Episodes

This week, Alexandra gets to talk with a fellow suicide survivor and best-selling author, Crystal Partney of the You Are Loved podcast. They chat about how to find ways to heal after such a loss as well as find meaning and purpose after someone dies. Crystal also created prevention and aftermath care boxes to help people find simple ways to care for themselves. Crystal is an absolute resource through the grief process. Connect with Crystal: Instagram: scattering.hope Owl and Thistle care boxes: ...

This week Alexandra shares about her first real dating experience since Shawn died. She has learned 3 things about dating as a widowed mama: 1) there are so many logistics!! 2) the capacity to date now looks so different than before and 3) opening up to allow another person into our personal space requires vulnerability. If you have tips about how to date, please send them on to Alexandra! Connect with Alexandra on her website, forwardtojoy.com , or send her an email at alexandra@forwardtojoy.co...

This week Alexandra talks about how often we embrace celebrations of life to not focus on the sadness and avoid the discomfort with death. She proposes and encourages that we can embrace it all. We can be sad and celebrate our loved one’s life. We can remember the good times and the harder times. We don’t have to always be strong. It’s okay to take on all the feels and show others, including our kids, how we can work through it all. Link: It’s Ok That You’re Not Ok Connect with Alexandra on her ...

This week Alexandra talks with financial advisor and expert, Rick Salmeron, about all things financial. Out of all the different things that have to be done after the loss of a loved one, managing finances can be very stressful. Rick breaks down the process into simple, digestible tips. He approaches the process with empathy and care. Rick chats about some Do’s and Don’ts for how to handle finances. Such a rich conversation! Feel free to reach out to Rick and check out his services below: www.Sa...

This week, Alexandra chats about the dreaded elevator speech when you have to tell someone about your situation. There’s no preparing for what kind of reaction you’ll get with the exception of having an arsenal of responses. There’s no right or wrong way to handle an elevator speech either. It will morph and change just like the grief process does. Send in your funny stories about sharing your situation with others, so Alexandra can share them on the show! Connect with Alexandra on her website, ...

In this episode, Alexandra recalls several instances where flexibility is a must. No matter how we plan for something, another thing can happen and wipe out our plans. Whether it is Buddy getting sick, a schedule change, clients canceling…there is always room for flexibility. This may challenge our feelings of security with predictability but it is a must! Connect with Alexandra on her website, forwardtojoy.com , or send her an email at alexandra@forwardtojoy.com . Portions or topics on this sho...

This week, Alexandra gets the opportunity to chat with author and wellness coach Marie Scott about her journey, after her husband of 30 years died of esophageal cancer. Marie took her grief journey and found purpose in helping other widows and widowers find their health, energy and strength to keep moving forward. She has even found love again and celebrates 4 years with her partner. Definitely reach out to Marie below! https://www.mariescottwellness.com/?r_done=1 https://www.linkedin.com/in/mar...

This week Alexandra discusses her experience with the anniversary of Shawn’s death. There is no predictability of how things will go, what feelings will come up or how to handle it all. As much as Alexandra thought there might be, there just isn’t and this year she really experienced it. There’s no right or wrong way to grieve but she encourages all to ride the waves. Connect with Alexandra on her website, forwardtojoy.com , or send her an email at alexandra@forwardtojoy.com . Portions or topics...

This week, Alexandra talks about how opportunities come out of surrender. Rather than focus on controlling the outcome of a situation or when an opportunity will come through, focus on the small steps and actions you can take toward whatever your goal is. Opportunities will find you at the most random times, when you are open to them. It is not about how perfect the environment or you are for the opportunity, it's about how ready you are for the opportunity. How you look or act does not create t...

This week Alexandra dives into the biggest question: are there signs of suicide? Short answer- No. This is very frustrating because with signs, we can predict who will die this way. We can ensure it won’t happen to us. Suicide does not discriminate. Life does not discriminate. This doesn’t mean we don’t check in on our loved ones. It does mean that we can do so in a more specific way to work on our connection with each other. Alexandra offers tips for how to work on that connection and encourage...

