A Place of Yes | A Grief Podcast

Shelby Forsythia is a grief coach, founder of Life After Loss Academy, and author of Of Course I’m Here Right Now—a practical, compassionate guide for anyone who wants to better support someone through grief. After losing her mother unexpectedly at 21, Shelby began searching for language that could make grief feel less isolating and more understood.
In this conversation, Shelby and Heather talk about the three core feelings so many grievers carry: feeling crazy, feeling alone, and fearing life will be like this forever. Shelby shares why the words we use matter more than we think, how common comfort phrases often miss the mark, and what actually helps instead. It’s a thoughtful, deeply useful conversation about validation, presence, and the simple language that can help grieving people feel seen rather than shut down.
Resources & Ways to Connect
Shelby Forsythia Website: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/

Jake’s Help from Heaven Website: http://jakeshelpfromheaven.org/

Jake’s Help from Heaven Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakeshelp

Jake’s Help from Heaven Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakeshelp

APOY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplaceofyespodcast

Heather’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersstraughter

Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aplaceofyespodcast

Timothy Schramm has spent more than 40 years walking alongside families in the immediate aftermath of loss. As a funeral director and national spokesperson, he has helped guide thousands of people through grief—often on the worst day of their lives—while also serving as a state and federal mass fatality responder in times of large-scale tragedy.
In this conversation, Tim shares what decades in funeral service have taught him about grief, human connection, and the quiet responsibility of showing up when it matters most. He explains how funeral directors help families make decisions they may not yet understand, why gathering together is such a critical part of the grieving process, and what it means to treat this work as both a calling and an honor. From deeply personal reflections to extraordinary experiences in disaster response, this is a powerful look at the people who help carry others through unimaginable moments—and why those moments shape us forever.
Resources & Ways to Connect
Tim is a spokesperson for the NFDA. Find out more at nfda.org nfda.organd rememberingalife.com
Jake’s Help from Heaven Website: http://jakeshelpfromheaven.org/

Jake’s Help from Heaven Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakeshelp

Jake’s Help from Heaven Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakeshelp

APOY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplaceofyespodcast

Heather’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersstraughter

Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aplaceofyespodcast

Dr. Darlene “Dr. Dee” Williams has experienced a level of loss most people can’t imagine. Over the course of several years, she lost 14 members of her family—including both parents, her only sibling, and close relatives—all connected to the long-term impact of 9/11. What followed wasn’t just grief, but a complete reshaping of identity, family, and what it means to keep going when so much has been taken.
In this conversation, Dr. Dee shares how she carries that loss while still choosing a life that holds joy. She and Heather talk about grief seasons, why grief isn’t linear, and how the idea of “growing around grief” can shift everything. Dr. Dee explains why joy and happiness are not the same, how guilt can show up when life starts to feel good again, and why community and connection are essential in navigating loss. It’s a conversation about surviving the unimaginable, honoring what’s been lost, and discovering that even after profound grief, joy is still possible.
Resources & Ways to Connect
Dr. Dee Williams Website: https://www.drdarlenewilliams.com/

Email: [email protected]

Jake’s Help from Heaven Website: http://jakeshelpfromheaven.org/

Jake’s Help from Heaven Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakeshelp

Jake’s Help from Heaven Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakeshelp

APOY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplaceofyespodcast

Heather’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersstraughter
Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aplaceofyespodcast

Robert Espinoza has spent his career advocating for dignity in caregiving and long-term care—but his understanding of loss is deeply personal. After losing both of his parents and surviving a near-fatal heart attack at 39, Robert’s perspective on grief, mortality, and what it means to be cared for has been fundamentally transformed.
In this conversation, he shares how those experiences reshaped his purpose and the way he moves through the world today. The discussion explores the contrast between sudden and anticipated loss, the emotional weight of surviving a life-threatening event, and the quiet ways grief shows up in moments of joy. It also expands into a broader, urgent conversation about caregiving, healthcare systems, and why dignity and compassion must be at the center of how we support one another—both personally and as a society.
Resources & Ways to Connect
Subscribe to Robert’s Substack, Care Actually: https://careactually.substack.com

Jake’s Help from Heaven Website: http://jakeshelpfromheaven.org/

Jake’s Help from Heaven Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakeshelp

Jake’s Help from Heaven Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakeshelp

APOY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplaceofyespodcast

Heather’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersstraughter

Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aplaceofyespodcast

Katrina Labate joins Heather to share what it means to lose your only sibling when the loss is sudden, disorienting, and far too soon. Her sister, Maria, was just 30 when she died after a rapid and devastating cancer diagnosis, leaving behind not only a close-knit family, but a future Katrina assumed they would share. In this conversation, Katrina reflects on their childhood together, the adult friendship they were just beginning to step into, and the particular heartbreak of sibling grief, a loss that is often deeply felt and far too rarely named.
Heather and Katrina talk about the milestones that keep grief moving, the emptiness of becoming the only one left to hold certain memories, and the quiet ways loss resurfaces years later. They also explore what it means to keep living fully after profound loss, how joy and grief can sit side by side, and why Maria’s presence is still part of the biggest moments in Katrina’s life. It’s a tender, thoughtful conversation about sisterhood, memory, and carrying love forward after loss.
Resources & Ways to Connect
Our Sweet Maria: A Father’s Story of Love, Loss, and Hope: https://www.amazon.com/Our-Sweet-Maria-Story-Loss/dp/1667878390

A Place of Yes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aplaceofyespodcast/

Heather’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersstraughter/

Jake’s Help from Heaven Website: https://jakeshelpfromheaven.org/

Jake’s Help from Heaven Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakeshelp/

Jake’s Help from Heaven Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakeshelpfromheaven

A Place of Yes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aplaceofyespodcast

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-place-of-yes-a-grief-podcast/id1725899363
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5aYEz4dvQXkux0x320eVFX