
Hosted by Brian D. Smith · EN
"Transform your grief into growth with Brian Smith, an empathetic life coach, certified grief educator, public speaker, and author who has walked the treacherous path of profound loss. Grief 2 Growth unravels the intricacies of life, death, and the spaces in between, offering listeners a new perspective on what it means to be 'Planted. Not Buried.'
Join Brian and his compelling guests—bereaved parents, life coaches, mediums, healers, near death experiencers, and experts in various fields—as they discuss topics like survival guilt, synchronicities, and the scientific evidence supporting the existence of the afterlife. You'll come away with actionable advice, renewed hope, and the comforting knowledge that love and life are eternal.
One of the most powerful ways we know what awaits us and where we came from is Near Death Experiences. Much of Brian's knowledge is derived from extensive study of this phenomenon, along with interviewing dozens of near death experience experiencers.
Brian knows the soul-crushing weight of loss; his journey began with the sudden passing of his fifteen-year-old daughter, Shayna. It's not an odyssey he would have chosen, but it has been an odyssey that has chosen him to guide others.
Grief 2 Growth is a sanctuary for those grieving, those curious about the beyond, and anyone eager to explore the fuller dimensions of life and death. Each episode delves into topics that matter most—how to cope, grow, and connect with loved ones in the afterlife. If you ask: “Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?” this podcast is for you.
This isn't about forgetting your loss or simply 'moving on'; it's about growing in a new direction that honors your loved ones and your spirit. It’s about finding joy and purpose again.
Grief 2 Growth is more than a podcast; it's a community of souls committed to supporting one another through the darkest valleys and highest peaks of human existence. Listen today and start planting seeds for a brighter, more spiritually connected tomorrow."

What happens when the person you've loved since childhood is suddenly gone — and you're left at 29 with three small children and no idea how to be an adult without them?Courtney Pray Duke doesn't answer that question with easy comfort. She answers it with her life. Widowed after her husband Andrew was killed in a cycling accident, Courtney walked through the kind of loss that rewrites everything — and came out the other side not unscathed, but transformed.In this episode, Courtney and Brian explore what grief and faith after losing a spouse actually looks like — not the sanitized version, but the raw, fog-filled, one-step-at-a-time reality. They find real common ground across their different frameworks (Courtney's deep Christian faith and Brian's evidence-based consciousness research) because at the end of the day, they're both after the same thing: hope that holds up.In this episode we cover:Who Andrew was — the childhood friend who became her soulmate and the father of her childrenThe moment the world went black and white — and the long fog that followedHow faith shifted from head knowledge to a true lifeline in the darkest seasonThe jagged, non-linear nature of grief and why there's no "right" timelineSigns and synchronicities that made her feel less alone in the wildernessWhether it's possible — and okay — to love again after losing a spouseRaising children who remember their father and keeping his memory aliveHow her pain became the foundation for her purpose and her new bookAbout Courtney Pray DukeCourtney Pray Duke is an author, speaker, and widow who was widowed at 29 after her husband Andrew was killed in a cycling accident, leaving her with three young children. In the years since, she has built a life and a ministry centered on helping others find hope after devastating loss. Her newly released book, And She Got Up: Shattered by Loss, Restored by Jesus, tells her story with the kind of honesty that only comes from someone who has actually been through the fire.🌐 Website: https://courtneyprayduke.com 📖 And She Got Up — available wherever books are soldVisit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:Guided MeditationsMy book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved onesMini-coursesMini-guidesCheck it out at https://grief2growth.com/store Grief doesn’t follow stages, timelines, or rules.If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing this right?”—you’re not alone.That’s why I created the Grief Check-In. It’s not a test. There are no right or wrong answers. In just a few minutes, you’ll gain clarity, reassurance, and language for what you’re experiencing.👉 Visit grief2growth.com/checkinSupport the show🧑🏿🤝🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education 👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)📰 Get A Free Gift📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call📈 Leave A ReviewThanks so much for your support