This week, Alexandra describes having a moment out of the favorite books, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, where she started in one place and ended up right back where she started. Going through this, brings up two themes: 1) That sometimes through grief or even life, we can feel like we have ended up right where we started. Not necessarily that we have gone backwards, but that we can feel we have made progress and healed something and that theme will come right back. 2) Delegate, delegate, delegat...

This week, Alexandra shares how life amped up in a short period of time, making her feel very overwhelmed and stressed. As much as it would be nice if life would give us a break after having such a loss and having to go through so much, the truth is life doesn't stop. Things don't always get easier. Life is an ocean and while things are calm at times, they are also intense at others. It is important to identify what tools we can use when we feel good so that when stress increases, we are able to...

This week, Alexandra discusses how slow healing can be. There is no equation or predictability to grief. There are good days and bad days and those are all different for each person grieving. Take time, be patient, be kind to yourself and sometimes the process takes just one step at a time. Connect with Alexandra on her website, forwardtojoy.com , or send her an email at alexandra@forwardtojoy.com . Portions or topics on this show may be triggering. Please seek professional help or assistance if...

This week, Alexandra has her first guest on The Widows Club Podcast, Alena Gourley! Alena is a LSW is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, psychic, medium and spiritual guide specializing in hypnotic healing and past life regression. She customized all her sessions to her client's beliefs and needs. Alena works together with her clients to heal current or past relationship issues, physical, mental or emotional traumas or pain, such as phobias, anxieties, addictions, depression and anxiety, improving sport...

Throughout the grief process, there are many opportunities to grow and heal, which also means we have to let go of some things. Not necessarily our person, but things that hold us back from growing. Forgiveness is crucial and this week, Alexandra dives into what forgiveness means to her and how to take the first steps to do so. Connect with Alexandra on her website, forwardtojoy.com , or send her an email at alexandra@forwardtojoy.com . Portions or topics on this show may be triggering. Please s...

This week, Alexandra gets even more personal in sharing about an altercation where two close people decided to say unkind and disrespectful things to her, about her and Buddy. She shares her Pimple Principle, the importance of understanding how others and ourselves communicate and 3 ways to know that when someone is yelling/venting or “going off” it is not about you but about them. Connect with Alexandra on her website, forwardtojoy.com , or send her an email at alexandra@forwardtojoy.com . Port...

This week Alexandra discusses the ideas around safety and security during the grief process. So much of losing a loved one can trigger a feeling of a lack of security and safety. There is physical safety and also there is mental and emotional safety. Often, when we feel triggered emotionally, we try to feel better with external strategies, such as shopping, binge watching shows, tackling house projects. The emotional need won’t go away until we are able to truly face it intrinsically. Tapping in...

This week, Alexandra discusses the idea of finding balance during the grief process. Fifty-fifty balance doesn’t really exist because here are so many moving parts and that is okay. It is also okay to take one thing at a time, having grace for ourselves and not getting caught up in all the things we are not getting done. We cannot do it all and it is important to ask for help from our village.

This week, Alexandra discusses the importance of setting boundaries when beginning the grief process. She talks about being a People Pleaser and having to work through and heal childhood experiences in order to embrace the grief journey in front of her. There are different types of boundaries, including physical, emotional, mental, temporal, energetic. Alexandra provides examples of each type of boundary that she had to set in her process.Links: Nedra Tawwab's book :Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A...

Sensitivity Alert! The topic of suicide is discussed throughout this podcast. Please access what resources you need and take breaks as needed. This week, Alexandra shares more about her story after her husband's death, including the additional trauma and drama that occurred. She discusses how she initially was handling, or not handling, the loss and starting to work through the grief process. Please note that the focus is on Alexandra's personal experience and any tips or suggestions made are ba...

Sensitivity Alert! The topic of suicide is discussed throughout this podcast. Please access what resources you need and take breaks as needed. No one wants to be part of the Widow's Club and yet we could all use more resources for how to navigate not only being part of this club but also the grief process and journey. In this initial episode, Alexandra shares her story on becoming a widow and losing her husband to suicide. She shares details of events leading up to his death and the day of. Plea...