Healing Starts With The Heart

Episode Summary: This episode cracks open one of the most frightening and misunderstood parts of grief: when a memory hits your body like a shock. You're sitting still, lost in a moment with your person, and suddenly your stomach drops, your breath tightens, your heart races, and you remember all over again that they died. It feels like you're grieving in two places at once. Sharon Brubaker takes you inside the neurobiology behind that jolt. She breaks down how the hippocampus pulls old memories like scenes from a movie, why the amygdala tags those memories as danger, and how your brain fires survival signals long before you can think. This isn't denial and it isn't weakness. It is your nervous system trying to protect you from emotional injury, and it moves faster than the rest of you can keep up. Through real-life examples and clear teaching, Sharon explains why certain memories hit harder, why they cycle over and over, and why it feels like the loss is happening in real time even years later. Most importan

Episode Summary: In this episode of Grieve That Shit, Sharon Brubaker talks about something most grievers never see coming: why normal sounds suddenly feel like an attack. The kids laughing, the microwave door slamming, a choir starting at church, a car alarm in the parking lot. Things you used to handle just fine now hit your body like lightning. Sharon walks you through what is really happening inside your grieving brain. She breaks down the amygdala, the nervous system, the HPA axis, and why grief flips all of them into survival mode. This is not you "being dramatic." This is biology. Your brain is trying to protect your broken heart and it does not know the difference between emotional danger and physical danger. Through real stories from her clients, Sharon shows how jumpiness, noise sensitivity, snapping at people, and shutting down in crowds are not personality flaws. They are signs that your grief system is stuck on high alert and has not been taught how to turn off. Then she shows you the path out: l

In this deeply moving and unforgettable episode of Grieve That Sh!t, grief specialist Sharon Brubaker shares a story that stopped her in her tracks, a moment that changed two families' lives forever. What began as an ordinary drive with her husband turned into a tragedy they witnessed unfold before their eyes. Through this raw, emotional experience, Sharon explores how quickly life can change, how grief shatters the illusion of time, and what it truly means to live with awareness, compassion, and love before it's too late. This episode isn't just about loss it's about the fragility of life, the depth of empathy, and the sacred invitation to love harder, forgive faster, and be present now.  

"Avoiding the pain won't make it go away—it only teaches it to hide." In this episode of Grieve That Shit, grief specialist Sharon Brubaker breaks down one of the sneakiest traps that keeps grievers stuck: avoidance. When life shatters, the natural instinct is to run from the pain, to stay busy, and to pretend you're doing fine. But as Sharon reminds us, ignoring grief doesn't erase it—it buries it. This episode dives deep into what happens when we try to outsmart our pain. Sharon explains why our brains convince us to avoid reminders of our person, how distraction becomes a survival skill that turns into a lifestyle, and how avoidance slowly shrinks our world until even joy feels out of reach. She shares real, compassionate tools to help you stop running from grief and begin facing it—one small, brave step at a time. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why grief convinces you that avoiding pain will make it fade The difference between healthy, temporary breaks and lifelong avoidance How avoidance shows up in d

“Grief isn’t just sadness—it’s a full-body takeover. It’s the storm that hits when love has nowhere left to land.” In this episode of Grieve That Shit, Sharon Brubaker takes you back to the foundation of it all: understanding what grief actually is. For too long, we’ve been fed clichés about “moving on” or “staying strong,” while no one ever taught us how to live through the ache. Sharon unpacks the real definition of grief—the kind you feel in your bones. She shares what she wishes she’d known when her nephew Austin died, and why understanding the truth about grief changes everything. This isn’t theory—it’s lived experience, raw and unfiltered. You’ll learn why grief isn’t just emotional, but physical. Why it feels unnatural even though it’s the most natural thing in the world. And why no two people grieve the same, even when they’re mourning the same person. By the end of this episode, you’ll stop asking “what’s wrong with me?” and start realizing: nothing is wrong with you. Your grief is proof that you lov

“Loneliness in grief isn’t just about missing your person—it’s about missing the version of yourself you were when they were alive. Naming that loneliness is how you stop drowning in it.”  In this episode of Grieve That Shit, Sharon Brubaker takes on one of the hardest truths of grief: loneliness. Even in a crowded room, grief makes you feel like you’re on another planet. People may surround you, but no one else can feel the exact pain you’re carrying.  Sharon unpacks why grief is so isolating—why people avoid your pain, why you feel like you don’t belong anywhere, and why loneliness feeds the heaviness of loss. Most importantly, she shows you how to name it, face it, and take small steps to soften it so it doesn’t drown you.  What You’ll Learn in This Episode  Why grief makes you feel lonely, even when you’re not alone  How silence and avoidance from others deepen the isolation  The difference between missing your person and missing the version of yourself when they were alive  Wh

