic, and then in that, uh, about two years later in our relationship, a month before our wedding day, I found him dead from the disease. So another grief, another loss. But at this point, I was not that I didn't believe, but I was I just hated God because of the way my life came up to that point. I was just like, I I was just simply existing. I wanted to die. I wasn't even thinking of being with people who are dying. I was like, I was like, where are people by my deathbed right now? Because I was dying on the inside. I was um so like another journey of pain and suffering that I just kept persevering. And then I ended up, I ended up coming into the rooms of AA, Alcoholics Anonymous. It's for it's a fellowship for men and women with uh problems, drinking problems. I wasn't a problem. Danny was the one who died, but yet once again, curiosity what's going on? What's this? Now I'm in my mid-40s, you know, I really have nothing in life. And um, then I come to find out that I'm an alcoholic. So I have 10 years of sobriety, and now getting back to my question about being an end-of-life doula a few years ago, because that that seed was always planted of being, you know, the passion of whether being by someone's uh bedside or praying for someone, going to funerals, going to wait, you know, just being present because I've been there. I've been there grieving, I've been there, I've been there. Grief is my best friend. And uh, and then um, but then through like about a few years ago, somebody said to me, Do you know you could be an end-of-life doula? I was like, What is that? I never heard of the concept, never heard of it. I was like, You mean you could get paid, you could serve, really make it like a business or a service? I don't like the word business because it's not a business, but like a service to people. And they're like, Yeah. So I went through the proper channels to get certified, which I kind of knew everything. You know, I was very comfortable when they talked about it and everything. So it's been about a few years that I have it on paper, you know, I'm a certified end-of-life dueler. And um uh, and once again, you know, I put out my service out there for those that that would like my service. Not not everybody wants my service because they do have hospice. I'm not part of hospice. It's like an extra means uh of somebody, you know, like I said, maybe being there when they're not there or whatever may be. Or and and I just leave it in God's hands because God puts me at places where I'm supposed to be and helping them to give them that peace or comfort, whatever I can, whatever I can to help them. Because, like I said, my when it came into my heart, I it was when my mom died, and I didn't have any faith, no hope, no love. And it was hell. To me, that's hell on on earth for me. I experienced that now. Fast forward, it's like a joy. It's like, okay, I I know where you're going. They not that you know, they may know, you know, some have their fate, some are devout, some are not devout, whatever it may be. It doesn't matter to me because I know in my heart that they're going to a better place. Because I know in my heart that I look at it saying, Well, God, you have me at this gentleman's bedside, and granted, he may not believe in you, but you have me here for some reason, and I believe in your mercy and love that he's going to a better place, or I'm praying, whatever it may be. So, so that's so that's where I am today to offer my service. And uh whether I'm there present or if I know someone, I just I put myself in a prayer mode and I place myself there, you know, like being an intercessor from earth to heaven or to Havana or whatever you want to call it. But uh, but I do respect everyone's religion, faith, and however, you know, I don't there to change them, or I'm just there to to let them know that you know there's a peaceful place. And then for grief, like you were saying, that's a whole new ball game, you know, when you when you're you when the ones that are left behind that have to go through the first, the first this, the first that. And even then, you know, some of them may not have a faith or anything, but if I whatever I could do to be present, not to say a word. That's the best thing when when when you when I go to a a wake or a funeral, you don't say a word, you give them a hug, and and that's it. There's nothing to say, there's no words. And it and it doesn't matter, you know, it doesn't matter if you lost your mother who was like 95 years old, or you may lost a child. I mean, it's all tragic, it's all grief, and and and and to be honest, grief sucks, but yet, you know, there are people there that help each other out just being present, and and I and God has put me in that kind of role to uh just to be present to those who are dying and their families.

Feeling Feelings Without Numbing

SPEAKER_00 12:50

Yeah. And it's important that we let ourselves experience grief because it's not just necessarily when someone passes, right? Um, we also have to mourn maybe fate pieces of ourselves that are no more, or you know, eras of ourselves where we imagine that we were gonna do, you know, like I was gonna be a rock star, and then you know, you're like, wait a second, that's not gonna happen. And then you have to mourn that, right? And you have to give yourself the space and the time. Um, because you know, grief comes in a lot of can come in a lot of different ways. And so when we lose someone, it's very, it's very in your face. Like that, you know, it's a very strong. But what if, like, you know, when I woke up and I my back was not cooperating and then my legs didn't work? How do you grieve that? Or how do you grieve if you know your business is gone? Um, and so like in knowing grief, do you have any advice for us as we navigate all these different chapters and all these different areas of grief?

