Episode 27
Doing big feelings together

In this episode, Colleen sits down with grief counsellor and author, Aly Bird, for a thoughtful conversation about grief, loss, resilience, and the ways we learn to carry difficult experiences.

Together, they explore how grief affects both adults and children, why honest conversations matter, and how our culture often struggles to make space for mourning and vulnerability. Aly shares insights from her work supporting bereaved individuals and families, including how children process grief differently than adults, the importance of trusted relationships, and why emotional expression should be supported rather than avoided.

The conversation also dives into “continuing bonds,” the idea that relationships with people who have died can remain meaningful and present throughout our lives, as well as the role of ritual, community, and storytelling in healing. Aly reflects personally on losing her partner Will, rebuilding life after profound loss, and how courage, curiosity, and connection have shaped both her personal journey and professional work.

This episode is an honest, compassionate discussion about grief literacy, emotional resilience, and learning to make space for the people and experiences that continue to shape us long after loss.

Important messages

• Children grieve differently than adults and often move in and out of grief more fluidly.

• Bereaved children benefit most from trusted adults who can have honest, age-appropriate conversations with them.

• It’s okay for adults not to have all the answers; openness and honesty matter more than perfection.

• Avoiding difficult emotions doesn’t build resilience; safely experiencing and processing them does.

• Grief has no universal timeline or “correct” way of looking.

• Continuing to talk about people who have died can foster healing and resilience.

• Rituals, communal mourning, and shared vulnerability can help reduce isolation in grief.

• Many forms of grief extend beyond death, including unmet expectations and major life changes.

• Supporting grieving children also means educating the adults around them.

• Courage sometimes means allowing life to unfold differently than originally planned.

Resources Mentioned

• connect with Aly

• Aly’s book, The Grief Ally Book

• other books mentioned:

  • I Found a Dead Bird: The kid’s guide to the cycle of life and death

  • When Dinosaurs Die: A guide to understanding death

Aly Bird (she/her) RP

Aly Bird is a Registered Psychotherapist with master’s degrees in Social Planning and Counselling Psychology who specializes in grief and loss. She has supported teens, young adults, and families in therapeutic settings since 2018. Aly works with youth coping with the death of a loved one, adults grieving a partner, and individuals navigating dating after loss. She is the author of Grief Ally and a speaker passionate about building grief literacy and compassionate support.