“We should’ve been given hip-high boots and a damn instruction manual. Instead, we’re dropped into grief with nothing but clichés. But here’s the truth—you can face the pile, grieve it, and climb out.”  In this episode of Grieve That Shit, Sharon Brubaker gets brutally honest about what grief really feels like: like stepping straight into a hip-high pile of shit with no warning, no boots, and no map out.  Nobody prepared us for the sleepless nights, the chest-crushing pain, or the brain fog that makes you feel like you’re losing your mind. Nobody told us grief would come with silence from friends, family drama, and the pressure to “be strong.” Instead, we’re left to stumble through the mess with nothing but bad advice and our broken hearts.  This episode is your manual for facing that pile, wading through it, and finding a way out—without pretending it’s not there.  What You’ll Learn in This Episode  Why grief feels like drowning in a pile of shit no one warned us about  The ways society avo

“The shit is not just the loss itself—it’s the lies, the silence, the guilt, and the pressure that come with it. You didn’t create it, but you can name it. And once you name it, you can grieve it.”  In this episode of Grieve That Shit, Sharon Brubaker breaks down what “the shit” actually means. Grief isn’t just the pain of missing your person—it’s all the lies, the silence, the pressure, and the guilt that come piled on top of the loss.  From the bad advice (“time heals”) to the avoidance (people ducking you at the grocery store), Sharon calls it out. This is the part nobody warns you about, the weight that makes grief feel heavier than it already is. And until you name it, you can’t begin to move through it.  What You’ll Learn in This Episode  The real meaning behind “grieve that shit”  Why clichés and cultural rules about grief keep you stuck  How silence and avoidance from others add to the pain  The difference between grieving your person and grieving the shit around the loss 

“Grief is not polite. It’s not delicate. It doesn’t wait until you’re ready. It crashes in and takes over your whole life. So let’s stop pretending—and let’s grieve that shit.” On the very first episode of Grieve That Shit, Sharon Brubaker rips the mask off grief and tells the truth: grief is messy, painful, and nothing like the world says it should be.  Sharon shares the moment her life split in two with the death of her nephew Austin and why she chose to call this podcast Grieve That Shit. You’ll learn why clichés like “time heals” do more harm than good, why grief is a full-body experience, and why facing the pain head-on is the only way through.  This episode sets the tone for everything that’s coming: raw honesty, calling out the lies, and creating a space where you can finally stop pretending and start healing. What You’ll Learn in This Episode  Why Sharon chose the name Grieve That Shit  How grief takes over your entire body—not just your emotions  The truth about “being strong”

Episode Summary: Welcome to Healing Starts With the Heart, the podcast where grief meets resilience. In this episode, grief specialist Sharon Brubaker gets raw and real about the unspoken chaos of grief—what it feels like in your body, why your mind can’t stop replaying the moment it all changed, and how society leaves us completely unprepared to deal with it. From the hospital diagnosis to the late-night phone call that split life into “before and after,” Sharon lays out what really happens when grief hits—and why it’s not weakness, madness, or something you just “get over.” It’s a full-body, full-heart experience that demands to be felt. If you’ve ever wondered “What the hell is happening to me?” this episode is your answer: you’re not broken—you’re grieving.

Episode Summary: Welcome to Healing Starts With the Heart, where grief gets real and healing gets honest. In this episode, grief specialist Sharon Brubaker pulls back the curtain on the 9 biggest lies we’ve been told about grief—and how they’ve shaped generations of silent suffering. From pretending you're okay to being told “just stay busy,” this episode is a deep and raw dive into the ways our society teaches us to perform instead of process our pain. If you’ve ever felt like you’re grieving “wrong,” this is your invitation to unlearn the myths and finally make space for the truth: you are not broken—just unheard.

Episode Summary: In this powerful and raw episode of Healing Starts With the Heart, grief specialist Sharon Brubaker asks a deeply uncomfortable—but necessary—question: What if the pain isn’t the problem… but the key to your healing? Sharon breaks down why so many of us are still stuck in our grief—not because we’re doing it wrong, but because no one ever taught us how to feel the pain instead of managing it. From performative grief to inherited patterns, she shares how unprocessed pain keeps us in a holding pattern of burnout, resentment, and silence. You’ll learn how to stop performing, start feeling, and allow grief to finally move through you—instead of staying trapped inside your body.

