Invisible Loss: How to Heal and Find Ourselves After Grief (feat. Christina Rasmussen)
Our inner critic often suggests that it's acceptable to grieve significant losses, but we should just push through everyday heartaches like workplace rejections, feeling disconnected in our relationships, being ignored by friends, or being stuck in a job that doesn't fulfill us.
Christina Rasmussen, my guest, emphasizes the importance of recognizing and processing this often overlooked type of grief. In our conversation, she will illuminate these lesser-known forms of grief, helping us heal and find a sense of peace and hope in our lives.
Christina Rasmussen is an acclaimed grief educator and bestselling author of "Second Firsts," "Where Did You Go?" and "Invisible Loss." Her impactful grief work has been featured on ABC News, Psychology Today, in Women's World, the Washington Post, and the White House Blog. Christina created the Life Reentry process, which launched her on a mission to bring compassion, grace, and validation to thousands while simultaneously establishing an exit from what she termed the Waiting Room.
During our conversation, Christina and I explored different aspects of invisible losses, discussing their origins and the transformative power of shifting one's mindset. We talked about letting go of shame and guilt, allowing one to rediscover one's true self. This shift in perspective can bring hope and inspiration to our lives.
interview timestamps
Christina's background: discussing the story behind creating the life re-entry framework
05:20 ︳Christina shares her experience of devastating loss
06:20 ︳How Christina created her framework in her practice and how she debunked some myths
The Concept of Invisible Loss and The Original Self
10:30 ︳What is invisible loss, and common symptoms
12:00 ︳The Original Self and how we lose it after invisible losses
The Survivor Self
15:00 ︳How our Survivor Self comes into being and shapes us
16:00 ︳The importance of inspiration and reframing our experiences to reclaim our Original Self
17:20 ︳The brain's role in memory and survival
34:00 ︳The importance of feeling emotions fully
The Waiting Room
19:20 ︳What is the Waiting Room, and how do we know we're stuck in there
22:39 ︳The Waiting Room of Success Getting over the Survivor Self with the Watcher Self
26:00 ︳How Christina identified her survivor self and found a way to overcome it
28:00 ︳Understanding the voice of the Survivor Self
30:15 ︳Unveiling the power of our Watcher Self
Navigating our way back to our Original and Thriver Self
33:00 ︳Christina shares her experience of witnessing others going through the life re-entry process
35:00 ︳Overcoming fear and invisible loss with small, low-risk steps
37:20 ︳The process of cleansing thoughts and reframing actions
43:00 ︳The importance of having a support system for deep inner work
