Episode 185: Metabolizing Grief

Today's guest is Ayla Casey—a writer, grief mentor, and mental health advocate who helps grievers, caregivers, and creatives transform pain into purpose through story, presence, and care. After more than a decade in leadership at a top beauty brand, Ayla's life changed profoundly when her husband was diagnosed with young-onset colon cancer. Through the journey of caregiving and loss, she discovered that healing doesn't happen through bypassing pain—it happens through witnessing it, metabolizing it, and choosing to stay. She now guides others in reconnecting with their bodies, reclaiming their narratives, and building lives rooted in meaning. Ayla also demonstrates grief in motion through her ongoing production of health equity and legacy campaigns—bridging the music and healthcare communities and honoring her husband's story. Here is Ayla's website, a space dedicated to guiding grievers, caregivers, creatives, and those navigating end-of-life transitions. It offers resources for soulful healing, legacy building, and creative practices that support self-trust and meaning-making. Listeners will find free content, guided offerings, and an open invitation to connect more deeply through writing, mentorship, and end-of-life care. Here is her insta, here is her reddit and here is her subtack!