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Grief does not end. It changes us.

In this honest and deeply personal conversation, grief expert and licensed therapist Edy Nathan joins Abdullah Boulad to explore what it truly means to live with loss instead of trying to move beyond it.

They discuss how grief lives in the body, how trauma reshapes identity, and how the protective patterns we build to survive can follow us long after the loss itself. From trauma stored in the nervous system to the myth of closure, this episode offers a compassionate and grounded perspective on grief therapy and emotional healing.

Edy reflects on losing her partner at twenty-seven and how that experience shaped her life’s work in trauma recovery, psychodrama, and creative arts therapy. Rather than promoting the idea of getting over grief, she introduces integration as a more honest and sustainable path forward.

Grief is not something we erase.
It is something we learn to carry.

In this episode, you will hear about:

• How to process grief after loss
• Trauma stored in the body and emotional armor
• The impact of bullying, abuse, and early attachment wounds
• Continuing bonds and staying connected to loved ones
• Forgiveness, apology, and emotional repair
• Identity changes after death, trauma, or sexuality shifts
• Cultural attitudes toward grief and healing
• Psychodrama and expressive therapy as trauma healing tools
• Why receiving support can feel harder than asking for it
• Integration versus closure in grief recovery

If you are navigating grief, trauma, identity shifts, or searching for thoughtful mental health conversations, this episode offers insight that is both professional and deeply human.

About Edy Nathan: A licensed therapist, grief specialist, author, and speaker known for her work in trauma integration and creative arts therapies. She combines psychodrama, experiential methods, and continuing bonds theory to help individuals process loss and reconnect with emotional safety.

00:00:00 – Meet Edy Nathan, Grief Expert & Pioneer in the Creative Arts Therapies
00:01:46 – Theater, Perspective & Reframing Pain
00:03:05 – Loss at 27 & Awakening to Grief
00:05:19 – Trauma in the Body & Protective Weight
00:06:27 – Bullying, Abuse & the Meaning of Love
00:08:27 – Secrets, Safety & Clinical Work
00:09:03 – Love, Grief & Learning to Receive
00:12:06 – Mementos, Memory & Ongoing Bonds
00:15:54 – Forgiveness, Repair & Apologies
00:17:48 – Agoraphobia & The Search for Support
00:20:01 – Discovering Psychodrama & Play
00:25:01 – Creativity as Ancestral Healing
00:27:05 – Mask Work & Emotional Expression
00:29:32 – Clients, Grief & Amnesia of Love
00:31:31 – Inner Liberation & Negotiation Work
00:35:43 – Grief of Identity, Sexuality & Self
00:39:55 – Cultural Shifts in Grief Language
00:43:21 – Blueprints, Coping & Emotional Armor
00:47:54 – Integration Over Closure
00:52:59 – Myths, Movement & Interrupting Trauma
01:00:22 – Honoring Inner Magic & Final Words

Follow Abdullah Boulad:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdullahboulad/
https://www.instagram.com/abdullahboulad/

Follow Edy Nathan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/edy-nathan/

You can order Abdullah’s book, ‘Living A Life In Balance’, here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Abdullah-Boulad/author/B0BC9S5TCF?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Follow The Balance RehabClinic:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/thebalancerehabclinic/
https://www.instagram.com/thebalancerehabclinic/

#LivingALifeInBalance #podcast #grief #griefsupport #mentalhealthpodcast #wellness #wellnessjourney #health #healing #wellbeing #traum

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Robin Lefever, psychiatrist and long-standing voice in addiction and mental health care, joins Abdullah Boulad for an honest and wide-ranging conversation on addiction, relapse, depression, trauma, and the long-term reality of treatment.

Robin speaks openly about his early experiences with substance use, the temporary relief addiction can bring, and how emotional vulnerability, social anxiety, and mental health struggles often sit underneath addictive behaviours. He reflects on relapse, self-harm, depressive episodes, and the complex journey from first asking for help to long-term stability.

The discussion looks at family systems, early intervention, harm reduction, therapeutic communities, power dynamics in clinics, and the importance of team culture in creating a safe therapeutic environment.

This episode also touches on suicidal ideation, mental health crises, neurodivergence, and the need for compassionate, human-centered care that goes beyond rigid models.

