E5: Loss, Grief, Mourning & Bereavement: What’s the Difference?

Written By Shelby Forsythia

You’ve heard the words loss, grief, mourning, and bereavement—but what do they really mean? In this episode, we explore how language shapes your healing and why getting clear on these terms can help you feel more grounded in your grief.

You’ll learn:

  • What “loss” actually refers to

  • How the word “grief” holds both “bereavement” and “mourning”

  • Why language can reduce shame and confusion

  • How naming your experience helps you feel less lost

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Download the transcript for this episode here.

Shelby Forsythia

Shelby Forsythia (she/her) is a grief coach, author, and podcast host. In 2020, she founded Life After Loss Academy, an online course and community that has helped dozens of grievers grow and find their way after death, divorce, diagnosis, and other major life transitions.

Following her mother’s death in 2013, Shelby began calling herself a “student of grief” and now devotes her days to reading, writing, and speaking about loss. Through a combination of mindfulness tools and intuitive, open-ended questions, she guides her clients to welcome grief as a teacher and create meaningful lives that honor and include the heartbreaks they’ve faced. Her work has been featured in Huffington Post, Bustle, and The Oprah Magazine.

https://www.shelbyforsythia.com
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E6: Grief Is NOT "Just Love With No Place to Go." Here's What It Really Is.
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E4: Marking 5 Years of COVID Loss: What Grievers Still Need with Rebecca Soffer