Podcast

15 years ago, Janet McGee left the funeral profession due to burnout. In 2016, a very unexpected loss reignited Janet's passion to not only return but to take on the role of funeral educator. In this episode, Janet shares her story with host, Gabe Schauf, and brings attention to a cause that she has been a big part of since that loss.

This timely episode focuses on the new resource for funeral homes and families entitled, When a Child Dies: Planning Acts of Love and Legacy. This is a collaborative effort of the Funeral Service Foundation and the National Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition.

Talking to a child about death and loss can be challenging and parents are often looking for resources to help. In this episode, Gabe Schauf sits down with Lacie Bruckner and Katherine Pendergast, co-authors of the “In Loving Memory” books, which teach children about funerals, cremation and the grief journey. Lacie and Kat share their inspiration for the books; provide ideas for talking to children about death; and suggest ways parents and funeral directors can involve children in the funeral.

In this episode of “A Brush With Death”, we pick up where we left off in the discussion featured in our last episode. Host Gabe Schauf teams up once again with Sara Murphy, Ph.D., certified thanatologist and expert on death, dying and bereavement, to answer your questions regarding grief during these unprecedented times. Topics include self-care, managing the phenomenon of “COVID fatigue”, and reinforcing the importance of the funeral director in times of mass fatalities. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 of this series, we highly recommend Episode #10 where Dr. Murphy discusses the impact Coronavirus is having on grief and loss.

This episode of “A Brush With Death” discusses the impact Coronavirus is having on grief and loss.  Host Gabe Schauf talks with Sara Murphy, Ph.D., certified thanatologist and expert on death, dying, and bereavement, about the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on both individual and cultural grieving.

Today, we are going to be talking about burnout and compassion fatigue. While many in the death care profession hate to admit it, both are very present.

Disenfranchised grief is the subject of this month’s NFDA podcast. Disenfranchised grief is grief not openly acknowledged, validated or publicly observed.  Our guest is Sara E. Murphy, Ph.D., a faculty member at the University of Rhode Island in the Honors Program and Department of Gender and Women's Studies and an expert on death, dying and bereavement.  Host Gabe Schauf will dive into the causes, effects and how funeral professionals can best serve clients struggling with it.