Episode Description: In this powerful episode of Healing Starts with the Heart, grief specialist Sharon Brubaker takes us into the often-unspoken world of collective grief—the grief that doesn’t belong to just one person, one family, or one household. It belongs to all of us. When tragedy strikes a community—whether it’s a school shooting, a local accident, a sudden death, or a public loss—every face reflects the sorrow. And every heart carries a piece of it. Sharon unpacks what it means to grieve together, how public mourning impacts private pain, and why it’s so hard to know what to say or do. Through her personal story and the communities she’s walked with through deep loss, this episode is a reminder: you are allowed to grieve, even if you weren’t the one closest to the loss. If you’ve ever struggled to understand why you’re hurting after a tragedy in your town—or if you’ve watched your community rally and then fall silent—this episode will help you name it, feel it, and find a way forward together. Key P

Episode Description: In this raw, heart-opening episode of Healing Starts with the Heart, grief specialist Sharon Brubaker walks you through one of the deepest truths about loss—grief doesn't just take your person. It takes everything. And no one prepares you for that part. With her own story and the stories of thousands of grievers she’s supported, Sharon names the unspoken: how grief sneaks in like a thief in the night and strips away your energy, your motivation, your peace, and even your sense of time. This isn’t just emotional pain. It’s physical, spiritual, mental—and it touches every part of your life. If you’ve felt like grief broke something in you that you can't get back... this episode will make you feel seen. It’s not just you. This is what grief does. But this is also your invitation to take it back—your joy, your identity, your voice, your future. Key Points Discussed: Grief doesn’t just take your person— It takes you, the version of you who felt whole before the loss. Energy depletion and p

Certainly. Here’s the updated podcast description with bulleted key points while keeping the structure, tone, and clarity intact—no emojis, no fluff: Episode Description: In this deep and unfiltered episode of Healing Starts with the Heart, grief specialist Sharon Brubaker unpacks one of the most misunderstood truths about grief—that it’s not just sadness. So many grievers are led to believe that they’re supposed to carry this endless, heavy sadness for the rest of their lives—that sadness is the whole story of grief. But in this powerful conversation, Sharon reveals what most people don’t talk about: that grief affects your entire body, your mind, your spirit, and your entire world. With honesty, compassion, and her signature clarity, Sharon explores how grief is an all-consuming storm—how it shows up in brain fog, physical exhaustion, anxiety, disconnection from reality, and deep detachment from your own life. She reminds listeners that they are not broken, they are grieving—and that grief deserves real su

Episode Summary: In this heartfelt episode of Healing Starts with the Heart, Sharon Brubaker opens the door to a topic many avoid—your grief story. Not the polite, watered-down version, but the real, raw, unfiltered story of what happened, what you felt, and what you still carry. Sharon explains why telling this story—first to yourself and then to others—is a necessary part of healing. She shares how the truth of our pain holds the key to transformation, connection, and true emotional release. Whether you’ve lost a person, a dream, a relationship, or a piece of yourself—this episode invites you to step into your truth, name your grief, and be seen in your pain without shame or apology. Key Points Discussed: Why your real grief story matters more than the “acceptable” version The physical, emotional, and spiritual toll of holding your story in How your brain and body record every detail of trauma and grief The difference between what we tell others and what we need to tell ourselves How society pres

In this empowering episode of Healing Starts with the Heart, Sharon Brubaker pulls back the curtain on one of the greatest grief misconceptions: that we need to learn how to grieve. Sharon reveals a deeper truth—we were all born knowing how to grieve. From your first cry to your instinct to reach out when in pain, grief is not something to be taught but something we’ve been taught to forget. Through raw, compassionate storytelling and the powerful example of a client who found her way back to healing, Sharon reminds us that grief is not a flaw—it’s our body and spirit doing exactly what they were designed to do. If you’ve ever questioned your tears, your numbness, or the way your grief looks—this episode is for you. Key Points Discussed: You didn’t lose your ability to grieve—you were born with it The world unteaches us how to grieve by rewarding silence and pretending Grief is a full-body, nervous system experience—not just emotional pain Your grief is not wrong, too big, too heavy, or something to b

In this raw and deeply honest episode of Healing Starts with the Heart, Sharon Brubaker invites listeners into the messy, painful, and necessary truth of what it means to lean in to grief. Instead of hiding, numbing, or pretending you’re okay, Sharon challenges you to stop running from the pain and start facing it head-on. This is not about suffering for suffering’s sake—it’s about healing the only way that works: by feeling it all. If you’ve ever told yourself, “If I let this out, I’ll never stop crying,” this episode is for you. Sharon unpacks the myths we’re told about grief, the lies we believe to stay strong, and what it truly means to begin moving pain through you—not around you. Key Points Discussed: Why avoidance only deepens and prolongs grief The dangerous myth that time alone heals grief What “leaning into the pain” actually looks like in real life How grief lives in the body—and what happens when we suppress it The truth about emotional numbness and false strength Why staying “composed