About Robin:
Robin Lefever is a psychiatrist with decades of experience in addiction and mental health treatment. His work focuses on evidence-based care, therapeutic communities, and creating treatment environments that are supportive, ethical, and grounded in clinical reality.

Follow Abdullah Boulad:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdullahboulad/
https://www.instagram.com/abdullahboulad/

Follow Robin Lefever:
https://www.facebook.com/robin.lefever/

You can order Abdullah’s book, ‘Living A Life In Balance’, here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/...

Follow The Balance RehabClinic:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/thebalancerehabclinic/
https://www.instagram.com/thebalancerehabclinic/

#LivingALifeInBalance #podcast #mentalhealthpodcast #wellness #wellnessjourney #health #healing #wellbeing #traumainformed #love #mentalhealth #recovery #support #safety #motivation #healthylifestyle #addictionrecovery

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Johnny Graaff joined Abdullah Boulad for an honest and reflective conversation about how addiction develops over time, often beginning in adolescence with the need to belong, fit in, and feel comfortable in social environments. Drawing on lived experience, the discussion explores how substance use can evolve and shift, from alcohol to drugs to prescription medication, when underlying struggles are never fully addressed.

The episode also looks at neurodivergence, trauma, and emotional regulation, and why it can be difficult to separate the two without proper understanding and support. Johnny reflects on the changing landscape of youth mental health, the impact of technology and social media, and how constant access, comparison, and isolation shape anxiety, behavior, and identity in young people today.

Beyond individual experience, the conversation widens to include parenting, freedom, and the loss of community spaces, as well as broader challenges within mental health systems. It offers a grounded perspective on recovery as a process shaped not by force or quick fixes, but by accountability, care, and knowing when to apply support with firmness and compassion.

Tune in for a thoughtful discussion on addiction recovery, mental health, neurodiversity, and why meaningful change often begins with a single, difficult decision.

About Johnny:
Johnny Graaff is the Founder of Lions Campus and has spent many years working in addiction recovery and youth mental health services. His work focuses on understanding complex patterns of substance use, emotional regulation, and behavioral change, as well as the environments that shape them. Through both professional practice and lived experience, Johnny brings a deeply human perspective to conversations around recovery, responsibility, and long-term support. He is also an experienced investor in the behavioral health industry.

00:00:00 – Introduction to Johnny Graaf
00:02:15 – Motivation and Entry into Mental Health Field
00:04:18 – Early Neurodiversity and School Challenges
00:08:27 – Family Dynamics and Enabling
00:09:38 – Addiction Onset and Substance Use
00:12:58 – Treatment Attempts and Final Recovery
00:17:01 – Mental Health Diagnoses and Psychiatric Care
00:18:30 – Critique of Addiction Treatment Models
00:19:47 – Post-Recovery Career and Founding Lyons Campus
00:21:19 – Motivation for Working with Young People
00:22:58 – Genetics, Family History, and Addiction
00:24:52 – Empathy for Young Clients and Brain Development
00:26:21 – Lack of Youth Services and Systemic Issues
00:29:10 – NHS, Private Sector, and Healthcare Economics
00:31:29 – Trends in Teen Issues: Technology and Substance Use
00:36:14 – Social Media, Hyper-Connectivity, and Parenting
00:40:20 – Loss of Freedom and Community for Youth
00:42:35 – Lyons Campus: Reintegration and Program Structure
00:43:47 – Program Details and Team Ethos
00:49:51 – Client Selection and Family Involvement
00:50:58 – Advice for Families and Family Therapy
00:52:14 – Innovation and Gaps in Mental Health Services
00:54:59 – Industry Trends and Collaboration
00:58:53 – Personal Balance and Self-Care
01:00:53 – Final Wisdom

Follow Abdullah Boulad:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdullahboulad/
https://www.instagram.com/abdullahboulad/

Follow Johnny Graaff:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnny-graaff-uk/

You can order Abdullah’s book, ‘Living A Life In Balance’, here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/...

Follow The Balance RehabClinic:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/thebalancerehabclinic/
https://www.instagram.com/thebalancerehabclinic/

#LivingALifeInBalance #podcast #mentalhealthpodcast #wellness #wellnessjourney #he