Episode 56

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Published on:

10th Aug 2025

E56 - Sheila K. Collins, Ph.D - Author, Key Note Speaker, Workshops

As an award-winning author and grief advocate, Sheila K. Collins discovered the transformative power of art in healing after enduring the loss of two adult children. A former dancer and social work professor, she began performing the book she wrote about her experiences of loss, Warrior Mother: Fierce Love, Unbearable Loss and the Rituals that Heal. On tour she realized how deeply our Western culture struggles with grief—fearing it and not knowing how to respond to others’ loss. This inspired her groundbreaking work in The Art of Grieving: How Art and Art Making Help Us Grieve and Live Our Best Lives, where she asks, “What if grieving were a skill we could practice and master, like an art form?” Sheila reveals how the arts—dance, music, storytelling, and more—are natural medicines that can help us metabolize loss and live fully, offering a fresh, hopeful perspective on grief.

Sheila K. Collins website: https://sheilakcollins.com/

Sheila's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/sheilakcollins

Book: 'The Art of Grieving: How Arts and Art-Making Help Us Grieve and Live Our Best Lives: https://amzn.to/45hxSz6

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About the Podcast

Heroes in Grief
Inspiring people who have done purposeful things with their grief.
I am a bereaved father, a bereaved son, a bereaved brother & a bereaved friend. Listening to other people's stories of how they cope with their death losses has almost always given me useful tools to use in my journey.
The purpose of Heroes in Grief is the same. It is my sincere hope that hearing the remarkable things that grieving people have done to honor their loved ones, or maybe just to cope will encourage you as well.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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Tom Bender