Something is coming. And if you've been feeling it — that low hum of there's more to this than we've been told — this episode is going to land differently for you.Rachel Corpus reached out with a message she says she's been receiving her entire life, piece by piece, from the angelic realm. A message about humanity's consciousness awakening, UAP disclosure, and what happens when the veil between the seen and unseen is lifted — all at once, whether we're ready or not.Brian brings his honest skepticism to the table. Rachel brings the transmission. What unfolds is one of the most expansive, challenging, and ultimately hopeful conversations ever on Grief 2 Growth.In this episode, you'll hear:The angelic message Rachel has been holding for decades — and why the time to share it is nowWhat UAP disclosure really means for human consciousness (and why it's bigger than UFOs)The "world government" frequency plan — and why an awakened population can't be controlledWhy Rachel believes the coming shift will empower rather than terrify usThe corruption inside organized religion and how "big God vs. small God" explains everythingWhat Jesus actually said — versus what Paul wrote, what the church kept, and what got edited outHow to turn within first, quiet the mental noise, and access Source directlyThe mind-body-spirit connection and why you are already worthy of healingAbout Rachel Corpus:Rachel Corpus is a channel, medium, teacher, and angel incarnate who has been psychic since childhood. She had her first near-death experience at age four and has spent her life deepening her capacity to serve as a conscious channel — communicating with angels, ascended masters, loved ones on the other side, and high-vibrational extraterrestrial beings. She is a former pastor and host of the Angel Talk podcast. Her new call-in show, Ask the Angel, launches May 18th on the BBS Network.🌐 Website: rachelcorpus.com🎙️ Previous episode: Grief 2 Growth Episode 431What resonated with you from this conversation? Drop a comment and let Brian know — especially if you're sitting with the tension between skepticism and openness. You're not alone there.Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:Guided MeditationsMy book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved onesMini-coursesMini-guidesCheck it out at https://grief2growth.com/store Grief doesn’t follow stages, timelines, or rules.If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing this right?”—you’re not alone.That’s why I created the Grief Check-In. It’s not a test. There are no right or wrong answers. In just a few minutes, you’ll gain clarity, reassurance, and language for what you’re experiencing.👉 Visit grief2growth.com/checkinSupport the show🧑🏿🤝🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education 👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)📰 Get A Free Gift📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call📈 Leave A ReviewThanks so much for your support

What if the people who've spent the most time at the threshold of death have something to teach the rest of us about how to live?Christa McDonald has spent more than 20 years as a hospice nurse, watching thousands of people take their final breaths. What she's witnessed has reshaped everything she believes about death, grief, connection, and the soul. In this conversation, she brings that hard-won wisdom straight to you — and some of it will unsettle you in the best possible way.In this episode, we explore:How Christa's calling found her — from candy striper at 13 to hospice nurse, EMT, and founder of a national bereavement communityWhy she believes the way you live is the way you will die — and what that means for the choices you're making right nowWhat terminal agitation really is, and why the soul has more to do with a difficult death than morphine ever couldThe myth of closure — and why "moving on" may be one of the most harmful things we say to grieving peopleHow to maintain a genuine continuing bond with someone you've lostThe power of presence — Christa's #1 lesson from her book and her careerBroken heart syndrome: what it is, how real it is, and who's most at riskWhat shared death experiences look like from the bedsideHow Christa's stepfather's passing became the catalyst for GLADD — and why she says we need to stop being sad and mad and start being GLADDAbout Christa McDonald:Christa McDonald is a hospice nurse, death doula, soul worker, speaker, and the founder of GLADD (Grieving Loss After Death and Dying) — the world's first international online bereavement community. She is the author of Eight Lessons Dying Has Taught Me and runs a hospice home dedicated to transforming the way we approach death and dying. Her coaching practice, Soul Worker, helps people heal on a soul level — in life and at the end of it.Connect with Christa:Website: ChristaMcDonald.comGLADD Community: GLADDcommunity.comInstagram: @grievewithchristaWhat resonated with you from this conversation? Was it Christa's take on terminal agitation? The idea that how we live shapes how we die? The continuing bond with a loved one who's passed? Drop a comment and let us know — your reflection might be exactly what someone else needs to hear today.Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:Guided MeditationsMy book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved onesMini-coursesMini-guidesCheck it out at https://grief2growth.com/store Grief doesn’t follow stages, timelines, or rules.If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing this right?”—you’re not alone.That’s why I created the Grief Check-In. It’s not a test. There are no right or wrong answers. In just a few minutes, you’ll gain clarity, reassurance, and language for what you’re experiencing.👉 Visit grief2growth.com/checkinSupport the show🧑🏿🤝🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education 👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)📰 Get A Free Gift📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call📈 Leave A ReviewThanks so much for your support

