In this heartfelt episode of The Holistic Grief Coach Podcast, Kayleigh speaks with Denise Turner from Windsor, Ontario, a certified Holistic Grief Coach whose experience of loss has shaped both her life and her calling.

Denise talks about her father’s passing from Alzheimer’s in 2017, a moment that marked not only the end of his life but the beginning of her own search for meaning in grief. What started in heartbreak became a six-year journey of learning, reflection, and deep personal healing; from studying thanatology (the study of death, dying, and bereavement) to discovering the role that art, creativity, and self-compassion played in helping her find her way through.

In this conversation, Denise reflects on:

• The “long goodbye” of Alzheimer’s and the haze that follows profound loss

• What she came to understand through studying grief, both academically and personally

• How art, creativity, and shadow work supported her recovery

• The reality of imposter syndrome and why lived experience truly matters

• How completing the Holistic Grief Coach Certification helped her bring everything together into a new sense of purpose

Denise’s story is a reminder that grief doesn’t disappear, it changes. With presence, openness, and compassion, it can become a source of understanding and light.

✨ If you’re grieving, you may find comfort in Denise’s honesty.

✨ If you’re exploring the idea of becoming a grief coach, her journey shows how personal experience can grow into meaningful work.

Learn more about the Holistic Grief Coach Certification:⁠⁠ Holistic Grief Coach Certification January 2026⁠⁠

In this deeply moving episode of The Holistic Grief Coach Podcast, Kayleigh sits down with Rachel — a graduate of the Holistic Grief Coach Certification — to explore her powerful journey through multiple losses, including the deaths of both her parents and her first husband to suicide while pregnant.

Rachel shares how, after years of navigating compounded grief and a career that no longer fulfilled her, she found purpose and healing through grief coaching. Together, Kayleigh and Rachel discuss:

- What it means to transform lived experience into meaningful work

- Why traditional counselling sometimes falls short for grievers

- How holistic tools like breathwork, somatic awareness, and nervous system regulation created real change

- The role of identity, anger, and continuing bonds in the healing process

- The importance of lived experience and self-awareness in becoming a grief coach

Rachel’s story is one of courage, hope, and reclamation — a testament to how we can turn pain into purpose and light the way for others.💙

Connect with Rachel:

Coaching: https://www.instagram.com/afterglowgriefcoaching/

Cards with feeling: https://www.instagram.com/lovelossdiscoballs/

In this very first graduate episode of The Holistic Grief Coach Podcast, I’m joined by Gemma, a certified Holistic Grief Coach, who shares her deeply moving journey through loss, identity shifts, and rediscovering purpose after the deaths of both of her parents.

Gemma opens up about:

• Losing her dad while pregnant and navigating grief during a life-changing transition.
• The devastating impact of losing her mum to cancer and the way it shook her foundations.
• How anticipatory grief, night terrors, and body-based sensations shaped her healing journey.
• The turning point of moving into her parents’ home and finding safety again.
• What drew her to the Holistic Grief Coach Certification and how it has transformed both her life and her sense of purpose.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that grief isn’t something to “get over” — it’s something we learn to live with, grow through, and even find meaning in.

✨ If you’re grieving, you’ll find comfort in Gemma’s honesty.

✨ If you’re curious about becoming a grief coach, you’ll see what’s possible when lived experience meets purpose.

Learn more about the Holistic Grief Coach Certification: ⁠https://good-grief.mykajabi.com/holistic-grief-coach-certification-1⁠

Connect with Gemma: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/gemsguidinglight/⁠

⁠https://sites.google.com/view/gems-guiding-light/home?authuser=0