134: Sherry Walling on How to Grieve Well and Normalize the Hard Conversations Around Suicide, Loss, and Trauma

Joining us today is Clinical Psychologist and the Author of Touching Two Worlds, Dr. Sherry Walling. Dr. Sherry has been treating patients for trauma, stress, and grief for over 20 years, and in 2017, the loss of her father and brother gave her a front-row seat to the type of devastation she’d been helping others navigate.  She combined what she’d learned when studying both theology and psychology with her own personal experience, to develop a memoir that is as heart-wrenching and personal as it is informative and cathartic. We talk about understanding depression as a disease, how to be present in both grief and joy, why healing requires truth-telling, and how to speak to your kids about grief and loss.  Dr. Sherry then explains why we need to change the societal narrative around suicide, the best practices when you are experiencing grief, how to speak to someone when they are grieving, and how the circus can be way more than just comical relief!  Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning for loss, depression, and suicide.