What if death didn't end the conversation?When Dawn Baumann Brunke's husband Bob died suddenly in September 2024, she had 20 years of experience communicating with animals across the veil. But nothing fully prepared her for losing her partner of 33 years. What happened in the eight weeks that followed became her most extraordinary book yet — Talks with Bob: A True Story of Love, Death and Life in the Afterlife.Every morning, Dawn would settle in with her coffee, open her laptop, and keep talking to Bob. And Bob kept answering. What he shared from the other side — about his passing, about what the afterlife actually looks like, about love and expansion and time — is tender, surprising, and deeply hopeful.This episode is especially close to my heart. I work with widows and widowers every day, and the fears they carry are real. Is my loved one okay? Do they still think about me? Will I ever feel close to them again? Dawn's story doesn't just offer comfort — it offers evidence. And I moved her up months in my booking queue the moment I finished this book.In this episode, we explore:What Bob experienced at the moment of his death — and why he didn't sufferThe "bridge" between the living and the dead, and how you can meet your loved one thereWhy your loved ones are still with you, still growing, and haven't forgotten youParallel lives, alternate timelines, and the eternal NOWHow to open yourself to connection — even if you're not a medium or animal communicatorAbout Dawn Baumann Brunke: Dawn Baumann Brunke is an author, animal communicator, and dream enthusiast living in Alaska. She is the author of 10 books exploring consciousness, animal communication, and the nature of reality. Her latest, Talks with Bob, documents eight weeks of daily conversations with her late husband from the afterlife. A second book in the series is coming within weeks of this recording.🔗 Find Dawn's book Talks with Bob wherever books are soldWhat resonated with you from this conversation? Drop a comment and let me know — especially if you've had your own experience of connection with someone you've lost. You're not alone, and your story matters.Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:Guided MeditationsMy book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved onesMini-coursesMini-guidesCheck it out at https://grief2growth.com/store Grief doesn’t follow stages, timelines, or rules.If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing this right?”—you’re not alone.That’s why I created the Grief Check-In. It’s not a test. There are no right or wrong answers. In just a few minutes, you’ll gain clarity, reassurance, and language for what you’re experiencing.👉 Visit grief2growth.com/checkinSupport the show🧑🏿🤝🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education 👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)📰 Get A Free Gift📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call📈 Leave A ReviewThanks so much for your support

Kat Baillie is an International Evidential Psychic Medium | Clinical Hypnotherapist | Sound Healer | Reiki Master | CBT Psychotherapist. Kat experienced a Kundalini awakening after a diving accident. This awakening opened up several abilities. She has left her highly successful corporate career and now focuses on helping others through several healing modalities, including evidential mediumship.In this interview, Kat and I discuss what she has discovered about the power of prayer, affirmations, and gratitude, from a non-religious perspective.ℹ️ https://www.kat-b.com💵 to become a Patron and get exclusive content, find me on Patreon at:https:www.patreon.com/grief2growthfor more information see me at:📚 https://www.grief2growth.comto book a free half hour consultation visit:⏰ https://grief2growth.as.me/30-minute-complimentaryfind me on Facebook at:👍🏾 https://www.facebook.com/grief2growthcommunityVisit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:Guided MeditationsMy book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved onesMini-coursesMini-guidesCheck it out at https://grief2growth.com/store Grief doesn’t follow stages, timelines, or rules.If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing this right?”—you’re not alone.That’s why I created the Grief Check-In. It’s not a test. There are no right or wrong answers. In just a few minutes, you’ll gain clarity, reassurance, and language for what you’re experiencing.👉 Visit grief2growth.com/checkinSupport the show🧑🏿🤝🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education 👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)📰 Get A Free Gift📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call📈 Leave A ReviewThanks so much for your support

Kat and I are friends going back a couple of years. We each have a daughter in spirit. Kat is the affiliate leader of the UK Helping Parents Heal group. Kat had a successful business career before having a Kundalini awakening experience and becoming a professional medium. In addition to mediumship, Kat practices multiple healing modalities.Kat heard my episode on mediumship and wanted to have a conversation about me using the word "imagination" to describe what mediumship is like. In this conversation, we talk about the different types of mediumship, how mediumship works, the limitations of mediumship, and how you can have the best experience when you go for a reading.You can reach Kat at: https://kat-b.com/ She is available for mediumship readings and offers other healing services as well.Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:Guided MeditationsMy book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved onesMini-coursesMini-guidesCheck it out at https://grief2growth.com/store Grief doesn’t follow stages, timelines, or rules.If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing this right?”—you’re not alone.That’s why I created the Grief Check-In. It’s not a test. There are no right or wrong answers. In just a few minutes, you’ll gain clarity, reassurance, and language for what you’re experiencing.👉 Visit grief2growth.com/checkinSupport the show🧑🏿🤝🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education 👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)📰 Get A Free Gift📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call📈 Leave A ReviewThanks so much for your support

