The Only Way Through Is Through: Walking Alongside Grief With Nadia Ahrens
Transforming Loss Into Wisdom—Practical Tools for Navigating Grief, Ambiguous Loss, and Life's Unexpected Endings
Grief has become the uninvited guest in conversations we’d rather avoid, yet it remains one of the most universal human experiences. In this episode of Going the Distance with Go Long, I sit down with Nadia Ahrens, a psychotherapist and spiritual life coach who lost her eight-year-old son, Jack, unexpectedly in 2016—and has spent nearly a decade learning to transform that devastating loss into wisdom.
This conversation moves beyond the platitudes. We explore what actually helps when you’re in the depths of grief—from understanding that “the only way through is through” to recognizing that grief isn’t just about death. It’s about the endings we face in relationships, friendships, and the versions of ourselves we leave behind. Nadia unpacks the complex layers of grief, the judgment we face for how we grieve, and the practical tools that create movement toward healing without rushing the process.
Whether you’re navigating acute loss, processing ambiguous grief from a relationship that ended, or simply trying to understand how to show up for someone you love who’s suffering, this episode offers real strategies grounded in both psychology and hard-won personal experience. Because sometimes, the most transformative conversations happen in the liminal space where we stop running from pain and finally let ourselves feel it (aka “feel all of the feels).
NOTE: This episode does not constitute a patient-provider relationship of any kind. The topics covered are purely for informational purposes.
About Nadia
Nadia Ahrens is a licensed psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, and spiritual life coach based in Seattle, WA. For over 20 years, she’s helped women heal trauma, release fears, and navigate life transitions with compassion and clarity. Her approach blends clinical therapy with spiritual life coaching, so clients don’t just cope with symptoms—they heal at the root and create lasting change.
Helping women reclaim their lives is Nadia’s greatest passion. She guides clients to break old patterns, set healthy boundaries, and trust themselves again. Whether navigating grief, moving through trauma, or stepping into a new chapter, Nadia supports clients with tools that work in everyday life.
As a psychotherapist and hypnotherapist, Nadia has worked extensively with women facing trauma, grief, anxiety, and major life transitions. Her practice combines evidence-based psychotherapy, hypnotherapy for deep healing, and spiritual life coaching to create soul-level transformation that lasts.
She shares Jack’s story—her eight-year-old son whom she lost unexpectedly in 2016—because she believes people need to know they’re not alone. Loss, trauma, and life’s unexpected turns can feel unbearable, but they can also be moments of awakening. Nadia’s own journey showed her that even in the darkest experiences, there is wisdom, there is growth, and there is the possibility of living again with meaning and purpose.
Major Topics Covered
Grief is a transformative journey that can lead to wisdom.
The only way through grief is to confront it directly.
Support systems are crucial during the grieving process.
Ambiguous grief can arise from living relationships, not just death.
Self-care is essential when navigating grief.
It’s important to check in on those who are grieving long after the loss.
Grief can be multi-layered and complex.
Boundaries are necessary for healthy relationships.
Understanding your emotional needs is key to healing.
Grief can lead to reevaluation of life and relationships.
Quick Takeaways
Nadia: Grief isn’t something you “get over”—it’s something you learn to walk alongside. The work isn’t about erasing the loss or reaching some final endpoint, but about developing a toolbox of practices (crying, moving your body, journaling, meditation, knowing your people) so that when grief resurfaces unexpectedly, you recognize it and know how to tend to yourself. The goal is transformation, not escape: finding the wisdom and growth hidden within the darkest experiences.
Jill: The support people need doesn’t end after three months—it actually gets harder as time passes and everyone else’s lives move forward. Real accountability and care means checking in with people months and years into their grief, not just during the immediate crisis. It also means building buffer into your own calendar and protecting your recharge time, because you can’t show up for others if you’re running on empty. The small things matter: asking “how are you right now?” instead of “how are you?” can shift everything.
Resources Mentioned During the Show
“Going the Distance” episode with Marianne Marlow - Expert Tips for Thriving in Relationships
“Going the Distance” solo episode - The Friend Who Couldn’t See Through The Fog
Nadia’s Meditations - click here
Nadia’s Chakra Bundle - https://nadiaahrens.com/chakra-bundle/
Nadia’s Soul Core Six Pack - https://nadiaahrens.com/soul-care-six...
Ways to Connect with Nadia
Website: https://nadiaahrens.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadiaahrens/
Ways to Connect with Go Long
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Go Long recommends listening to the entire podcast for context, but knows you are all busy people, so below you will see timestamps. This episode is also available on YouTube.
Timestamps
Chapters
00:00: Introduction to Grief and Healing
00:46: Navigating the Grief Process
04:19: The Importance of Facing Grief
07:53: Finding Support in Grief
11:31: The Role of Community in Healing
15:17: How to Support Someone in Grief
18:57: Practical Tips for Grieving
23:57: Judgment and Individual Grieving Styles
29:40: Navigating Grief and Healing
32:11: Understanding Ambiguous Grief
36:13: Establishing Healthy Boundaries
39:14: The Importance of Self-Care
42:49: The Complexity of Grief
53:44: Finding Support and Resources
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“Going the Distance with Go Long“ is produced by JR Media Services. If you’re enjoying the show, please reach out to Jon if you have any YouTube or podcast production needs.