The Present Moment Project
This podcast, hosted by Jill Bershad — a psychotherapist, EMDR and hypnotherapist, Reiki master, and sound healer — is a heartfelt space for healing, growth, and connection. With a blend of authenticity and compassion, Jill invites listeners to join her in real conversations about resilience, trauma, addiction, and self-discovery. Through shared stories and gentle wisdom, she reminds us that while pain is inevitable, suffering is optional, and that we can all “grow through what we go through.” More than just a podcast, it’s a supportive community built to help listeners rediscover joy, laughter, and their most authentic selves — one present moment at a time.
The Present Moment Project
Ep. 8 - How Do You Keep Living After So Much Loss
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Jill sits with Mary Eckstein, a Holocaust survivor who has lived through war, displacement, the loss of nearly her entire family, the death of her husband after 63 years of marriage, and the loss of her son. Mary speaks plainly about fear, hunger, survival, grief, and what it has meant to keep going without turning away from life.
This is not a conversation about inspiration or silver linings. It is a quiet, honest reflection on resilience as something practical and lived. Mary shares what it was like to be eight years old during the Holocaust, how she rebuilt a life from nothing, why she chose to keep working after loss, and how focusing on the good moments helped her move forward without denying the pain.
They talk about memory, responsibility, grief, aging, and the choice to stay present even when days are hard. A steady, thoughtful conversation about what it means to live fully, one day at a time, after experiencing unimaginable loss.
Contact Jill K. Bershad, LMHC, CAP
- Email: jill@jillbershad.com
- Website: jillbershad.com
- Instagram: @jillkbershad.lmhc
- Facebook: jillkbershad