What if you could finally have the conversation you never got to finish?John Kammer lost three of his closest friends in just a few years — each loss sudden, each one leaving words unsaid. Out of that grief, and after more than a decade of silence and struggle, John built Guardian A(i)ngels (guardianaingels.ai) — an AI-powered interactive journal designed to help grieving people find language for what they're carrying, work through guilt and unresolved emotion, and move toward healing at their own pace.This isn't a conversation with the dead. It's a conversation with yourself — guided, responsive, and available whenever you need it.In this episode, Brian and John explore what it really means to grieve as a man, why the "hero story" has robbed men of permission to be vulnerable, and how an unexpected conversation with his wife sparked an idea that would change John's life — and the lives of the people he now serves.In this episode:Why men are conditioned to grieve in silence — and what it costs themThe moment John finally had permission to forgive himselfThe difference between closure and resolutionHow Guardian A(i)ngels works as an interactive grief journal (not a digital séance)The four tasks of grief — and why the five stages fall shortThe 10-week Foundations program and how it builds the grief muscle over timeWhy radical transparency is at the heart of everything John doesAbout John Kammer John Kammer is a new father, dedicated husband, and the founder of Guardian A(i)ngels (guardianaingels.ai) — an AI grief journaling platform built from his own experience of losing three close friends. John is passionate about bringing grief out of the shadows, especially for men, and committed to helping people do the work at their own pace, on their own terms.🔗 Guardian A(i)ngels: https://guardianaingels.ai 📧 Contact John: john@guardianaingels.aiWhat resonated with you from this conversation? Drop a comment below — Brian reads them all. And if you know someone who is grieving silently, share this episode with them. It might be exactly what they need.Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:Guided MeditationsMy book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved onesMini-coursesMini-guidesCheck it out at https://grief2growth.com/store Grief doesn’t follow stages, timelines, or rules.If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing this right?”—you’re not alone.That’s why I created the Grief Check-In. It’s not a test. There are no right or wrong answers. In just a few minutes, you’ll gain clarity, reassurance, and language for what you’re experiencing.👉 Visit grief2growth.com/checkinSupport the show🧑🏿🤝🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education 👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)📰 Get A Free Gift📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call📈 Leave A ReviewThanks so much for your support

What if grief could be metabolized — not just managed?Most of us have been told to process grief through talking, reading, and time. And those things help. But what if there's a layer of grief stored in your body that talk therapy simply can't reach? What if the density of your pain is the very thing blocking you from feeling the spiritual connection you're desperate for?That's exactly what today's guest has spent years helping people discover.Kayse Gehret is the founder of Microdosing for Healing, a global community spanning more than 30 countries, and the creator of the first professional microdosing facilitator training program. With nearly three decades in holistic wellness, Kayse has guided thousands of people — including many who have lost children — through psilocybin microdosing practices that go where other healing modalities can't.In this conversation, Kayse shares her own story: how she lost her father at age seven, developed a grand mal seizure disorder in her teens, and how microdosing not only stopped her seizures but opened a spiritual connection she couldn't reach any other way. She also breaks down exactly what microdosing is, who it's for, and how to know if you're ready.In this episode we explore:The difference between microdosing and a full psychedelic journey — and why that distinction matters for people who are fearfulHow psilocybin metabolizes grief stored in the body, releasing layers even years of therapy couldn't touchWhy grief and fear are the two biggest blocks to spiritual connection with our loved onesThe role of community, guides, and intention in making microdosing truly effectiveWhat to expect in the first weeks — from heightened senses to vivid dreams to unexpected signs from those who have passedHow to know if you're emotionally ready — and what to do first if you're notThe sacred 3–5am window and why loved ones so often come through during those hoursConnect with Kayse Gehret:Website: https://www.microdosingforhealing.com Podcast: Search Microdosing for Healing wherever you listenVisit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:Guided MeditationsMy book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved onesMini-coursesMini-guidesCheck it out at https://grief2growth.com/store Grief doesn’t follow stages, timelines, or rules.If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing this right?”—you’re not alone.That’s why I created the Grief Check-In. It’s not a test. There are no right or wrong answers. In just a few minutes, you’ll gain clarity, reassurance, and language for what you’re experiencing.👉 Visit grief2growth.com/checkinSupport the show🧑🏿🤝🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education 👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)📰 Get A Free Gift📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call📈 Leave A ReviewThanks so much for your support

