• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to footer
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Our Projects
    • Public Speaking
    • Media & Press
    • Testimonials
    • The Science of Empathy
    • Stigma and Mental Health
  • Listen
    • Online Platforms
    • YouTube
  • Education
  • Donate
  • Home
  • Log in

Safe Space Radio

The show about subjects we'd struggle with less if we could talk about them more.

  • Mental Health
    • Bad Mother Anxiety
    • Depression in the Workplace
    • Eating Disorders
    • Facing Fear
    • Feelings of Failure
    • Homophobia
    • LGBTQ Teens
    • Living With Anxiety
    • Living with Dementia in the Family
    • Living with Life Threatening Illness
    • Living with Mental Illness
    • Mental Illness in the Family
    • Medical Trauma
    • Parenting Kids on the Spectrum
    • PTSD Among Women Veterans
    • Refugee Women
    • Substance Abuse in Families
    • Suicide
    • Transgender Issues
    • Trauma
    • Writing as a Way to Heal
    • Yoga and Mental Illness
  • Social Justice
    • Child Abuse
    • Homophobia
    • LGBTQ Teens
    • Life After Incarceration
    • Maine Wabanaki TRC
    • PTSD Among Women Veterans
    • Race and White Privilege
    • Refugee Women
    • Somali Refugees in Maine
    • Transgender Issues
    • Violence Against Women
  • Family
    • Bad Mother Anxiety
    • Contemporary Families
    • Living with Dementia in the Family
    • Living with Life Threatening Illness
    • Parenting Kids on the Spectrum
    • Sibling Conflicts
    • Substance Abuse in Families
  • Emotions
    • Bad Mother Anxiety
    • Child Abuse
    • Facing Fear
    • Feelings of Failure
    • Living With Anxiety
    • Living with Life Threatening Illness
    • Shame
    • Stories of Hidden Emotions
    • Talking About Difficult Subjects
    • Writing as a Way to Heal
  • Sexuality
    • Female Sexual Difficulties
    • Men’s Sexual Difficulties
    • Recovery from Sexual Trauma
  • Conflict
    • Child Abuse
    • Life After Incarceration
    • Maine Wabanaki TRC
    • PTSD Among Women Veterans
    • Refugee Women
    • Somali Refugees in Maine
    • Talking About Difficult Subjects
    • Trauma
    • Violence Against Women
  • Log in

death and dying

Prisoners and Hospice with Bobby Payzant

December 5, 2016 by ssradmin

This episode revisits Safe Space Radio’s 2014 interview with Bobby Payzant, an inmate at the Maine State Prison. He discusses the crime for which he is serving time, and his work as a hospice volunteer, giving care to inmates dying in prison.

Listen Download

Filed Under: Emotions, Social Justice Tagged With: death and dying, Hospice, Incarceration, Maine State Prison, Prison

Race and Place (Part 1) with Natasha Wilson

November 5, 2014 by ssradmin

Natasha Wilson moved to Maine in 2012 following the tragic death of two of her brothers. She talks about how her experience of racism has been shaped by the different places she’s lived, and how she was unprepared for the alienation and hostility she has experienced in overwhelmingly white states like Iowa and Maine. We also discuss the …read more »

Listen Download

Filed Under: Conflict, Social Justice Tagged With: black women, blackness, community, death and dying, Loneliness, race, racial justice, Racism, White Privilege, Whiteness

Prisoners Providing Hospice Care (Part 2) with Bobby Payzant

January 13, 2014 by ssradmin

Bobby Payzant is a hospice volunteer and inmate at the Maine State Prison. In this interview, Bobby talks more about the deep remorse he feels for the man he assaulted, and how he has had to face himself during the many years he has spent in prison.  He describes the decision he made to stop …read more »

Listen Download

Filed Under: Conflict, Mental Health, Social Justice Tagged With: community, conflict mediation, conversation, criminal justice system, death and dying, healing, Hospice, Incarceration, Maine State Prison, Prison, Restorative Justice

Prisoners Providing Hospice Care (Part 1) with Kandyce Powell and Bobby Payzant

January 6, 2014 by ssradmin

This episode features two conversations with people involved in the hospice program within the state prison in Warren, Maine. First we speak with the program’s founder, Kandyce Powell, executive director of the Maine Hospice Council, who talks about the genesis of the prison’s hospice program, her motivation for starting it, and the difference it has …read more »

Listen Download

Filed Under: Conflict, Mental Health, Social Justice Tagged With: community, Criminal Justice, death and dying, healing, Hospice, Incarceration, justice system, Maine State Prison, prison system

Life in the Early Stages of Alzheimers with Bill Verrill

November 11, 2013 by ssradmin

Bill Verrill, a former banker, now suffers from early Alzheimer’s disease. Bill describes his deep trust in his wife Shirley’s ability to take care of him—and his deepest fears about the toll his illness will take on her life. He remembers letting go of his driver’s license and learning to be more dependent while striving …read more »

