Understanding Loss, Love and Life that Continues with Grief Australia CEO Christopher Hall

Grief is something every one of us will experience, yet many of us feel completely unprepared when it arrives.

In this episode of Rest Easy Knowing, Fiona speaks with Christopher Hall, Chief Executive Officer of Grief Australia, psychologist and one of Australia's leading voices in grief and bereavement education.

Christopher has spent almost three decades helping Australians better understand grief. Together, they explore why grief is so misunderstood, why there is no universal roadmap through loss, and how simply being present can be far more meaningful than finding the perfect words.

This is a thoughtful conversation about grief, love, memory and the ways we continue our relationship with someone after they die.

In this episode

• Why our society still struggles to talk openly about grief.
• Why fear of saying the wrong thing often leads people to withdraw instead of reaching out.
• What genuinely helps someone who is grieving — and why listening matters more than fixing.
• Why saying "I don't know what to say" can sometimes be more compassionate than offering clichés.
• The truth about the so-called five stages of grief and why they were never designed as a model for bereavement.
• Why grief is deeply individual and can involve thoughts, identity, physical experiences and emotions — not just sadness.
• How grief can resurface years later through anniversaries, places, smells and everyday experiences.
• Why grief doesn't end a relationship; instead, our relationship with the person who died changes over time.
• Whether grief can lead to growth, wisdom and changes in how we see the world.
• How rituals, letters and imagined conversations can help when someone never had the opportunity to say goodbye.
• The differences between grief and depression, and how they can sometimes coexist.
• When it may be helpful to seek additional grief support.
• Supporting children through bereavement with honesty, age-appropriate language and informed choice.
• Why euphemisms such as "they slipped away" or "they're in a better place" can unintentionally close down meaningful conversations.
• Talking honestly and respectfully about deaths by suicide.
• Supporting colleagues, friends and family members from different cultural backgrounds, including understanding the importance of curiosity rather than assumption.
• What happens when someone contacts Grief Australia for bereavement support.

A conversation about grief, not getting over it

One of the most powerful ideas Christopher shares is that grief is not about saying goodbye and letting go. 

While death ends a life, it does not necessarily end our relationship with the person who died. We continue to carry them through memories, conversations in our minds, family traditions and the legacy they leave behind.

For many people, grief is not something to complete. It is something we gradually learn to live alongside.

The practical takeaway

If someone you care about is grieving:

• Turn up.
• Listen more than you speak.
• Don't worry about finding perfect words.
• Acknowledge that you may not know what to say.
• Share memories of the person who died if appropriate.
• Remember that grief often continues long after the funeral.
• Check in again weeks, months and years later.

And if you're grieving yourself, Christopher reminds us that there is no correct timeline, no universal sequence of emotions and no single way that grief should look.

Your experience is your own.

About Christopher Hall

Christopher Hall is the Chief Executive Officer of Grief Australia, a psychologist specialising in grief and bereavement, and a leading educator in the field of grief literacy.

Across his career he has trained thousands of health professionals, contributed to grief research and education, and continues to advocate for a more compassionate and grief-literate Australian community.

About Grief Australia

Grief Australia provides education, resources, counselling and bereavement support to help individuals, families, communities and organisations better understand and respond to grief.

For information, resources and support, visit: Grief Australia https://www.grief.org.au/

Please note

This episode discusses death, bereavement, suicide and grief. Please listen with care if these topics are particularly sensitive for you.

The conversation provides general information and education about grief and bereavement. It is not intended as a substitute for individual psychological or medical advice.

If you would like to learn more about grief support and available resources, visit Grief Australia. 

Rest Easy Knowing

Rest Easy Knowing is a podcast about death, dying and the practical conversations that help us live, and prepare for end-of-life. 

Recorded at the Emerald Hill Heritage Centre on the traditional lands of the Boonwurrung People of the Kulin Nation. Fiona pays respect to Elders past and present and to any First Nations people listening.

Music by Sapiros.