What Nobody Tells You About Grief and Loss

The Mel Robbins Podcast

SiriusXM Podcasts

Education, Mental Health, Relationships, Self-improvement, Society & Culture, Health & Fitness

4.8 • 10.6K Ratings

🗓️ 18 December 2025

⏱️ 91 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In today’s episode, you’re going to learn what nobody tells you about grief and loss. Whether you’ve lost someone recently, years ago, or are anticipating a loss, this conversation will give you clarity, relief, and a way forward. Or if someone you love is grieving and you feel helpless and want to know how to support them, after this conversation you will know exactly what to say and do. Joining Mel today is David Kessler, one of the world’s most renowned experts on grief and loss and bestselling author of eight books, who has spent more than 40 years helping millions of people through the hardest moments of their lives. David has lived profound loss himself, and he brings a rare combination of research, compassion, honesty, and hard-earned wisdom. What he shares today will change the way you understand grief, your own emotions, and what healing actually looks like. In this episode, you’ll learn: -The real reason grief feels so confusing (and why you’re not “doing it wrong”) -The biggest mistakes people make when they’re grieving -What to say (and what never to say) when someone you love is grieving - Why waves of sadness hit you out of nowhere - What grief bursts and love bursts are and what they mean -Why guilt is so common after loss and how to release it -How to carry your love forward without being trapped in pain -The surprising ways laughter and anger help you heal Today, David offers you a simple framework to live with more peace, grace, and meaning after loss. If you’ve ever felt alone in your grief, confused by your emotions, or pressured to “move on,” this conversation is for you. You are not doing it wrong. You are not alone. And with David’s clear, compassionate guidance, you’ll understand how healing can become possible. For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page. As a gift to listeners of The Mel Robbins Podcast, Mel has created a free 20-page workbook to help you make 2026 a great year. This workbook is designed using the latest research to help you get clear about what you want and empower you to take the next step forward in your life. And the cool part? It takes less than a minute for you to get your hands on it. Just sign up at melrobbins.com/bestyear. If you liked the episode, check out this one next: Why You Feel Lost in Life: Dr. Gabor Maté on Trauma & How to Heal Connect with Mel: Get Mel’s newsletter, packed with tools, coaching, and inspiration. Get Mel’s #1 bestselling book, The Let Them Theory Get on the waitlist for Pure Genius Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Mel on Instagram The Mel Robbins Podcast Instagram Mel's TikTok Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes ad-free Disclaimer

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's your friend Mel, and welcome to the Mel Robbins podcast.
0:08.8	Today, you and I are going to cover a topic that over 18,000 of you have emailed in asking me to get a world-class expert to come talk about.
0:19.6	It is one of the most requested topics that I've never
0:22.6	discussed on this podcast, what nobody tells you about grief and loss. And I want to say something
0:29.4	before we jump in. Thank you. Thank you for hitting play. This can be a hard topic for every one of us to
0:35.5	lean into, and so I am so proud of you and proud of myself for being here.
0:40.5	Now, I've waited until now to have this conversation because I needed the right person to guide you and me through this topic.
0:47.7	And that person is David Kessler. David has over 30 years of experience helping people through unimaginable loss.
0:55.4	And David also knows what it's like to lose someone.
0:58.9	He's lived it.
1:00.0	He's studied it.
1:01.1	He's taught it.
1:02.2	And today, he is here in our Boston studios for you and the people that you care about.
1:08.1	He's going to walk you through the science and process of healing from grief, and he's also going to explain why love and grief are a packaged deal.
1:16.3	He'll share what no one else tells you about grief and loss, and he's going to do it in a way
1:21.0	that you've never heard before. This conversation is also about what comes next, living with grief, with more peace, more grace,
1:31.1	more laughter, and more meaning. You're going to discover how to carry your love forward without
1:37.1	being trapped in pain or guilt. You're going to get the tools for how to deal with intense
1:42.0	emotions when they crash in. And you're also going to learn
1:45.3	what to say and the things to never say in grief, whether you're the one grieving and you're
1:52.4	saying it to yourself, or you're just trying to support someone who is. By the end of our
1:58.0	conversation, you're going to feel less alone and you're going to look at this topic and what's possible completely differently, because it's going to open the door to healing, happiness, hope, and give you the roadmap to living a more meaningful life after loss.
	...

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