Grief After Estrangement: Healing Complicated Relationships Through Ritual & Creativity
Grief After Estrangement: Healing Complicated Relationships Through Ritual & Creativity
What happens when someone you were estranged from dies?
Grief after estrangement can bring layers of emotion — sadness, anger, relief, regret, gratitude — sometimes all at once. When a relationship was complicated, the grieving process can feel confusing and isolating.
In this episode (GRIEF Ladies Episode #29), we talk with Sam Sundius about navigating loss after estrangement, honoring both the hard and meaningful parts of a relationship, and using ritual and creativity as tools for healing.
We explore:
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How grief shows up when the relationship wasn’t simple
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Why grief and gratitude can coexist
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The power of intentional rituals
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Creativity as an outlet for emotional processing
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Finding meaning without rewriting the past
As always, we close with a practical step you can try — because grief changes your life, and you deserve tools that help you live inside that change.
Related topics: estranged parent grief, complicated relationships, ritual for grief, creative grief support.
The GRIEF Ladies grew from decades of clinical work, community building, and lived experience. It isn’t a checklist to “get over it.” It’s a path you can re-enter on the hardest days and the ordinary ones.
Kelly Daugherty from Center for Informed Grief and Karyn Arnold of Grief in Common first connected when Kelly was leading a collaborative grief book project and posted in a Facebook group looking for authors. Karyn responded, and from their very first conversation, the connection was instant. They discovered a shared passion for supporting grieving individuals and striking similarities in their approaches and professional paths. Both had worked in hospice, and both believed that there are practical tools that can truly help support someone on their grief journey.
That first book became The Grief Experience: Tools for Acceptance, Resilience, and Connection. From there, their collaboration grew naturally. What began with one project has blossomed into an ongoing partnership including building frameworks, workshops, and now the GRIEF Ladies Podcast to help others navigate life after loss with honesty and hope. Sign up for their newsletter to stay informed about their future ventures!
Karyn Arnold has served grievers for 25+ years as a facilitator, educator, and the founder of Grief in Common, an online community that connects people by shared experiences of loss. With a background in psychology and mind–body work, Karyn blends evidence-informed practice with simple daily actions that help people steady themselves and find support. She has guided thousands of grievers through groups, workshops, and online programs, and partners with clinicians and organizations to make grief resources easier to find and use.
Kelly Daugherty, LCSW-R, FT, BCC, is a clinician, educator, board-certified coach, and founder of the Center for Informed Grief in Malta, NY. A Fellow in Thanatology, Kelly has worked with individuals and families across hospice, schools, and private practice for over two decades. Her commitment to grief work began after her mother’s death during Kelly’s teen years, shaping a career focused on practical, compassionate support. Kelly develops trainings for educators and mental-health professionals, consults with schools on grief-informed practices, and leads community programs that normalize grief while teaching concrete skills. She believes accessible, plain-language tools can change how communities show up for one another.
