Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief. 

In this episode, Erin reflects on a moment of panic while driving through fog after her son’s death—an emotional “grief storm” that arrived without warning. We explore how grief can feel unpredictable and intense, and how tools like deep breathing and grounding can help bring us back to center.

Using Dr. Dan Siegel’s “window of tolerance” framework, we look at how grief can leave us feeling overwhelmed or numb—and how to gently return to a place of balance. For parents, we share a creative activity where children illustrate their own “grief weather,” helping them name their feelings and discover what helps them cope.

Grief storms do pass. And with the right support, we can move through them with greater strength and compassion.

Have you had a grief storm? Share your story or leave a review to help others find this conversation.

Order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

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For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief. 

In this episode, we explore spirituality’s complex role in grief—from finding unexpected solace to wrestling with deep doubts.

Erin Nelson shares how scripture became her lifeline after her husband’s death, offering comfort in dark moments. We also address tough questions like “why us?” and the silence that follows prayers.

The episode highlights how faith communities provide vital support, creating spaces for shared grief. Brad reflects on the hopeful shift from “goodbye” to “see you later,” acknowledging the longing for physical presence.

Parents will find helpful advice on supporting children’s spiritual questions—from imaginative beliefs to deeper doubts—with Colleen offering honest, practical language to hold mystery and truth.

Order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

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For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief. 

In this raw, honest conversation about grief and belief, Erin Nelson shares her starkly different spiritual journeys through two devastating losses. After her husband died in a plane crash, her faith deepened as she found comfort in scripture and prayer. Yet when her son Carter died years later in a car accident, she found herself furious with God, questioning everything she'd always believed. 

The team explores why protest is not just normal but necessary in grief—and how that anger can actually be an expression of profound love. They tackle the well-meaning but sometimes harmful "bright-siding" that happens in faith communities and offer permission to question, doubt, and wrestle with spiritual beliefs without shame.

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support.  

Order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief. 

In this episode, Brad, Erin, and Colleen explore how tangible reminders, personal stories, and ongoing emotional bonds play essential roles in both adult and child grief processes. By embracing the fullness of relationships and fostering open conversations about grief, families can find meaningful ways to keep memories alive. 

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support.  

Order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief. 

In this episode, Brad, Colleen, and Erin discuss the unique challenges families face when grieving the loss of a loved one from an accidental overdose. Families navigate the stigma associated with this type of death, as well as the complex emotions of shame, guilt, relief, and rage.

We share how families often experience years of anticipatory grief while living with someone battling addiction, setting boundaries with love, only to question those decisions after death.

Children also have their own regrets and fears, wondering if they could have prevented the death. It's vital to share the honest truth with them because it creates a foundation for trust and healing. 

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support.  

Order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief. 

In this episode, Brad, Colleen, and Erin explore the complexities of grief within a family, offering wisdom on navigating the unique healing journeys of each member.

Losing a loved one disrupts the natural rhythm of family life, often shifting roles and routines. We examine the concept of homeostasis and how families struggle to adjust to this absence. We will learn how tuning into one’s body and addressing personal needs can help restore a sense of stability.

Supporting children through grief brings its own challenges, especially while managing your own sorrow. This episode emphasizes the importance of allowing children to express their emotions and take the lead in their healing process. We offer guidance on recognizing when additional support may be needed and reassure parents that mood fluctuations are a natural part of grief.

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support.  

Order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief. 

In this episode, Erin, Colleen, and Brad discuss how a parent can support their child as they grieve the loss of their sibling. Parents are encouraged to hold honest conversations as their child or children begin to have questions and worries about death. We also guide parents to hold space for their child's emotions and normalize their fears.

This episode encourages parents to keep the memory of the sibling alive through linking objects or bookmaking to alleviate the fear of forgetting them. The importance of intentional time is also emphasized as we share about the value of one-one time with each child after the death.

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support.  

Order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief. 

In this episode, Brad, Colleen, and Erin talk about grieving a child and the many ways a family changes after the death. Partner relationships shift as each person finds their own way to heal. Sibling dynamics change as each child's role in the family is reshaped. Future milestones are grieved as families face the loss of what will never be.

