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Content provided by Erin Leigh Nelson, Colleen Montague LMFT, and Brad Quillen, Erin Leigh Nelson, Colleen Montague LMFT, and Brad Quillen. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Erin Leigh Nelson, Colleen Montague LMFT, and Brad Quillen, Erin Leigh Nelson, Colleen Montague LMFT, and Brad Quillen or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.

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.

A four-year-old finds her dad gone one morning, and that moment reshapes the rest of her life. Audrey joins us to share how childhood loss became a compass—through awkward school projects, the hush that follows “my dad died,” and the everyday pangs that hit when a dashboard light turns on and there’s no one to call. Her story moves from memory and faith to the practical tools—children’s books, art therapy, journaling, and community support—that helped her speak what words couldn’t.
We walk with Audrey through later losses that stirred old alarms and led to a diagnosis of delayed expression PTSD. She opens up about panic attacks, sleepless nights, and the surprising relief she found in body-based practices like progressive muscle relaxation and grounding. Along the way, we talk about post-traumatic growth: how grief work, peer support, and meaning-making transformed pain into purpose, guiding her toward social work and back to Jessica’s House as a volunteer, youth ambassador, and intern.
This episode is a compassionate guide for parents navigating children’s bereavement and for anyone seeking grief support that honors both heart and body. We share language for tough conversations, simple family rituals that keep memories alive—hello, monarch butterflies—and clear, age-appropriate ways to talk about death without sugarcoating. If you’re looking for practical coping skills, faith-informed resilience, and a reminder that “moving forward” doesn’t mean letting go, this conversation is for you.
If this conversation helps, share it with someone who needs it, subscribe for future episodes, and leave a rating and review so others can find the show. For free grief resources or peer support, visit jessicashouse.org, and email topic ideas to [email protected].

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

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Chapters

1. Welcome And Book Context (00:00:00)

2. Meet Audrey And Her Journey (00:01:01)

3. Remembering Dad And Early Memories (00:03:46)

4. Growing Up Without A Father (00:08:45)

5. Handling Questions And School Moments (00:14:16)

6. Support Systems And Faith (00:17:07)

7. Jessica’s House And Coping Skills (00:20:56)

8. Traditions, Triggers, And PTSD (00:27:41)

9. Break And Resource Info (00:33:20)

10. Carrying Dad Forward And Values (00:35:53)

11. Finding Meaning And Career Purpose (00:41:15)

12. Advice For Grieving Kids (00:46:13)

13. Guidance For Grieving Parents (00:49:20)

27 episodes