Dr. Korie Leigh — thanatologist, grief counselor, and author — explores how grief is fundamentally misunderstood and what actually helps us heal. She unpacks why grief isn't linear stages but a full-body experience we learn to live with, how continuing bonds theory revolutionized our understanding, why children need direct honest language about death, and what grief-informed leadership looks like. The profound truth: grief doesn't get smaller — we grow around it.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Why grief is a full-body experience — not just emotional
There is no "right way" to grieve — be cautious of anyone who says otherwise
Continuing bonds theory — healing through maintaining connection, not severing ties
How grief reshapes core identity when loss touches your core self
Why children need direct, honest language about death
What grief-informed leadership means in practice
Why you don't "get over" grief — you grow around it
LEARN MORE
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March 26, 2026
Dr. Korie Leigh
Grief as a Full-Body Experience: Tools for Healing, Leadership, and Life
"If something remains nameless and shapeless, it has power over us. But if we can talk about it, if we can shine light on it, it helps to make it less scary."
TIMESTAMPS
00:04:13 – What is thanatology
00:08:37 – Children protect parents in grief
00:15:22 – Why we avoid direct language
00:25:43 – Stages of grief myth
00:31:56 – Continuing bonds theory
00:35:30 – Grief reshapes core identity
00:39:21 – Prolonged grief disorder
00:43:14 – Disenfranchised and ambiguous losses
00:44:38 – COVID as collective trauma
00:48:44 – Grief-informed leadership
SHOW NOTES
Dr. Dan interviews Dr. Korie Leigh, author, speaker, and thanatologist (a specialist who studies death, dying, and bereavement) to discuss her book When Everything Changes: Parenting Through Loss and Grief and to unpack myths about grief.
Dr. Korie shares her compassionate and realistic framework that grief is a full-body, lifelong experience that integrates into who we are –it touches our emotions, our identity, our relationships, our work, and our leadership. She introduces the concept of grief-informed leadership and explores how to lead through challenging times with compassion and insight.
LINKS & RESOURCES
Dr. Korie Leigh
Website — KorieLeighPhD.com
Instagram — @drkorieleigh
Books (Free Spirit Publications) — When Everything Changes: Parenting Through Loss and Grief, What Does Grief Feel Like?, It Won't Ever Be the Same: A Teen's Guide to Grief and Grieving
Marian University Thanatology Program — Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Postgraduate Certificate (all online, asynchronous; Wisconsin campus)
GUEST BIO
Dr. Korie Leigh is a child development specialist, grief counselor, thanatologist, and associate professor and program director of the Thanatology program at Marian University. She holds a PhD in transpersonal psychology, a master's in public health and grief counseling, and a bachelor's in child development. With over 20 years working with children and families navigating grief and loss, Dr. Korie specializes in supporting parents who have experienced the death of a child, baby, or pregnancy loss. She is the author of several books including What Does Grief Feel Like?, It Won't Ever Be the Same: A Teen's Guide to Grief and Grieving, and When Everything Changes: Parenting Through Loss and Grief. Dr. Korie brings a grief-informed lens to leadership and workplace culture, helping organizations support people through loss, trauma, and compassion fatigue.
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