Transformative Journeys - to Growth and Resilience

Episode 16: What Is Loss? The Invisible Grief We Don’t Talk About

Johanna Season 1 Episode 16

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Have you ever felt like you were grieving… but no one had died?

Maybe it was after a divorce, a diagnosis, or a dream that quietly slipped away. You were feeling the ache of loss, but because no one brought a casserole or sent a sympathy card, you wondered if you were overreacting.

You weren’t.

In this episode of Transformative Journeys, we’re talking about disenfranchised grief - the kind of loss society doesn’t always acknowledge. From job loss to chronic illness, from coming out to estrangement, these invisible losses can shake our identity and leave us feeling unsupported, unseen, and alone.

We’ll explore:

  • What disenfranchised grief actually is (and why it hurts so much)
  • The neuroscience behind emotional pain and social rejection
  • Real-life stories of grief that didn’t “look like” grief
  • How grief can resurface when we least expect it
  • Strategies for naming, validating, and honoring your own invisible losses
  • Mindfulness, mourning rituals, and ways to reconnect with support

Whether you’re carrying a grief others don’t see—or supporting someone who is—this episode will remind you:
💜 You don’t need permission to grieve what hurts.
💜 You are not broken.
💜 You are grieving.
💜 And you are still here.

Free resources mentioned in this episode:

If you or a family member have experienced a workplace tragedy, or if you know someone who has, Threads of Life is here for support. Please visit www.threadsoflife.ca for more information.

🛑 Disclaimer: Johanna is not a therapist, just a human sharing lived experience.

✨“I’m just Johanna – a fellow human being on my journey through this thing called life, and your guide on this transformative journey.”