Presence, Journaling, Art, And Breath

SPEAKER_01 13:59

And uh you're correct, Nicole, because grief comes in all size shapes and it doesn't discriminate. It doesn't matter who you are, what you are. Doesn't, you know, you could be the richest person, the youngest person, no matter. Ultimately, of course, death is that grief. But yes, throughout, like for myself, I had a grief that I got kicked out of the sisters, you know, my life. You know, some people grieve for marriages. And then, of course, you know, I had a grieve later on that I can't drink anymore. I had to grieve for my who was my best friend. Um, and and the best thing I I've I I have learned, and which it took me a long time to learn this, uh and it had to do through pain and sufferings that it's okay to feel that. It's okay to wake up and say, you know what, I feel like crap. You know, it's okay to to say, hey, I'm angry. I'm angry, I feel it. I am angry. It and and uh and that's what it took me a long time because sometimes we don't want to have those kind of feelings. And and in my situation or as being an alcoholic, that's I would erase those feelings by running to a bottle, you know. But then when I had to put that bottle down and put the uh cork, the plug, the cork in the jug, they say, I had to learn, oh my God, I gotta feel. And I can't go numb it. And it could be alcohol, it could be shopping, it could be, it could be any that too comes in all shapes and sizes. It doesn't mean, you know, a drug or an alcohol, whatever. It could be anything, anything that takes you away. Because I believe that, you know, there are situations that God allows in our life to help us to feel so we can grow. We could, and then also we could identify with other people that may go through it later on. And you and you, I mean, of course, you're not there to solve the person's feelings, you're not there to take away their feelings, because I've learned it is it is really a gift to be able to feel to be human, to be human, you know, and and like, yeah, and and then know that this too shall pass, and and know that I could breathe, and and that's another technique is like, yes, breathe, yes, you can. You you don't have to jump over, you don't have to run this way. You because you know, in any kind of grief, they have those five stages of grief, which it can apply to anything, not only death, then but you don't have you don't have to do things in order, you know. From from my personal experience, just from my personal experience, I have gotten in touch with God in me and I allow him to help me feel, or and sometimes, you know, I realize that, well, you know, he's feeling the same way. He's feeling sad, you know. If those the Christians, if they read the scriptures, you know, Jesus cried. Why not cry? Tears are my best friend, tears are healing. I love crying, no matter what, no matter what you do. But yes, you know, people have losses daily, and we don't realize getting older, the loss, you know, losing your health, like you said, even at a young age or an old age. Oh, I I I can't do I, you know, and and people deal with it differently, you know, they come to accept it. Like do it's like, oh, I'm amazing.

SPEAKER_00 17:29

Think of how many transitions, like when we turn into a teenager, we have to mourn a childhood. Like you, you you you're like, damn, there's no more, there's no more Saturday morning cartoons, there's no more like you know, like like nuggies cut up for me with the sauce, like I gotta go make my own lunch, right? And then in your 20s, you're like, oh, you're mourning your teens, and you're like, oh, I had so much freedom and now I gotta work. And then in your 30s, you were like, Oh, I was so energized and now I'm so tired. In your 40s, you were like, I wasn't tired, now I'm tired, you know, right? And so we we look back and we have to mourn each one of those periods, but then also be able like the the lesson to learn is oh, let me enjoy it while I'm there so I don't look back and say, Oh, I had so much energy and I had so much this and I had so many friends and I had this. What if you were just in that moment and you were enjoying it and you can look back and be like, oh, that was great, right?

SPEAKER_01 18:26

So exactly, and and to me that I'm sorry to interrupt, Nicole, but no, but to me that that is that's like a journey, you know. That's like it's your own per we each I always say we have a personal story, God has a story for each one of us, and it unfolds each day. And if we could learn to be present today and acknowledge our feelings, to acknowledge that pain. Because sometimes, as you know, there are days where out of the blue, a a trigger could come in my heart from a pain that I had 10 years ago. You know, it's like, okay, I'm not there, it's not there anymore, but it's here today. I invite you God into it, or I I feel it. I feel it. What do I do? Maybe go reach out to a friend, maybe go to a for me, maybe go to a meeting or go to to speak at a group or or do something, read something, do journaling, journaling it out. Like this is how I feel today. And then, and then in hindsight, like when you look at when you journal that out, the next day you look back, you're like, Oh, I really feel that way. You know, you because your feelings change constantly. It's all about our life changes, it's all about change, or create art.

SPEAKER_00 19:38

You don't even have to put words to it. You could take out some crayons, yes, or some paint, and then you could even like toss it, throw it, and just have fun and express yourself because that's where art comes from, right? It's those the the the feelings, and so take advantage of that and see. You never know. You might have like a bunch, you know, like when you're feeling good, go buy some canvases, and when you start getting kind of annoyed, you're like, you know what? I'm feeling purple, I'm feeling blue, I'm feeling red. And then you never know, you can make a work of art and sell it for millions of.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

Exactly. You could do anything, anything you want to get those feelings out. And you know what's good for you. You know, some people may some may do this, some may do that, and they're like, well, no, I'll try this and I'll try that. But it, you know, what I keep encouraging is like it's okay. It's it you're okay. You know, it you're you're okay.

