Ep 166 - Childhood Grief: Shadows in the Playground

Psychology and Spirituality | Childhood Grief: Shadows in the Playground pt1 With Marcia Trajano and Kirsten DeMelo Childhood is not immune to loss. In this moving episode, we explore how grief enters the playground—quietly, symbolically, and often through the body. Drawing from Joanna de Ângelis, Spiritist psychology, developmental science, mythology, and education, we reflect on how early grief shapes trust, attachment, and inner strength. · What happens when protection falters? · How can families transform fear into continuity? • And what does Hansel and Gretel teach us about the soul’s first encounter with separation? Join us for a profound and compassionate conversation about childhood, vulnerability, and hope. References: • Family Constellation - Joanna de Angelis | Divaldo Pereira Franco • The Awakening of the Spirit - Joanna de Angelis | Divaldo Pereira Franco • The Prism of Grief: Love, Loss and Awakening Across the Seasons of Life - Jussara Korngold • The Spirits' Book - Allan Kardec Inspirations: • Eleanor the Great - Pam Ryan (2022) Eleanor the Great by Pam Muñoz Ryan tells the story of a spirited young girl who forms an unlikely friendship with an elderly woman named Eleanor. Through their bond, both characters navigate loss, memory, and healing. The book gently explores grief as a shared, intergenerational experience, showing how storytelling, companionship, and empathy can transform sorrow into connection, helping individuals integrate loss into a continuing sense of meaning and belonging. • Gabor Maté Dr. Gabor Maté is a Hungarian-Canadian physician, author, and speaker known worldwide for his work on trauma, addiction, stress, and the mind–body connection. His ideas integrate medicine, psychology, neuroscience, and social awareness, emphasizing how early life experiences shape mental and physical health. Maté argues that many destructive behaviors (addiction, compulsions, self-sabotage) are attempts to soothe emotional pain rooted in childhood trauma. • Jussara Korngold The Prism of Grief: Love, Loss and Awakening Across the Seasons of Life explores grief as a multidimensional and evolving experience that refracts through different “seasons” of life. Rather than viewing loss as a single emotional state, the book presents grief as a prism that reveals love, memory, meaning, and spiritual awakening in varied ways over time. It emphasizes that healing is not linear but cyclical, shaped by personal history, relationships, and inner growth. • Luella's Lodge Luella's Lodge is a nonprofit retreat center in Oakwood, Illinois dedicated to supporting families grieving the death of a child. Located on ten peaceful wooded acres with a private lake, the lodge offers healing retreats that combine support groups with holistic therapies such as yoga, massage, breathwork, and creative activities. Founded after the loss of the founders’ daughter, Luella, the lodge aims to provide a compassionate space where bereaved parents can connect, share their stories, and find comfort together. • Rossandro Klinjey Rossandro Klinjey is a Brazilian psychologist, speaker, and author known for his work in emotional education for children and families. His approach emphasizes empathy, dialogue, and the development of emotional intelligence from an early age. Through books, lectures, and media, he encourages caregivers and educators to help children name, understand, and regulate their emotions. Klinjey’s work contributes to healthier relationships and resilience, highlighting that emotional literacy is as essential as academic learning in a child’s development. • The Invisible String The Invisible String by Patrice Karst tells the story of two children who learn from their mother that an “invisible string” made of love connects people who care about each other, no matter how far apart they are. The book reassures children that love remains present even during separation, fear, or loss. It is widely used in discussions of childhood grief because it offers a simple, comforting metaphor that helps children understand that relationships and love continue even when someone is absent or has died. • The Tale of Hansel and Gretel Hansel and Gretel is a classic European fairy tale recorded by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm in their famous collection Grimms' Fairy Tales (first published in 1812). The story explores themes of abandonment, survival, cleverness, and justice. This episode is presented by: • Mansão de Caminho - https://mansaodocaminho.com.br • United States Spiritist Federation - https://spiritist.us • International Spiritist Council - https://cei-spiritistcouncil.com • AME Brasil - https://amebrasil.org.br #JoannadeAngelis #PsychologyAndSpirituality #KirstendeMelo #MarciaTrajano #divaldopereirafranco #Spiritism #JoannaDeAngelis #grief #eleanorthegreat #luellaslodge #rossandroklindjey #gabormate