What if grief isn't something to get over — but something to grow through?In this powerful episode, Brian sits down with intuitive healer, ThetaHealing practitioner, and bestselling author Amanda Beth Johnson, who was widowed at just 27 years old when her husband Jeff was killed suddenly in a car accident. Nearly 30 years later, Amanda has transformed that devastating loss into a life of service — helping others navigate the emotional, physical, and spiritual terrain of grief with wisdom that can only come from having lived it.This conversation goes places most grief discussions never reach. Amanda opens up about the premonition dream she'd been having since age 12, the guilt of moving forward after loss, why healing isn't linear but layered, and how energy medicine and ThetaHealing can access what talk therapy sometimes can't touch. If you've been wondering why grief keeps showing up even years after your loss, or whether it's possible to carry your person forward without staying stuck — this episode is for you.In this episode, we cover:Why the five stages of grief are widely misunderstood — and what to expect insteadThe "rock in a jar" model of grief that changed how Amanda thinks about healingWhat ThetaHealing is and why it works at a level that surprises peopleHow to honor your person's memory in healthy versus unhealthy waysThe role of intuition, energy work, and somatic healing in grief recoveryWhy moving forward is not betrayal — and how your person may actually be cheering you onWhat Amanda would tell her 27-year-old self about feeling the feelingsConnect with Amanda:Website: https://amandabethhealing.comAll platforms: https://amandabethhealing.com/linktreeBooks: Search "Amanda Beth Johnson" wherever you buy booksVisit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:Guided MeditationsMy book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved onesMini-coursesMini-guidesCheck it out at https://grief2growth.com/store Grief doesn’t follow stages, timelines, or rules.If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing this right?”—you’re not alone.That’s why I created the Grief Check-In. It’s not a test. There are no right or wrong answers. In just a few minutes, you’ll gain clarity, reassurance, and language for what you’re experiencing.👉 Visit grief2growth.com/checkinSupport the show🧑🏿🤝🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education 👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)📰 Get A Free Gift📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call📈 Leave A ReviewThanks so much for your support

What if the most painful moments of your life were actually part of a plan? And what if the people you've lost are closer than you ever imagined — just three feet away?In this beautiful, wide-ranging conversation, Brian welcomes spiritual messenger and author Fara Gibson for a long-overdue first interview. Fara has been sharing messages from heaven her entire life — without training, without a roadmap, and for years, without telling a single soul. Today she opens up about all of it: how her gifts unfolded, what soul communication really feels like, where heaven actually is, and why even the most devastating losses carry deep spiritual meaning.This one will stay with you.In This Episode:How Fara's mediumistic abilities developed from childhood — and why she kept them secret for yearsWhat soul communication actually feels and looks like from the insideWhere heaven really is (spoiler: it's only 3 feet above your floor)Why losses through suicide, addiction, and accidents are not random — and how soul plans bring meaning to the unthinkableWhy Helping Parents Heal has Fara's whole heart — and what she's observed about grieving dads specificallyThe no-filter bar story that perfectly captures why Fara delivers messages the way she doesWhat your loved ones in spirit most want you to knowAbout Fara Gibson: Fara Gibson is a spiritual messenger, psychic medium, and author of four books including How Do I Live Life When My Child Is in Heaven and Heaven Is Within Us. Her work is rooted in a lifelong connection with spirit, and her no-BS, deeply compassionate style has made her one of the most sought-after mediums in the grief community. She is scheduling approximately 8 months out — and as she says, an honest reading is worth the wait.Connect With Fara: Website: https://faragibson.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FaraGibsonPsychicMediumConnect With Brian: All links: https://pages.grief2growth.com/profile Substack: https://grief2growth.substack.com Free consult: https://grief2growth.as.me/30-minute-consultWhat resonated most with you from this conversation? Drop a comment on the Substack companion article and let Brian know.Visit the Grief 2 Growth store for FREE items as well as other tools to help you along your journey:Guided MeditationsMy book GEMS of Healing (signed copy)My Oracle deck to help you connect with your loved onesMini-coursesMini-guidesCheck it out at https://grief2growth.com/store Grief doesn’t follow stages, timelines, or rules.If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing this right?”—you’re not alone.That’s why I created the Grief Check-In. It’s not a test. There are no right or wrong answers. In just a few minutes, you’ll gain clarity, reassurance, and language for what you’re experiencing.👉 Visit grief2growth.com/checkinSupport the show🧑🏿🤝🧑🏻 Join Facebook Group- Get Support and Education 👛 Subscribe to Grief 2 Growth Premium (bonus episodes)📰 Get A Free Gift📅 Book A Complimentary Discovery Call📈 Leave A ReviewThanks so much for your support