Aloha! Welcome to the Grief and Happiness podcast. My name is Emily Thiroux Threatt, and I am your host. I am the author of Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief, The Grief and Happiness Handbook, and creator of Grief and Happiness Cards: Gentle Support for Dealing with Grief and Finding Happiness
My purpose with the Grief and Happiness Podcast is to demonstrate to people who are dealing with grief and loss that they can grieve and be happy at the same time. The wide variety of guests address the myriad of issues that arise with loss and the spectrum of how grief and happiness relate. After a loved one dies, often people say they will never be happy again. By covering thought-provoking topics like creativity, compassion, community, purpose, inner peace, strength, coping, surrendering, and resilience with authors, speakers, coaches, and friends, listeners find inspiration and confidence guiding them on their grief journey. Each week the podcast showcases an interview with an inspiring guest and an additional brief podcast with a message of support and comfort.
Anyone dealing with grief or loss can come to the Grief and Happiness podcast to find comfort, support, love, and happiness. You are welcome here to learn ways to live your best life.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aloha! Welcome to the Grief and Happiness podcast. My name is Emily Thiroux Threatt, and I am your host. I am the author of Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief, The Grief and Happiness Handbook, and creator of Grief and Happiness Cards: Gentle Support for Dealing with Grief and Finding Happiness
My purpose with the Grief and Happiness Podcast is to demonstrate to people who are dealing with grief and loss that they can grieve and be happy at the same time. The wide variety of guests address the myriad of issues that arise with loss and the spectrum of how grief and happiness relate. After a loved one dies, often people say they will never be happy again. By covering thought-provoking topics like creativity, compassion, community, purpose, inner peace, strength, coping, surrendering, and resilience with authors, speakers, coaches, and friends, listeners find inspiration and confidence guiding them on their grief journey. Each week the podcast showcases an interview with an inspiring guest and an additional brief podcast with a message of support and comfort.
Anyone dealing with grief or loss can come to the Grief and Happiness podcast to find comfort, support, love, and happiness. You are welcome here to learn ways to live your best life.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you’ve ever felt pressured to “push through” grief alone, episode 392 of the Grief and Happiness Podcast is a must-listen. Evermore founder Joyal Mulheron shares what she learned after losing her daughter—how bereavement can quietly damage a person’s health, stability, and future, and how our systems often worsen the pain. Drawing on years of policy work and real stories from grieving families, she reveals what truly helps people begin to recover. Her insights will change how you understand loss and how you support others through it.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(01:03) Joyal’s story and the loss that changed her mission
(02:10) Leaving policy work to build Evermore
(04:19) What national tragedies revealed about America’s grief gap
(06:02) What six years of listening taught her about bereavement
(07:45) The real health and economic costs of grief
(09:57) Why people pull away—and how to truly support a griever
(11:54) Emily’s turning point: the power of saying yes
(17:30) Why community witnessing matters
(18:47) The harm of common grief clichés
(21:37) How workplaces often get grief wrong
(23:12) How loss reshapes relationships
(29:31) Reconnecting with long-lost friends during grief
(33:14) Finding meaning—and why systemic change is urgent
Joyal Mulheron is the founder and executive director of Evermore, a national nonprofit working to improve how society supports bereaved people. After a policy career advising governors, federal agencies, and the White House on science-based public health strategy, the death of her daughter redirected her work toward understanding the real impact of loss. Since then, she has become a leading advocate for reform, helping secure paid bereavement leave for U.S. Armed Forces and creating the country’s first community bereavement response guide. Her mission bridges science, policy, and community action to build more compassionate and effective systems for those experiencing grief.
In the episode, Joyal explains how personal tragedy revealed the deep health, social, and economic effects of bereavement—and how current systems consistently fall short. Drawing on years of research and conversations with families nationwide, she emphasizes that bereavement is a life-altering event that requires more than emotional support. She shares how Evermore pushes for stronger national policies, better community responses, and evidence-based tools that help people “weather” loss rather than face it alone. Her insights highlight the urgent need for more humane, prepared, and responsive structures for grieving individuals.
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