Dr. Rondalyn Whitney on Grief, Caregiving, and Rebuilding Yourself

Grief is not just emotional. It can change your body, your brain, your routines, and even your sense of identity. In this episode of From Guilt to Good, Jeanette Yates talks with Dr. Rondalyn Varney Whitney, an occupational therapist, narrative medicine practitioner, and author of Habits of Widows and Lies in the Afterlife. After the traumatic death of her husband in 2020, Rondalyn began writing every day for a year and a day — and that writing became part of how she survived, processed, and rebuilt. Jeanette and Rondalyn talk about caregiver grief, the widowhood effect, occupational identity, compassion fatigue, journaling, and what it really means to live on after loss. This conversation is for anyone who has cared for someone they love, lost someone they love, or felt like grief changed not only their emotions, but their entire life. In this episode: 00:00 Why Caregiver Grief Is Different 05:00 What “Care” Really Means in Caregiving 10:00 Why Grief Affects the Body and Brain 15:00 Grief as a Stress Response 20:00 The Widowhood Effect and Health Risks After Loss 25:00 How to Support a Grieving Caregiver 30:00 Self-Care After Grief and Caregiving 35:00 Journaling for Grief and Healing 40:00 Caregiver Guilt, Loss, and Emotional Truth 45:00 Rondalyn Whitney’s Books and Grief Resources Resources: Rondalyn Whitney: rondalynwhitney.com Jeanette Yates: jeanetteyates.com Books mentioned: Habits of Widows Lies in the Afterlife Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky Subscribe for more conversations about caregiving, grief, boundaries, and self-care without guilt.