Grief, Humor, and the Long Arc of Healing: A Conversation with Rebecca Soffer of Modern Loss In this episode of Grief is the New Normal, Dr. Heather Taylor talks with Rebecca Soffer, the co-founder of the Modern Loss community. Rebecca shares her personal journey through grief after the loss of her parents and the inception of Modern Loss. They discuss the integration of humor in grief, the importance of community, and the inadequacies in grief training for professionals. Rebecca emphasizes the value of creating personal rituals, setting boundaries, and the necessity of levity and joy amidst mourning. The conversation also touches on navigating grief-triggered days like Mother's Day and the benefits of 'going micro' to manage overwhelming emotions. 00:00 Introduction to Grief is the New Normal 00:25 Meet Rebecca Soffer: Founder of Modern Loss 00:38 Rebecca's Personal Journey with Grief 02:32 The Birth of Modern Loss 04:33 Navigating Grief and Loss 06:01 Challenges in Grief Therapy and Training 07:26 Mother's Day and Complicated Grief 18:00 The Importance of Community in Grief 19:36 Humor and Levity in Grief 24:12 Embracing the Grief Wave 24:37 Navigating Through Grief with Resources 24:58 The Bear Hunt Analogy 25:50 Building a Support System 26:41 Going Micro: Small Steps Through Grief 28:16 Mindfulness Techniques for Grief 29:28 Handling Trigger Days 30:48 Creating Coping Plans 31:46 Writing About Grief 32:00 Modern Loss Books 33:38 Staying Connected After Loss 35:24 Communing with the World 36:32 Teaching Others How to Support You 38:45 Final Takeaways on Grief 40:48 Upcoming Projects and Resources 42:58 Conclusion and Call to Action ------------------------------------------------ Rebecca Soffer is cofounder of Modern Loss, which offers creative, meaningful and encouraging content and community addressing the long arc of grief. She is also the bestselling author of The Modern Loss Handbook: An Interactive Guide to Moving Through Grief and Building Your Resilience (Running Press, 2022), which Gayle King named a favorite book of the year, and coauthor of Modern Loss: Candid Conversation About Grief. Beginners Welcome (Harper Wave, 2018), which The Strategist named a best book on loss for a younger generation. Rebecca also writes the Modern Loss newsletter, which is one of Substack's top Health & Wellness publications and shares intimate interviews with notable figures on their experiences with loss, including actors Cynthia Nixon, Jessica Williams, and Rachel Bloom; poet Saeed Jones; comedians Jena Friedman and Alyssa Limperis; transgender rights activist Raquel Willis; stylist Stacy London; and many more. She hosts the monthly “Light After Loss” Facebook series for 1800Flowers.com and is an expert contributor for Help Texts. Rebecca has partnered with several organizations developing tailored projects that promote their mission, including the Seleni Institute (raising awareness around perinatal mental health support) and the Parmenter Foundation (developing their UGrieve online grief awareness training course for undergraduates and graduate students).    Rebecca is a Peabody Award-winning former producer for The Colbert Report and an alumna of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.   Social media handles: Instagram: @modernloss and @rebeccasoffer  Facebook: @modernloss TikTok: @modernlossLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccasoffer/ ---------------------------------------------- Grief is the New Normal is the podcast that refuses to sugarcoat loss—because grief isn’t a problem to fix, it’s a reality to live with. Hosted by Dr. Heather Taylor, a licensed psychologist with over a decade of experience in grief, trauma, and reproductive psychology, this show dives deep into the messy, nonlinear, and very real ways grief impacts our lives. Whether you're navigating the death of your person, wrestling with the weight of an invisible loss, or trying to figure out who you even are after everyth