Grief is the New Normal Podcast: S3E10 Butterflies and Halos: Creativity in Mourning with Angie Hanson
Butterflies, Halos, and Carrying Their Light Forward: Angie Hanson on Compounding Grief, Parenting, and Creative Healing
Dr. Heather Taylor welcomes Angie Hanson (author, certified grief coach, and creator of Butterflies and Halos) to discuss layered loss, parenting through grief, and creative ways to support grievers. Angie shares losing her son Garrett (2006), husband Jack (stage four ocular melanoma; 2009), and brother Seth (brain tumor; 2009) within about two and a half years, while raising her daughter Gracie. They talk about compounding grief and practical coping, including journaling, naming what you’re carrying, grieving “one breath, one cry, one choice at a time,” and separating grief for each person. Angie explains her snarky, heartfelt grief cards that “speak to feel, not to fix,” plus boundaries and community support in grief work. She highlights storytelling and creativity as tools, her memoir Chapters of a Resilient Heart, and reframing loss as “carrying their light forward,” including acts of kindness in Garrett’s honor.
00:00 Grief Avalanche Wisdom
00:28 Podcast Welcome Guest
01:11 Angie Loss Story 03:04 Butterflies And Halos
04:24 Dark Humor Cards 07:00 Parenting Through Grief
09:45 Talking About Loss 10:58 Compounding Grief
11:46 Journaling To Untangle
14:28 Boundaries In Grief Work
16:17 Anniversary Season Planning
17:13 Grief Over Time
18:07 Milestones Hit Hard
18:18 Lois Tonkin Visual
19:01 Memoir and Storytelling
21:07 Creativity as Toolkit
23:38 Restarting Creativity
26:42 Carrying Their Light
29:18 Key Takeaways
30:37 Connect and Projects
31:41 Holiday Cards for Grievers
34:31 Closing and Resources
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Angie Hanson is a certified grief coach, author, and founder of Butterflies + Halos, a grief-centered stationery and support brand that helps people feel seen, supported, and a little less alone after loss. After losing her son, husband, and brother in a short span of time, Angie turned her pain into purpose—creating honest, hope-filled resources including empathy cards, her memoir Chapters of a Resilient Heart, and her grief coaching programs. Angie blends grace, grit, and even humor to reimagine the grief journey and empower others to heal with heart.
Follow her work at:
https://butterfliesandhalos.com Connect on Instagram: https://instagram.com/butterfliesandhalos Facebook: https://facebook.com/butterfliesandhalos Amazon Author Page: https://author.amazon.com/books Learn about coaching:https://butterfliesandhalos.com/pages/new-grief-coaching-with-angie
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Grief is the New Normal is the podcast that refuses to sugarcoat loss, because grief isn’t a problem to fix, it’s a reality to live with. Hosted by Dr. Heather Taylor, a licensed psychologist with over a decade of experience in grief, trauma, and reproductive psychology, this show dives deep into the messy, nonlinear, and very real ways grief impacts our lives.
Whether you're navigating the death of your person, wrestling with the weight of an invisible loss, or trying to figure out who you even are after everything changed, this podcast is here for you. With a mix of solo deep dives, expert interviews, and candid conversations, Dr. Taylor unpacks the emotions no one warns you about, challenges outdated grief narratives, and offers both practical tools and hard-earned wisdom to help you feel less alone.
No toxic positivity. No “fixing” your grief. Just honest talk, validation, and the reminder that you don’t have to do this alone. Because in a world that wants you to move on, Grief is the New Normal is here to help you move through.
https://www.griefisthenewnormal.com
www.linkedin.com/in/heather-taylor-psyd-licensed-psychologist
Follow @dr.heathertaylor on Instagram for grief podcast, mental health, self-care, sass, and dark humor content whether you’re grieving or you’re a mental health professional needing more modern grief language.
Wanting more grief specific support? Check out my grief journal, Authentically Unapologetic: A Grief Journal available for purchase thru this link: https://a.co/d/4hbLtbX
Opening & Closing Music by The Dadicorns
Copyright 2026 Grief is the New Normal: A podcast with Dr. Heather Taylor
All Rights Reserved.
This podcast is meant for educational and entertainment purposes only. The information discussed in this podcast is not a replacement or substitute for therapy.