Listen Download

Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health Tagged With: Alzheimers, ambiguous loss, death and dying, Dementia, dependency, illness, intimacy, marriage

Caring for a Spouse with Clare Hallward

October 21, 2013 by ssradmin

In this episode of Safe Space Radio our host Anne Hallward talks to her mother, Clare Hallward, about her husband John’s diagnosis with dementia, which lasted for 16 years before his death. Anne and Clare remember some of the exasperating and even downright terrifying challenges of caring for John as his illness progressed. They discuss …read more »

Listen Download

Filed Under: Conflict, Emotions, Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health Tagged With: Alzheimers, ambiguous loss, Caregiver, caregiving, death and dying, Dementia, Fathers, healthcare, mothers, Parents

Dementia as Ambiguous Loss with Pauline Boss

September 2, 2013 by ssradmin

Dr. Pauline Boss discusses the experience of ambiguous loss. Dementia often creates a situation in which a person’s body is present, but the mind is absent. For caregivers, this can generate feelings of ambivalence toward the person with dementia, including wishing for this person’s death as a way to resolve the ambiguity. Dr. Boss says that …read more »

Listen Download

Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health Tagged With: ambiguous loss, Caregivers, death and dying, Dementia, loss, memory loss, Parents

Using Yoga to Create Safe Space with Deb Cook

January 16, 2013 by ssradmin

Yoga teacher Deb Cook discusses how a daily practice of yoga can build a sense of safety inside. Deb describes how turning the attention inward on a regular basis creates a feeling of a home inside that one can always return to, and remembers how yoga supported her while grieving her father’s death.

Listen Download

Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health Tagged With: body work, death and dying, grief, loss, meditation, Yoga

Aging with Neil McKenty

May 30, 2012 by ssradmin

Neil McKenty is a broadcast, author, and former Jesuit priest. He talks about how his expectations about aging have matched up with his experiences now, in his 85th year of life. Neil has been a consultant and constant inspiration to Safe Space Radio since its inception in 2008, and this show was aired in tribute …read more »

Listen Download

Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle, Sexuality Tagged With: Aging, death and dying, expectations, jesuit preist, spirituality, theology, work

Suicide, Depression, and Zen Meditation with Cheri Huber

May 26, 2010 by ssradmin

Zen teacher Cheri Huber became a student of Zen after her suicide attempt. She describes how Zen led her to awareness of her own self-destructive patterns and allowed her to break from the ruthless voice of self-criticism inside her head.

Listen Download

Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health Tagged With: death and dying, depression, healing, mental illness, Recovery, suicidality, Suicide, suicide attempt, zen meditation

Suicide Among Returning Vets with Pete MacMullan

May 12, 2010 by ssradmin

Pete McMullan is the Suicide Prevention Coordinator for Veterans Affairs in Maine. Pete describes the painful readjustment recently returned vets face in trying to relate to their peers and the warning signs of suicide risk for families. He tries to help young vets lift the self-judgment and isolation they struggle with.

Listen Download

Filed Under: Mental Health Tagged With: death and dying, Hidden Emotions, Iraq War, isolation, mental illness, PTSD, readjustment, relationships, service, Shame, soldier, Suicide, VA, veterans, veterans affairs, veterans health

Suicide Among Gay Youth with Charles Robbins

May 5, 2010 by ssradmin

Charles Robbins is CEO of the Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to preventing suicide among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth. Charles describes the vulnerable time in a young person’s life after they realize they are queer, but before they have found accepting others to share it with. Charles describes his own story of …read more »

Listen Download

Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: coming out, death and dying, difficult conversations, family dynamics, gay teens, LGBTQ, LGBTQ teens, queer teens, queer youth, Shame, Suicide, teenagers, Teens, trevor project, vulnerability

The Suicide of a Close Friend with Mary Clare

April 28, 2010 by ssradmin

Therapist Mary Clare talks about the anxiety, depression and suicide of a close friend. Mary Clare describes how difficult it was to stay close to her friend as she became more depressed, and how helpless and angry parts of her felt that her friend would not stay in treatment. She discusses the agonizing decision about …read more »

Listen Download

Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health Tagged With: anger, death and dying, depression, difficult conversations, Friendship, internal family systems, intervention, patients, psychiatric treatment, Suicide, Therapy, Trauma

The Suicide of a Child with Patricia Ellen

April 21, 2010 by ssradmin

Patricia Ellen’s son killed himself when he was fourteen. Patricia describes the process of trying to understand what led up to it, and the signs that were and were not there. She describes the bullying incident at school that she believes led her son to suicide. Patricia movingly describes the many years long process of …read more »

Listen Download

Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health Tagged With: blame, Bullying, children, death and dying, death of a child, grief, grieving, loss of a child, Parenting, Parents, Shame, sons, Suicide, teenagers, Teens, Trauma

The Legacy of Suicide with David Treadway

April 14, 2010 by ssradmin

Family therapist David Treadway talks about his mother’s suicide, which happened when David was 20.

