by Lindsey Fenton | Jul 25, 2025 | Speaking Grief, What's New
I had the incredible honor of guest-hosting this very special episode of Dougy Center’s Grief Out Loud podcast so Jana DeCristofaro, LCSW, longtime host of Grief Out Loud and Advocacy & Education Manager at Dougy Center, could shift to the guest role and share about her love and grief for her beloved dog, Captain.
I first connected with Jana in 2018 and since then, we’ve become colleague friends, finding common ground in our commitment to grief work as well as in our dedication to our fur babies. I’m, unfortunately, intimately acquainted with the pain of pet loss, having said goodbye to my own dog, Birch, in 2022. Jana’s openness in navigating her own grief has been both moving and validating and I was grateful she agreed to this podcast “takeover.”
Together, we delve into how Captain came into Jana’s life, the complexities of caregiving for an aging pet, the difficult decisions surrounding their end-of-life, and the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways pet grief can be minimized or dismissed…and how we can internalize those messages in surprising ways.
Click here to listen.
*Content Note: we discuss tender topics like end-of-life caregiving for a pet, including the decision-making process around euthanasia, so please take care as you listen.
by Lindsey Fenton | Jul 24, 2025 | Speaking Grief, What's New
In 2018, I began developing an initiative with the working title “The Grief Project.” It would eventually become WPSU’s Speaking Grief, and it would change my life.
In the early days, we were told no one would want to fund a project about grief. Thankfully, those voices were wrong. We connected with the New York Life Foundation, a leader in childhood bereavement, who immediately understood the power of storytelling and educational media in advancing grief literacy.
As fate would have it, the project we had been building for years launched in May 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic thrust grief into the global spotlight.
Five years later, I still get emails, sometimes weekly, from organizations hosting screenings and discussions inspired by Speaking Grief. In nearly two decades in public media, I’ve worked on many projects I’m proud of, but none have generated this level of sustained engagement.
This flagship initiative became the foundation for related projects like Learning Grief and Follow the Nudge, all built on the same hope: to help people feel less alone in their losses and to give families, communities, and professionals the tools to better support one another.
To mark this five-year milestone, Penn State Outreach recently featured the project in an article that includes a Q&A with me about the journey and its impact, which you can read here.
WPSU also created a short video capturing the project’s on-going impact:
https://player.vimeo.com/video/1106149926?badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479
As WPSU continues to celebrate the five-year anniversary and ongoing impact of Speaking Grief, I’m reflecting on what an extraordinary journey this project has been, why we do what we do, and how powerful it is when media connects hearts as well as minds. I am endlessly grateful to the teams, partners, and grieving people who make this work possible.
Every message we receive from someone who feels less alone reminds me why this work matters.
by Lindsey Fenton | May 3, 2025 | Learning Grief, Press, Speaking Grief, What's New
Grief Dreams Podcast: Exploring Pet Loss and the Bond We Carry
I recently had the honor of joining Joshua Black, PhD, on the Grief Dreams Podcast to talk about a form of grief that often goes unrecognized—pet loss. In this conversation, we explore the depth of the human–animal bond, the unique heartbreak of losing a beloved companion, and the healing power of memory and continuing bonds.
I also had the chance to share stories of my sweet Birch 💙 and reflect on how his presence continues to shape my grief literacy work.
🎧 Listen to the full episode here.
by Lindsey Fenton | Feb 26, 2025 | Medium, Speaking Grief, What's New, Writing
When it comes to grief, we often mistakenly think if we’re not “good with feelings,” we have nothing to offer a grieving person. That is categorically false. Emotional support is an element of grief support, but it’s not the only element. From companionship during a soothing activity to practical assistance with the tasks of daily living, there are many ways you can show up for someone who is grieving. Read my latest blog post for Penn State Outreach to learn more by clicking here.
by Lindsey Fenton | Dec 18, 2024 | Learning Grief, Medium, Speaking Grief, What's New, Writing
The latest in an on-going blog series for Penn State Outreach:
Discussing grief and the holidays is tricky. It can contribute to the false narrative that grief follows some sort of predictable path. For some, the winter holiday season can activate grief. For others, these seemingly fraught weeks might pass without any major upticks in emotion—only for a random Wednesday in March to bring an unexpected wave of feeling. Still, the winter holiday season offers a unique moment to explore the delicate balance of navigating social spaces while carrying grief. While every situation is unique, I offer some thoughtful ways to include your grieving person in social gatherings while honoring their grief experience in this latest blog post. Click here to read.
by Lindsey Fenton | Dec 4, 2024 | Learning Grief, Speaking Grief, What's New
I’m thrilled to share that I’m now Certified in Thanatology (the study of Death, Dying, Loss, and Bereavement) through the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC). Immersing myself in the content needed to prep for this exam in the weeks immediately following my mom’s death was a challenge. But I did it. I worked really hard for this and—I’ll say it—I’m proud of me.
Recent Comments