This episode explores what it has meant to hold space for stories of loss, the powerful common threads that connect grieving experiences, and how open conversations about grief can support others who may be struggling.

What we cover in this episode

• How it feels to complete the first series of a grief-focused podcast

• The mix of gratitude, sadness and hope that can exist alongside one another

• The importance of giving people space to share their grief stories

• Recurring themes across episodes — including what helps and what doesn’t

• The kindness and openness shown by guests throughout the series

• Why grief is still not spoken about enough in everyday life

• The emotional impact of listening deeply to others’ experiences of loss

• How sharing conversations about grief can help people feel less alone

Key reflections

Grief holds many emotions at once

Rainbow reflects on feeling both sadness and excitement at the end of the series — a reminder that grief itself is often a complex mix of feelings rather than a single emotion.

Common themes bring reassurance

Hearing consistent messages from guests about what supports grieving people — such as kindness, presence and understanding — has reinforced the importance of compassionate approaches to bereavement.

Creating space matters

Providing a platform where people feel able to talk openly about grief can be powerful, both for those sharing their stories and for listeners who may be navigating their own loss.

Kindness makes a difference

The willingness of guests to be vulnerable and generous in sharing their experiences highlights the role of human connection in coping with grief.

Looking ahead

As the first series comes to a close, this episode reflects on the potential for continued conversations about grief — helping to normalise loss, encourage understanding and build supportive communities.

Together they explore the realities of bereavement, the importance of simply being present for someone who is grieving, and how employers can respond with greater understanding and flexibility.

Guest bio

Martin Edwards is CEO of Julia’s House Children’s Hospice. He has spent over two decades working alongside families navigating the challenges of caring for a child with a life-limiting condition and supporting them through bereavement.

What we cover in this episode

• Why grief — especially after the death of a child — can isolate families

• The common fear people have of saying or doing “the wrong thing”

• How small acts of kindness and practical help can make a lasting difference

• The reality that grief is not linear or predictable

• Understanding grief triggers such as anniversaries, memories, smells or music

• Why workplaces need flexibility and compassion when supporting grieving employees

• The importance — and complexity — of peer support between bereaved families

• How children’s hospices provide whole-life support, not just end-of-life care

• The value of remembrance events in helping families honour and reconnect with memories of their child

Key insights

Grief is individual

No two people grieve in the same way. Comparing or judging grief based on personal experience can prevent meaningful support.

Presence matters more than words

Many grieving families say people withdraw because they are afraid of saying the wrong thing. Martin emphasises that simply showing up, listening and offering practical help can be profoundly supportive.

Grief does not follow a timetable

Bereavement can resurface months or years later, often triggered by memories or significant dates. Understanding this can help workplaces and communities respond with empathy rather than expectation.

Support continues beyond death

Children’s hospices often build long-term relationships with families, offering respite, emotional support and opportunities to remember and celebrate a child’s life.

Memories can connect people

Events such as remembrance days can create natural opportunities for families at different stages of grief to support one another.

What you’ll hear in this episode

• How grief impacts workplace dynamics and leadership responsibilities

• Jane’s personal experience of losing her mother to frontal lobe dementia

• Supporting colleagues through bereavement and building compassionate team cultures

• The role of shared grief experiences in reducing guilt and isolation at work

• The emotional impact of pet loss and why it deserves recognition

• Lessons learned from navigating multiple losses within a team

• Creating psychologically safe spaces for conversations about grief

Key themes

Grief at work

Jane reflects on years spent in HR and leadership roles, highlighting how often managers and teams must support colleagues through bereavement. She explains how grief can affect performance, confidence and day-to-day functioning — and why flexible, human responses from employers are essential.

Shared experience and connection

Jane describes how going through loss at the same time as a colleague helped remove feelings of guilt and allowed both of them to support each other more openly. She shares how this created stronger bonds within the team.

Personal loss and anticipatory grief

Jane talks about losing her mother after a period of illness and the complex emotions involved in watching a loved one decline. She discusses how grief can begin long before death occurs.

Recognising different forms of grief

The conversation explores grief beyond human loss, including the death of pets and the impact this can have on individuals and teams.

Building compassionate workplaces

Rainbow and Jane discuss the importance of openness, empathy and normalising conversations about grief to help people feel less alone.

About the guest

Jane Barry is Managing Director at Liberty Recruitment Group. With a background in HR and leadership, she is passionate about building supportive workplace cultures and helping organisations respond compassionately to life’s most difficult moments.

