Universal Lessons from Grief: Ashlee Boyson, Author of One Day - A Child’s Journey Through Grief and Loss

The Virtual Couch

Tony Overbay LMFT

Education, Mental Health, Health & Fitness, Self-improvement

5 • 643 Ratings

🗓️ 12 March 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When Ashlee Boyson answered her door at age 28 to find detectives bearing unimaginable news—her husband murdered, an affair revealed—she became a widow with five children, including a six-week-old baby. In this powerful episode of the Virtual Couch, Tony Overbay, LMFT, explores how this defining moment led Ashlee to become not just a survivor but a guide for others navigating grief's complex terrain. Her groundbreaking book "One Day: A Child's Journey Through Grief and Loss," illustrated by her daughter Bostyn, takes a revolutionary approach by deliberately omitting facial expressions and colors—creating space for authentic emotions rather than prescribing how one "should" feel when grieving.Beyond the book, Tony and Ashlee dive into the messy truth of grief—how contradictory emotions can coexist, why well-intentioned comfort often invalidates emotional reality, and practical strategies for creating genuine healing. With moments of unexpected laughter amidst profound wisdom, they explore how Ashlee's journey led her to develop courses on infidelity and widowhood, practice foot zoning, and, most importantly, help parents understand that there's no "right way" to grieve. Whether you're personally experiencing loss or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers a masterclass in compassionate presence and emotional intelligence that transcends age, making it essential listening for anyone seeking to process grief authentically.00:00 Introduction and Announcements01:35 Introducing Ashley Boyson02:10 Ashley's Incredible Story03:27 Ashley's Journey Through Grief03:54 Discussing Ashley's New Book12:04 The Healing Power of Foot Zoning17:40 The Importance of Emotional Awareness26:35 Addressing Children's Emotional Pain27:06 Recognizing and Validating Emotions27:45 Personal Experiences with Suppressed Emotions28:52 Navigating Grief and Loss30:33 Complex Emotions and Healing31:30 The Importance of Open Communication32:25 Balancing Past and Future Fears34:11 Encouraging Emotional Expression in Children35:51 Handling Grief Triggers43:45 The Role of Truth in Healing46:21 Final Thoughts and Resources

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome to the virtual couch.
0:05.0	Please take a seat for pillars, emotional maturity,
0:09.0	and your self-worth ran so deep.
0:12.0	You are not broken, you're a human, so check that out.
0:18.0	You don't know, what you don't know is what it's all about.
0:24.1	Hey, everybody. Welcome to another episode of the virtual couch. I am your host, Tony Overbay. I'm a
0:28.6	licensed marriage and family therapist. Do me two, maybe three, maybe four, four solids, four favors.
0:35.8	If you can go to the newly updated website, Tonyoverbate.com, sign up for my newsletter.
0:40.7	Follow me on the social medias at virtual.couch on Instagram and at virtual couch on TikTok.
0:46.1	And watch out for the lives that I do with my daughters, Mackey and Sydney.
0:50.3	Get your questions in through the contact form at at Tonyoverbay.com. I am drawing a blank on,
0:56.1	I don't know if we were, we had two, three solids there. Make it a great day. Maybe that seems
1:00.0	like that would be a little bit better at the end of the podcast. Oh, okay, patreon.com slash
1:05.3	virtual couch. Go visit my Patreon and do whatever one does on a Patreon account. There is bonus content coming,
1:13.3	more interactions there. If you like the content that you hear on any of the virtual
1:17.3	couch podcast network shows, the lives, waking up to narcissism, any of those, I would love
1:21.5	it if you would stop by there and sign up and support the Patreon because that is going to
1:25.7	lead to a lot of incredible things. Things that are already planned.
1:28.7	Do that.
1:29.3	Go to the Patreon.
1:30.0	Do that now.
1:31.3	Like right now.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Tony Overbay LMFT, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Tony Overbay LMFT and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.