SPEAKER_00 20:35

You know, it's okay to reminding yourself because I know me being neurodivergent, I can be time blind. And when you're in it, when you're feeling the feeling in your mind, your mind is lying to you. It's like this is gonna be your life for the rest of eternity. And you have to remind yourself this is gonna pass, this too shall pass, right? Like it it right now, it sucks and it hurts, and it feels terrible, and I want to drown it out, but no, the only way to get it to not come back or not come back as strong is to go through it. And then you get to the other side and you're like, oh, that wasn't so bad. Like, okay, I'm I'm good, I'm healed, I I I amended, and now I can move on. Why did it take me so long to do that?

Memoir, Free Chapter, And Links

SPEAKER_01 21:28

Exactly. I totally agree with you because and that's why, like you said earlier, it could be a joy in doing that. You know what I'm saying? Like you could say, wow, okay, I'm feeling this, it doesn't feel good. I hate it, you know, like uh, but yet, you know, I know, oh, last year I had this feeling and I got through it, so why not why I'm gonna get through it this way? Ah, it's an opportunity to grow, it's an opportunity to heal. Okay, I may need more healing in this area, okay. Go for it. I'm not gonna die from it, you know. I may I may lose the moment of you know, the sadness of not enjoying what, but then at the same time, it's like you get back on the horse, you're like, okay, God, you know, hey, gratitude. I've also learned about gratitude, and and everything I've learned, it it wasn't overnight. So it was like, okay, take it easy on myself. It's not like I jumped into the fire, so to speak. You know, it was just one day at a time. And gratitude. I hated gratitude. I was like, don't talk about gratitude. What am I grateful for? The sisters kicked me out, they don't like me. Danny died, you know. What's my life? How can I be grateful? Aha. You know, now today, but it it wasn't overnight. But today, you know, through gratitude and acceptance, okay, yeah, that it was my life. I can't change what happened. I I can't even change the way I felt. Like, would I the person I am today? I wouldn't have put up that crap 30 years, you know, 20 years ago when I was in the convent. But that wasn't me. So I've learned that every every chapter, every path, everything has brought me to the person I am who I am today. And it continues. It continues. Like, you know, you hear the best version of yourself. This is my best version. This is how my journey came. This is me. This is me today, and tomorrow there'll be be a better me, God willing, because it's it's it's constant growth. And then in that, I can be able to serve, you know, serve others, help others. Maybe someone's having a difficult drink, an addiction, whatever, whatever it may be. That's why I wrote my memoir because it was like a it's a it's all it's like a message of hope and strength to spread it. Maybe I could help at least one person through my story saying, hey, if I could do it, anybody could do it.

SPEAKER_00 23:50

I love that. Tell us a little bit more about your memoir. And you mentioned that you had a free gift um for my audience. So can you tell us a little bit about that while you're mentioning it?

SPEAKER_01 24:00

Yes, I do. Uh, my memoir is Shake the Dust Off Your Feet and Walk. It's about faith, sobriety, self-discovery, and healing. It's my personal journey. It was published last year. You can find it on Amazon. But if you go to my website, there's a free chapter. So you could take the taste in the beginning of what my book is all about. You don't have to buy the book at first, you know, because but you could taste. And then, of course, there's a contact website. I always offer that to anyone. I don't, doesn't matter who you are, what you are, whatever you need, whether it's a prayer or whatever it may be or something, you could always contact me through my website as well. It's ginaecon.com.

SPEAKER_00 24:41

So awesome. Fantastic. Thank you so much. And how can we stay in touch with you on social media?

SPEAKER_01 24:49

I'm on Facebook, Gina Economopoulos. I'm also on Instagram. This is all new to me, even though it's been a year. I'm still practicing. And uh as well as, like I said, my website. You could uh check me out. There are there are more, there's blogs and other more information about my life and my story.

SPEAKER_00 25:10

So amazing. So be sure to look out for Gina um on social and to check out her website. And all those links are going to be available down below in the show notes. And as we're signing off, can you let us know one final tip for the audience um based on what we've talked about today?

SPEAKER_01 25:30

Yes, I always say do not give up, you're not alone, do not be discouraged. And if nobody told you that they love you today, I do.

SPEAKER_00 25:40

Oh, that's sweet. I love it. Thank you so much.

unknown 25:43

Thanks.

SPEAKER_00 25:44

I'll add, and I'm proud of you.

SPEAKER_01 25:46

And I'm proud of you too. Exactly. Thank you so much to all the listeners.

SPEAKER_00 25:53

Yes, and thank you for joining us. This has been an incredible episode. Um, and it does sound a little scary when you're talking about death, but I think that it's also very important um and a very transformational talk. And so I think you did a great job of addressing something that can be kind of heavy, but I think we did it in a loving and you know, um hopeful, joyous way, because it is something we all have to deal with, and it is hard, but it's it's life, right? So thank you for joining us, amen.

SPEAKER_01 26:23

Thank you, thank you, Nicole.

SPEAKER_00 26:25

Thank you guys, have a great afternoon, and we'll catch you on the next episode of Overcome Yourself the Podcast. Bye.