For Becks, discovering she was autistic wasn’t about losing something in the present. In fact, it was about finding a missing piece of identity. But alongside that discovery came a deep sense of grief for the past — the support that wasn’t available, the misunderstandings that shaped her life, and the opportunities that may have looked very different with earlier understanding.

Together, they explore the complex emotional landscape of late diagnosis, including the mix of relief, validation, anger, and sadness that can emerge when someone finally understands themselves.

This episode highlights how grief isn’t always about death or bereavement — sometimes it’s about reframing a lifetime of experiences.

Although Hannah shares that she hasn’t experienced significant personal bereavement herself, she has spent 14 years working in the hospice sector. Through supporting families, colleagues, and team members experiencing profound loss, she has developed deep insight into how grief shows up differently for everyone.

Together, they explore:

• Why there is no “right” way to grieve
• The danger of comparing one person’s grief to another’s
• Why timelines around grief simply don’t exist
• The pressure leaders feel to “get it right”
• How small organisations can balance compassion with business realities
• Why listening — not fixing — is often the most powerful support

Hannah shares practical reflections on leading with empathy, building a non-hierarchical culture, and adapting policies to meet individual needs.

This episode is a thoughtful conversation for leaders, managers, HR professionals, and anyone navigating grief in professional spaces.

Jess and Rainbow discuss the fear, identity-shift, relationship changes, and imposter syndrome that can arise—especially for high-achieving women—plus the intense emotions that can follow even when leaving a job is your own decision. Jess shares a personal moment of being blindsided by grief after pressing “send” on her resignation.

Together they highlight practical support that helps: listening without assumptions, creating space for emotions, offering outplacement-style resources, upskilling opportunities, and working with a coach. Jess’s key takeaway: learn to welcome emotions and feel them in the body—through tools like journaling and compassionate support.

Guest

• Jess Jones — Founder, Secora Group

What you’ll hear in this episode

• What “career grief” can look like beyond bereavement
• Why redundancy can trigger panic, loss of identity, and relationship grief
• How market uncertainty increases fear—especially at executive level
• Why a redundancy period can also be a chance to recalibrate and upskill (including AI skills)
• Imposter syndrome and the vulnerability of losing your usual support network
• What employers and leaders can do to handle restructures with empathy
• Jess’s personal story of unexpected grief after resigning
• The power of coaching, journaling, and learning to welcome emotions

Key takeaways

• Listen first—don’t assume you know what someone needs.
• Treat people how they want to be treated, not how you prefer.
• Career transitions can bring layered grief: identity, community, routine, certainty.
• Even “chosen” change (like resigning) can trigger powerful grief responses.
• Employers can reduce harm through outplacement support (CVs, interviewing, job search guidance) and emotional acknowledgement.
• Welcome emotions—sadness, fear, anger, joy—and notice where they live in the body.

Notable moments / pull quotes (for promos)

• “Grief shows up far more regularly in careers than we realise—especially through change.”
• “It’s not treating people how you want to be treated—treat them how they want to be treated.”
• “When I pressed send on my resignation letter… it felt like somebody had died.”
• “It’s okay to feel sad. It’s healthy to have emotions like sadness and fear and anger.”
• “Welcome emotions—feel them in your body, not just your head.”

Resources mentioned

• Support/resources on grief in the workplace: www.thegrieftherapists.co.uk



Call to action

If this episode resonated, subscribe to Talking Grief and share it with someone who might find it helpful.

Tags / SEO keywords

career grief, redundancy, restructuring, outplacement, leadership, workplace wellbeing, identity and work, imposter syndrome, executive coaching, change management, grief at work, journaling, emotions, maternity leave, adoption leave, acquisitions

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why pet loss grief is frequently minimised (“it’s just a dog”) — and the real impact that has

• Anticipatory grief when a pet is unwell, and the emotional toll of “knowing what’s coming”

• The responsibility and second-guessing that can follow euthanasia decisions

• How other pets grieve too — and what it means to support them while you’re grieving

• Workplace realities: when managers treat loss as “transactional”

• The difference empathy makes — and the power of asking, “What do you need?”

• AI as a support tool (practice, resources, anxiety relief) vs. times when human support is essential

• Why grief has no timeline — and how we carry love and memory forward

Memorable moments / quotes (use as pull-quotes):

• “It’s not always taken seriously… by a boss that doesn’t have that relationship.”

• “That’s the biggest misconception… that there is a timeline.”

• “Validate how that person’s feeling… a little bit of validation would’ve gone a huge way.”

• “We are people first.”

If this conversation resonated, subscribe to Talking Grief with Rainbow Tomes and share with someone who might need it. For workplace grief support and resources, visit https://thegrieftherapists.co.uk/