Grief is not a problem to be solved or something we simply “get over.” In this profound conversation, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with philosopher and grief expert Thomas Attig about mourning as a lifelong process of relearning how to live in a world forever changed by loss. Drawing on decades of scholarship and personal insight, Thomas explains how grief can deepen our Love, strengthen resilience, and help us find Wisdom and meaning in life’s most difficult transitions. This episode offers compassionate guidance for anyone grieving a loved one or supporting someone through loss. Thomas Attig is an internationally recognized philosopher, educator, and authority on grief, death, and bereavement. He earned his BA and PhD in philosophy from Northwestern University and Washington University in St. Louis. During his career at Bowling Green State University, he helped establish the world’s first PhD program in applied philosophy. He is a Fellow of the International Work Group on Death, Dying, and Bereavement. Dr. Attig is the author of several influential books, including How We Grieve and Seeking Wisdom in Death’s Shadows.

Episode Timeline

00:00 – Welcome and introduction

00:30 – Why grief is central to healthy Aging and emotional well-being

04:06 – Tom Attig’s early experiences with death and Family loss

08:45 – Teaching the first university course on death and dying

11:30 – Grief as relearning how to live in the world

13:11 – Dr. Gillian shares the loss of her husband

15:44 – Grief reaction versus grief response

18:00 – Learning to love in separation

22:00 – Moving from sorrow to gratitude

24:52 – The purpose and structure of Seeking Wisdom in Death’s Shadows

27:00 – Problems versus mysteries in life and grief

31:42 – One essential truth for anyone who is grieving

Connect with Thomas Attig PhD

Book: Seeking Wisdom in Death’s Shadows: Collected Writings on How We Grieve

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Website: Thomas Attig Author Page

30% Discount Code: AUFLY30

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Dr. Gillian Lockitch Dr. Gillian Lockitch

Dr. Gillian Lockitch is an international speaker, author of Growing Older, Living Younger: The Science of Aging Gracefully and The Art of Retiring Comfortably, and host of the Growing Older, Living Younger Podcast. As a dual-certified Specialist in Paediatrics and Medical Biochemistry and Professor at the University of British Columbia, her professional career was rooted in science. During her rehabilitation from life-saving emergency spinal surgery, her passion to be able to dance again led her to explore the intersection of medical and epigenetic science with non-Western healing traditions, to understand how to change aging at the cellular level. Within the Growing Older, Living Younger Project, the Change Your Aging Masterplan cycle is a year-long 3 part coaching program to preserve mind and brain, build your best body, and to survive and thrive in your environment. At 70 Dr. Lockitch became a first time entrepreneur, building a global online business with the premiere wellness and beauty company, to help others extend their healthspan, stay vibrant, active, and independent as they age. Now retired from medical practice, Dr. Lockitch is an empathetic coach and mentor but does not diagnose, treat or prescribe for medical diseases.