Let's Chat... Finding hope as a widow (Rachel Powell)

#134. Let"s chat... about finding hope after feeling hopeless as a young widow. Welcome to another Let’s Chat episode, where instead of continuing our 101 Types of Loss list, I (Claire Sandys) sit down with guests who have expertise and personal insight into different aspects of loss. In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Rachel Powell from Colorado. She’s a life coach, speaker, author, and founder of Hope Speaker, where she supports widows in moving from a place of hopelessness and loneliness to one of healing, and confident steps forward. Rachel lost her husband, Andre, to suicide in June 2019, and she was left raising four children: their two-year-old daughter and three of her biological nieces and nephew. In this conversation, Rachel shares how hard this journey was for her and the darkness that led her to attempt to take her own life.  But as a person who"s passionate about hope, we also talk about how she found hope again, what part her Christian faith has played in her healing, and why she now speaks so passionately about her experience.  Rachel’s faith has been a big part of her healing, and while we don’t often delve into religion on this podcast, it’s important to see the different ways people find hope through grief. This episode is a powerful reminder that faith in God doesn’t guarantee an easier path.  Rachel offers wisdom and encouragement for all of us — whether you’ve experienced partner loss or are simply wondering what that journey might look like. For more about Rachel, and the resources we mention, visit: www.hopespeaker.com Faceboook: https://www.facebook.com/HopeSpeakerRachelPowell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hope_speaker/ Free Resources: www.hopespeaker.com/library If you are interested in working 1:1 with Rachel for widow support, learn more at www.hopespeaker.com/coaching To contact Rachel: Connect@hopespeaker.com Send us a text Support the show ----- thesilentwhy.com | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn What"s a Herman? / Buy a Herman - thehermancompany.com Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/thesilentwhy Sign-up to my mailing list (only used for sharing news occasionally!): thesilentwhy.com/newsletter How to talk to the grieving: thesilentwhy.com/post/howtotalktothegrieving Review the show: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Goodpods Episode transcripts: thesilentwhy.buzzsprout.com Thank you for listening.