Grief, Isolation, and Healing: Learning to Ask for Support After Loss

Therapist and host, Malisa Hepner, shares her lived experience of navigating grief after the loss of her son, Jake. She opens up about the waves of isolation, the disorienting nature of loss, and the quiet ways grief can reshape identity, connection, and daily life.

Malisa explores the challenge of asking for support while grieving, the importance of being seen and held by others, and how community can become a lifeline in moments of profound pain. She reflects on her evolving spiritual beliefs, the complexity of finding meaning after loss, and the tension between carrying deep sorrow while still allowing moments of joy.

This conversation offers an honest and compassionate look at grief—not as something to fix, but as something to be lived with—while gently guiding listeners toward connection, self-compassion, and intentional living.

Grief can make it incredibly hard to know what you need—let alone ask for it. But you deserve support that actually meets you where you are. If you don't know what to say, you can borrow these:

1. Ask for practical help

• "I'm overwhelmed—could you help me with groceries / a meal / a small task?"

2. Ask to not be rushed

• "I'm not trying to 'move on'—I'm learning to live with this."

3. Ask for grounding connection

• "Can we do something normal together? I need a break from the heaviness."

Ask even when it feels hard. You are not "too much." Your needs are not a burden. Asking is not weakness—it's how we stay connected when grief tries to isolate us.

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Want to be a guest on Emotionally Unavailable? Send Malisa Hepner a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1739504718415772259d92bc1

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