Listen Download

Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health Tagged With: adult children, death and dying, grief, grieving, loss of a parent, mothers, sons, Suicide, Trauma

The Legacy of a Mother’s Suicide with Nancy Rappaport

April 7, 2010 by ssradmin

Child psychiatrist Dr. Nancy Rappaport discusses her mother’s suicide, which happened when Nancy was four. Nancy undertakes a detective-like 18 year journey to discover who her mother was, and to understand what she was going through. Nancy describes the terrible consequences when a distorted belief that ones life is expendable, is combined with impulsivity. She …read more »

Listen Download

Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health Tagged With: childhood trauma, daughters, death and dying, Hidden Emotions, identity, loss of a parent, mothers, Suicide

Hospice Chaplaincy with Ellie Mercer

March 31, 2010 by ssradmin

An interview with hospice chaplain Ellie Mercer about caring for patients at the end of life. She describes her own childhood in a Christian Science family where illness and death were not talked about, or even treated medically, and the relief of working in hospice, where death can be acknowledged and fears can be addressed.

Listen Download

Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: communication, death and dying, difficult conversations, end of life, fear, Hospice, illness, Sickness, spirituality

The Impact of Cancer on Families with David Treadway

March 24, 2010 by ssradmin

Family therapist David Treadway talks about his struggle with advanced lymphoma. He and his wife and two grown sons wrote a book together, Home Before Dark, about their experiences of dealing with his illness and the possibility he might die. They take an honest look at the differences in their coping styles and some of the …read more »

Listen Download

Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: cancer, cancer treatment, coping techniques, death and dying, family dynamics, lymphoma, physical health, Sickness, terminal illness, Therapy, writers, writing

Surviving Breast Cancer with Sheila Cassidy

February 17, 2010 by ssradmin

Sheila Cassidy ran a support group for women with breast cancer, and was then diagnosed with breast cancer herself. She talks about the fear of dying and the ways that emotional support makes a difference.

Listen Download

Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health Tagged With: breast cancer, cancer, community, death and dying, diagnosis, illness, physical health, Sickness, support group, Therapy, wellness

Working with Bereaved Children with Joanne Anning

February 10, 2010 by ssradmin

An interview with Joanne Anning about working with bereaved children in England. She describes the incredible resilience of children going through loss and the importance of including children in processes around death, explaining what to expect, and helping them cry.

Listen Download

Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: Bereavement, childhood, childhood trauma, children, community, death and dying, emotions, greiving, grief, loss, loss of a parent, resiliency, Therapy

Dreams and Grief

January 20, 2010 by ssradmin

Professional Counselor Laura M talks about dreams and grieving. Laura tells the story of the death of her brother Roger and two powerful dreams that shaped her experience of his loss.

Listen Download

Filed Under: Emotions Tagged With: brothers, counseling, death and dying, dream work, Dreams, grief, grieving, loss of a sibling, recurring dreams, sibling relationships, sisters

Footer

Stay in Touch

Mailchimp Signup

Generously supported by:

  • The Annie E. Casey Foundation
  • The Lucy R. Sprague Charisma Fund
  • The Equity Fund
  • The Fleming Family Foundation
  • The Hope and Grace Fund
  • Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation
  • The Lerner Foundation
  • The Matthewson Foundation
  • The Pinkerton Foundation
  • The Pink House Foundation
  • The Rines Thompson Fund
  • The Sam L. Cohen Foundation

We Can Talk About it!

Thank you for joining us in this work to advance the health of our communities, our families, and ourselves. Safe Space Radio is a federally classified, tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization.

WE SO APPRECIATE YOUR DONATION!

contact us

Safe Space Radio
22 Free St. Suite 402
Portland, ME 04101

207-651-6412
info@safespaceradio.com

fb

We gratefully acknowledge that the images on this website are used by permission from photographers on Unsplash.

Copyright © 2023 Safe Space Radio. All Rights Reserved. • Website by DesignME Creative Group

Privacy Policy • Terms of Use

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Privacy Policy • Terms of Use
Cookie settingsACCEPT REJECT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

Safe Space Radio is committed to protecting your privacy when you visit our website (the “Site”).  Our Privacy Policy explains the type of information we may collect from you, and how we use it and safeguard it.  This Policy is governed by and should be read in conjunction with the Safe Space Radio Terms of Use.

We use any personal data we may collect from you to provide and improve our podcasts and other offerings.  By using the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT