Dave Roberts
Finding Healing Through Grief, Forgiveness, and Spiritual Connection with Dave Roberts - Episode 39
DESCRIPTION:
In this episode of Our Dead Dads Podcast, host Nick Gaylord sits down with psychology professor, author, and grief educator Dave Roberts, who shares the devastating loss of his 18-year-old daughter Janine to cancer. Dave opens up about the grief of losing both his father and daughter, and how those tragedies reshaped his understanding of forgiveness, love, and continued spiritual connection. He explores the signs and synchronicities that helped him stay connected with Janine, the dream visits that brought peace, and the journey of reconciling with his parents long after their deaths. Dave also reflects on raising his granddaughter after Janine’s passing, the transformative role of spiritual teachers, and the power of integrating psychology and spirituality to heal. Listeners will come away with a new perspective on grief, hope, and the bonds that endure beyond death.
WHO THIS EPISODE HELPS:
Anyone facing grief from the loss of a child, parent, or loved one who is searching for comfort, perspective, and spiritual connection.
WHAT LISTENERS WILL GET:
Insights into forgiveness, continued bonds after loss, and tools for navigating grief with compassion, healing, and renewed purpose.
THIS EPISODE ANSWERS:
How do you heal after losing a child to cancer?
What does forgiveness look like in grief and family estrangement?
How can spiritual connections and dream visits bring peace after loss?
What role do synchronicities and signs play in grief healing?
How can psychology and spirituality combine to support grief recovery?
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Grief does not end relationships; it transforms them into continued bonds.
Forgiveness can free both the grieving and the departed.
Spiritual teachers and practices can open new healing paths.
Grief milestones extend beyond death dates, including diagnosis and treatment memories.
Integrating grief education with personal storytelling normalizes hard conversations.
DAVE’S LINKS:
PERSONAL WEBSITE: https://davidrobertsmsw.com/
AUTHOR WEBSITE: https://psychologyprofessorandminister.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/david.j.roberts1/
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-roberts-56690513/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/daver3103/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@daveroberts301/podcasts
EMAIL: bootsyandangel@gmail.com
THE TEACHING JOURNEYS PODCAST: https://rss.com/podcasts/theteachingjourneys/
DAVE ROBERTS BIO
David J. Roberts, MSW, LMSW, became a parent who experienced the death of a child, when his daughter Jeannine died of cancer on March 1, 2003, at the age of 18. He is a retired addiction professional and an adjunct professor in the psychology child life department at Utica University in Utica, New York. Dave also teaches psychology classes at Pratt Munson School of Art and Design. He is the host of The Teaching Journeys Podcast, found on most podcast platforms and YouTube.
Dave has presented workshops at national conferences of The Compassionate Friends as well as for the Bereaved Parents of the USA. He was also a keynote speaker at the 2011 and 2015 national gatherings of the Bereaved Parents of the USA. Dave also co-presented a workshop titled “Helping Faculty After Traumatic Loss” for the Parkland, Florida community in May of 2018, in the aftermath of the mass shootings at Stoneman Douglas High School.
Roberts has been a past HuffPost contributor and has contributed articles to Medium, Open to Hope Foundation, Mindfulness and Grief, Thrive Global, and the Recovering the Self Journal. He has appeared on numerous podcasts, as well as Open to Hope Television. He also co-authored a book with Reverend Patty Furino titled, When The Psychology Professor Met The Minister, which was published on March 1, 2021.
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