The loss of a child is a loss of a piece of yourself. Today, we discuss the importance of honoring your own grief while embracing the differences in how each family member mourns. We also explore the nuances of grief and mourning, emphasizing the need for expression and companionship during the healing process. 

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support.  

Order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief. 

When your child loses their parent, they often experience a compromised sense of safety. They may wonder if something else bad might happen and even worry about their surviving parent’s health and well being. In this episode we explore how to support your child and help bring security and comfort after the death of their parent. 

We offer insights and resources on how to support your child after the death of their parent with ideas on how to explain death to your child. 

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support.  

Order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief. 

Losing your spouse or partner changes everything. In this episode, Brad, Colleen, and Erin illuminate the often-overlooked changes that come with such a profound loss. 

The loss of a spouse or partner reshapes all aspects of daily life. Today we discuss the disorienting experience of adjusting after someone who lived with you side by side is no longer there. We explain how guilt is a natural companion in the grieving process and how it affects both adults and children. We explore how to acclimate with new responsibilities and routines. We offer strategies for what can help with the physicality of grief and how these feelings impact your body.

We offer insights and resources on how to support your child after the death of their parent with ideas on how to explain death to your child. 

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support.  

Order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief.

This episode explores the newly released book, When Grief Comes Home. We discuss why we wrote the book, how the book can help you in grief and also reveals a little bit about our writing process.

Colleen reveals a LIE she accidentally told on the podcast and we have a little fun talking about the book launch.

Thank you for joining us🤍

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support. 

Order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief.

In this episode, we discuss how each person in a family grieves differently and offer practical wisdom for parents as they balance self-care and the needs of their children.

This episode offers techniques for honoring each person in your family's needs as they mourn. It offers ideas for maintaining consistency and providing sensory safety to help ease your child's worries. We discuss the value of routines, simple comforts, and honest conversations. With methods for deepening parent-child communication using reflective techniques and prompts like "I wonder" and "I hope” we help parents facilitate expression with their child. 

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support. 

Pre-order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief. 

I this episode we explore emotions with complex deaths—guilt, shame, and emotional isolation. These feelings are often magnified when the loss is stigmatized, such as in cases of suicide. We find ways of creating safe spaces for expression and discuss open communication within families. This conversation encourages listeners to honor the magnitude of their loss and acknowledges the conflicting emotions, including relief, that survivors might experience.

We provide practical coping strategies for those affected by grief with trauma, how to find support and find those you can have honest conversations about death by suicide and mental health. Special attention is also given to families affected by homicide and the complex emotions tied to ongoing court procedures. 

For parents, we offer guidance on helping children with grief, advocating for honest communication, and the sharing of information. Join us as we help create a safe environment where both adults and children can express their feelings and find ways to heal.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for support. You can call the National LifeLine at 988 or text HELLO to 741741.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: www.afsp.org

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support.  

Pre-order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief.

This episode supports parents who are making decisions about the funeral. It highlights how to involve your children, ensuring they feel secure and included. The team shares self-care tips, such as maintaining nutrition and hydration, which are often overlooked during stressful times.

We share insights on prioritizing rest, delegating tasks, and creating time for rest. It explores the financial and emotional hurdles you face when you are grieving, face, the importance of seeking community support, and the long-term benefits of grief support for parents and children.

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support.

Order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief.

This episode explores how to take care of yourself while grieving during the holidays. We highlight communication within families and provide tips on how to help children express their mixed emotions of joy and sadness during the holidays. We offer practical suggestions such as asking for help with tasks while finding meaningful ways to remember loved ones.

As the year draws to a close, families in grief face emotional complexities. Some may feel a sense of relief at leaving a painful year behind, while others may struggle with moving forward. We explore various ways to remember loved ones from family ceremonies to new traditions. You will discover how ceremonies like candle lighting can provide a sense of connection and solace.

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support. 

Pre-order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Candle ceremony:
1. We light this candle in your memory. We will never forget the times we laughed or disagreed, the fun times, or the memories we made. We carry you with us, always.

2. We light this candle for the emptiness we feel without you. The pain of missing you reminds us of the depth of our love for you. We wish you were here with us, and we remember you.

