Shelby Forsythia on Navigating Grief

Seeing Death Clearly

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Shelby Forsythia helps grieving people move through the pain and overwhelm of loss to experience peace, purpose, and joy again. She believes everyone deserves a good life, even if it’s not the one they thought they’d be living. Shelby Forsythia (she/her) is a grief coach, author, and podcast host. In 2020, she founded Life After Loss Academy, an online course and community that has helped dozens of grievers grow and find their way after death, divorce, diagnosis, and other major life transitions.
After her mother’s death in 2013, Shelby became a “student of grief” and now devotes her days to reading, writing, and speaking about loss. She never planned to become a grief coach, author, or speaker on grief. Like many who enter this line of work, she was profoundly changed by loss. Growing up in North Carolina, her childhood was idyllic—soccer, piano lessons, theater. Her parents stayed together, and she faced no major losses until her father lost his stable job, marking the beginning of what she calls the "four years of hell." This period included her father's brain aneurysms and surgery, her coming out as queer, and ultimately, her mother's death.

The cumulative losses were overwhelming, not just her mother's death but a loss of faith, home, and family structure. Her grief was multi-layered, a common experience shared by many she works with. Initially motivated and excited about life, she became uncertain if life could ever be good again. Almost ten years later, she finds herself in a space where life does feel good again, which sometimes feels like a miracle.

Being queer has taught her resilience and creativity, valuable in grief. Coming out prepared her to seek alternative support systems and healing methods. The intersection of queerness and grief brings a unique perspective, allowing her to reimagine life in more colorful, softer, and fluid ways. This adaptability is a blessing, offering new possibilities in loss.

Her podcast, Dear Grief Guide, is a gateway for listeners to connect with her work. It stands as a testament to her jou

I’m thrilled to share my new line of death-positive apparel and items; a great way to bring meaningful conversation into style and support a small, death-positive business.
These shirts are designed for those of us who believe in open, honest conversations about death, dying, and grief.
And if you’re a regular listener, I know you’re already death-positive and not afraid to spark these conversations.

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