If you’ve ever been told to “move on” from grief, Episode 436 of the Grief and Happiness podcast will change how you think about healing forever. Michael Reed, who lost his wife and both daughters in the Gatlinburg wildfire, reveals why the five stages of grief are a myth and shares the moment he finally smiled at a memory before the tears came.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(00:04) Introduction to Michael Reed and his story of loss
(01:26) Losing his wife and daughters in the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfire
(04:01) Why the five stages of grief are a myth
(06:11) The taboo around men expressing grief and the power of vulnerability
(07:30) How a late-night Facebook post launched his writing career
(08:45) Why all grief — from Divorce to empty nesting — is fundamentally the same
(10:26) The difference between moving on and moving forward
(13:48) The moment he smiled at a memory before the tears came
(16:06) What makes Michael a natural writer and the courage it takes to be vulnerable
(19:18) How dreams and signs from loved ones keep connection alive
(24:30) Healing in your grief — not from it
(25:54) Where to find Michael’s books and free grief resources
Michael Reed is an author, speaker, and certified grief coach whose work focuses on grief, psychological adaptation, and long-term healing following traumatic loss. On November 28, 2016, he lost his wife Constance and both daughters, Chloe and Lily, in the wildfire that devastated Gatlinburg, Tennessee — a tragedy that became the catalyst for his life’s mission. That journey produced his bestselling book The Million Stages of Grief, which challenges the oversimplified five-stage model and honors the deeply individual nature of loss, followed by The Million Stages of Healing and a children’s book, The Owl and the Ladybug. Michael is also a certified grief coach pursuing a degree in Behavioral Science, and serves as president of Emily’s Grief and Happiness Alliance nonprofit.
In this episode, Michael shares the raw philosophy behind his writing — that grief isn’t limited to death, but encompasses any significant loss, and that its universality is precisely what connects us. He recounts how a middle-of-the-night journal entry posted on Facebook sparked his entire authorship career, and introduces his newest book, The Million Stages of Healing, built around the distinction between moving on and moving forward — carrying Love for those we’ve lost into each new day. A turning point he describes is smiling at a photo of his daughter Lily and realizing he had taken his first step toward healing. He speaks openly about vulnerability, signs from loved ones, and the particular stigma men face around expressing grief.
Connect with Michael Reed:
Book: Michael Reed – The Million Stages of Grief
Let’s Connect:
The Grief and Happiness Alliance
Book: Emily Thiroux Threatt – Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief
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