Dr. Korie Leigh has spent years studying how to talk to kids about death. In this episode, we dig into the biggest mistake parents make when it comes to talking to kids about death and grief. Plus the #1 quality you can build in kids.
Dr. Leigh highlights how unprocessed and disenfranchised childhood grief can contribute to adult anxiety, depression, substance use, and parentification. Resilience, however, can be built through “dosing” information, nervous-system regulation, and meaningful rituals around everyday endings.
Dr. Leigh describes how she came to helping children with death and grief, which includes working with kids with cancer and kids who have experienced parental loss.
00:00 Why Kids Need Truth
01:09 Meet Dr Corey Lee & Tea Blending Side Quest
04:06 Talking About Death
06:35 Kids Misconceptions Explained
08:14 Angels Took Grandma
10:50 How Hidden Grief Grows Up
16:43 Dosing Method For Answers
18:45 Resilience In Hard Times
23:39 Everyday Loss Teachable Moments
27:18 Rituals Create Core Memories
29:56 Puffy Paint Breakthrough
32:07 Core Memories Are Emotions
34:41 What She Actually Does
36:44 Born Into This Work
40:01 Science Meets Spirituality
42:32 Dyscalculia Explained
44:57 Are you an info-based coper or an emotion-based coper?
56:09 Where to Find Dr. Leigh, Season 2 Teaser & Farewell
BIO: Dr. Korie Leigh – Professor • Author • Thanatologist
Dr. Korie Leigh is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in childhood bereavement, trauma-informed care, and compassionate communication. She specializes in supporting children and families navigating illness, death, and loss.
Dr. Leigh has presented at national and international conferences and facilitates workshops on grief literacy, meaning-making, and trauma-informed care for professionals across healthcare, education, and community sectors. Her integrative approach draws from clinical practice, academic scholarship, and the profound understanding of our capacity to heal after loss.
Dr. Leigh is the author of Oprah Booklist title, What Does Grief Feel Like?, It Won’t Ever Be the Same: A teens guide to grief and grieving, and When Everything Changes: Parenting through loss and grief. Dr. Leigh’s books that help children and families process grief with honesty and compassion.
Follow Dr. Korie Leigh
Get her books:
Newest book -- When Everything Changes: Parenting through loss and grief
It Won’t Ever Be the Same: A Teen’s Guide to Grief and Grieving
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