3. We light this candle for hope. We remind ourselves that feelings are not forever. When living without you feels like too much, may we trust we will feel hopeful again.

4. We light this candle for love. We remember our love for you and yours for us. May the love you brought to this world shine in us for each other. 

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For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief.

This episode explores how to be present to the emotions of grief and allow our community to support us. As we mourn during the early days, we create space for emotional processing and expression. We discuss how to accept help and the natural tendency to push grief away, emphasizing that it’s never too late to seek healing through personal rituals or community ceremonies.

Parents will learn ways to help their children express overwhelming emotions and discover how they can be pillars of stability as they reflect and mirror their grief processes. This episode is a compassionate guide toward finding long-term support, balancing personal and family needs, and ensuring that mourning can open you to deeper connections and emotional resilience.

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support. 

Pre-order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief.

In this episode, we explore how the holidays can increase the weight of our grief. How can you honor each person's unique way of grieving while communicating about individual needs surrounding the holidays? Practical adjustments, such as minimizing decorations and rethinking gift-giving, are suggested to help families through the holidays.

We discover how parents can model healthy mourning for their children during the holidays and share ways to remember their loved ones.

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support.

Pre-order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief.

This episode explores funerals, the grieving process, and how to allow space for mourning during the funeral planning process. By honoring the unique needs of grievers, we look for meaningful ways to remember your loved one.

This episode shares practical tips and activities for involving children in funerals. We discuss how to prepare your child for what they will see and hear at a funeral and how to help children acknowledge the finality of death. Discover how comfort items, quiet spaces, and personalized elements can provide solace and honor your loved one's unique attributes. 

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support.  

Pre-order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief.

In this episode, we explore grief during the changing seasons of fall and the power of listening to your body in grief. We discuss the necessity of noticing fragility and giving yourself permission to cancel plans at the last minute if needed.

As Halloween and the winter holidays approach, we explore the changes grieving families face. We touch on matching children's enthusiasm during the holidays while expressing how you miss the person who died.

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support. 

Order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for supporting their child who is grieving while caring for their own grief.

What happens when you are faced with the unimaginable loss of a partner or child? In this episode of "When Grief Comes Home," we explore the intense feelings of early grief and discuss the importance of listening to your body's needs. We offer solace and understanding for those in early grief, reassuring them that these physical and emotional responses are a normal part of the healing process.

Join us as we discuss practical ideas for managing visitors and finding what helps you and your children the most during the early days. We offer space for parents to model emotions for children and to find ways to create routines for a sense of stability. By distinguishing between grief and mourning, we look at how expressing sorrow is essential for parents and children as they heal. This episode offers practical advice and compassionate support for grief, ensuring that no one feels alone in their pain.

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and leave us a review. The more stars, reviews, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support. 

Order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org

Welcome to the first episode of the When Grief Comes Home podcast. We're glad you're here. This podcast supports parents who are grieving a spouse, partner, or child while helping their children who are living through the loss of a parent or sibling. With personal grief stories and professional guidance, we offer parents practical tips for parenting while integrating their own grief.  

We are launching this first episode with our host, Brad Quillen, who will be interviewing the founding Executive Director of Jessica's House, Erin Nelson. In this first segment, Erin shares her story of how she first entered the grief world when her husband and mom died when her children were young.  

This first podcast introduces how Erin, Brad, and Colleen first met, how they became colleagues, and how Jessica’s House began. 

Colleen and Erin introduce their new book When Grief Comes Home and talk about how long it takes to bring a book into the world.
Update: In this episode, Erin and Colleen reflect on how a book takes as long to be born into the world as a baby elephant. They mistakenly said that the gestational period for a mama elephant is three years, when it’s actually 18-22 months. They admit that they need to brush up on their animal facts and promise to stay in their lane of grief support. 

Please subscribe to the When Grief Comes Home podcast and kindly leave us a review. The more stars, words, and downloads the show receives, the more parents and families in grief can find support. 

Order the book When Grief Comes Home https://a.co/d/ijaiP5L

Send us a text

For more information on Jessica’s House or for additional resources, please go to jessicashouse.org