When someone you know dies suddenly, everything changes in an instant. The world you once knew can feel unfamiliar and unsafe, and finding your way back to even the smallest sense of stability can feel impossible.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Jennifer Levin, therapist, educator, podcast host, and author of The Traumatic Loss Workbook: Powerful Skills for Navigating the Grief Caused by a Sudden or Unexpected Death. Jennifer specializes in supporting people grieving sudden or unexpected deaths that can completely upend how we see the world and shift our sense of safety.

We discuss:

The differences and overlap between the terms: sudden, unexpected, and traumatic
How grief affects the body, mind, and nervous system
What it means when the “assumptive world” - our sense of how life should work - is shattered
Ways to support yourself when sensory memories of the death are overwhelming
How schools and workplaces can better prepare and respond when a community member dies

About the Guest: Dr. Jennifer Levin is a grief therapist, educator, and host of the Untethered podcast. She’s the founder of Traumatic Grief Solutions and the creator of The Traumatic Loss Online Companion Course. Her new book, The Traumatic Loss Workbook, is available now from New Harbinger Publications.

Resources Mentioned:

The Traumatic Loss Workbook by Dr. Jennifer Levin
The Grieving Brain by Mary-Frances O’Connor
I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye by Brook Noel, Pamela D Blair PhD
Dougy Center resources for supporting children, families, and schools: dougy.org

Grieving A Sudden Or Unexpected Death With Dr. Jennifer Levin