Phoenix Rising With Dr Z: Conversations About Grief and Loss
Dr, Christina Zampitella
60 episodes
16 hours ago
In life. we so often avoid the experience of grief, and that avoidance makes it hard to talk about in our everyday lives. Yet it is a natural and almost universal experience- one that is complex and personal.
In this podcast, we will be deconstructing and zooming in on the component parts of grief,
and talking about the different ways we can process and heal through loss.
About Your Host
Dr Christina Zampitella- is a Dr of Clinical Psychology and a Fellow of Thanatology, with the Association for Death Education and Counseling and the founder of the Center For Grief and Trauma Therapy in Wilmington Delaware.
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In life. we so often avoid the experience of grief, and that avoidance makes it hard to talk about in our everyday lives. Yet it is a natural and almost universal experience- one that is complex and personal.
In this podcast, we will be deconstructing and zooming in on the component parts of grief,
and talking about the different ways we can process and heal through loss.
About Your Host
Dr Christina Zampitella- is a Dr of Clinical Psychology and a Fellow of Thanatology, with the Association for Death Education and Counseling and the founder of the Center For Grief and Trauma Therapy in Wilmington Delaware.
056: Understanding and Helping Grieving Children with Jacey Ludlam, M.S. (Part 2)
Phoenix Rising With Dr Z: Conversations About Grief and Loss
50 minutes
1 month ago
056: Understanding and Helping Grieving Children with Jacey Ludlam, M.S. (Part 2)
Understanding and Helping Grieving Children with Jacey Ludlam, M.S. (Part 2)
In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Dr. Christina Zampitella and licensed counselor Jacey Ludlam continue exploring how grief shows up in children — and how caregivers, teachers, and clinicians can recognize the signs, respond with compassion, and support healing over time.
From behavioral shifts to developmental impacts, Jacey unpacks how grief manifests across different ages — including misdiagnoses like ADHD, internalized shame, and dissociation. The episode also offers practical insights for caregivers: how to talk to kids about death, what art and play can reveal, and when it’s time to seek professional help.
Whether you're a parent, therapist, or someone who supports children, this episode offers grounded, trauma-informed guidance you can use right now.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro 01:00 – How grief shows up in children’s play, art, and behavior 03:45 – Misdiagnosis: Grief vs. ADHD 07:00 – The role of trauma in overlapping mental health conditions 10:00 – Judgment, shame & guilt in 7–9 year olds 12:00 – Using art to process grief 14:00 – Giving children safe choices when expressing emotions 17:00 – Signs of healing in grieving children 20:00 – Why grief resurfaces across developmental stages 23:00 – 3 key ways to support a grieving child 25:00 – How to answer difficult questions about death 28:00 – Age-appropriate language & metaphors 30:00 – Should kids attend funerals or viewings? 33:00 – The danger of leaving kids in the dark 36:00 – Creative expression & storytelling as tools for healing 38:00 – Why peer groups matter for grieving kids 40:00 – When is professional help necessary? 44:00 – The long-term effects of dissociation 46:00 – What happens when a child’s self-concept breaks down 47:30 – How serious illness changes a child’s understanding of death 49:00 – Closing thoughts & what’s coming next
Phoenix Rising With Dr Z: Conversations About Grief and Loss
In life. we so often avoid the experience of grief, and that avoidance makes it hard to talk about in our everyday lives. Yet it is a natural and almost universal experience- one that is complex and personal.
In this podcast, we will be deconstructing and zooming in on the component parts of grief,
and talking about the different ways we can process and heal through loss.
About Your Host
Dr Christina Zampitella- is a Dr of Clinical Psychology and a Fellow of Thanatology, with the Association for Death Education and Counseling and the founder of the Center For Grief and Trauma Therapy in Wilmington Delaware.
