Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes & Kevin Young. Produced by J'aime Rothbard.

If grief is the energy generated by loss, what happens to a people whose grief has been stolen for generations, and what becomes possible when we grieve our way home? In this episode, Rosemary Wanganeen, a Kaurna, Wirungu, and Koogatha Aboriginal woman and Australia's only griefologist, presents one of the most provocative perspectives explored in this series. She traces the suppression of grief and the ensuing psychopathic violence of Australia's colonizers/invaders to a declaration by Plato in 388 BC—the toxic legacy of which continues to fuel the behavior of spirit-absent humans.

She also explains how: - Suppressed grief causes the spirit to separate from the body - A spirit-absent human can commit atrocities - The invading colonizers deliberately dismantled 60,000 years of sacred Aboriginal culture - Griefology offers a path out of the unresolved grief that traps colonized peoples - Her own spirit came home after five years of intuitive healing

Rosemary's story—which takes her from a women's shelter in Sydney (where she encountered an ancestral grandmother) through founding the Healing Centre for Griefology to her current work—is a living testament to what becomes possible when we grieve our way back home to ourselves.

About Rosemary Wanganeen Clinical Griefologist

Australia's only Griefologist, Rosemary not only pioneered this revolutionary field, but founded and leads The Healing Centre for Griefology, established in 1993 in response to her personal experiences as part of the Stolen Generation.

Her work provides an evidence-based approach to transforming Aboriginal disadvantage into Aboriginal prosperity, shifting the conversation to healing, sustainability, and self-determination. Also a former research officer for the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, Rosemary's search for a deeper understanding of personal and collective loss produced her groundbreaking "Seven Phases" model which redefines grief—not as something to be "closed" but as a natural, ongoing process to be integrated into life. Her contributions have led to her recognition in academia, and she is currently a Master of Philosophy candidate at the University of Adelaide.

As a keynote speaker, educator, trainer, program designer, and peer-reviewed author, Rosemary's work across multiple sectors demonstrates the far-reaching consequences of unaddressed grief in everyday life, including death and dying. After spending over 30 years supporting Aboriginal health, welfare, and social justice, she has dedicated her career to transforming how individuals, communities, and organisations understand and integrate loss and grief.

A proud South Australian Aboriginal woman of the Kaurna, Wirungu, and Koogatha nations, Rosemary's work has influenced mental health policies, leadership training, and community well-being programs, positioning her as a thought-provoking leader in holistic grief education.

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Resources:

Websites:

Griefology Website