13. Andrea Weisbond on Grief + Rituals

In this episode, Dr. Abby interviews Andrea Weisbond, founder of The Compelling Company about her journey through grief and the impact that rituals can have in the healing process. Her healing kits make a great gift for a friend or loved one in the grieving process, or as a tool for yourself. She also has a kit for loss of a pet! To learn more about her company + purchase a kit, visit here.

Motivated by unimaginable loss and adrenal exhaustion, Andrea discovered a way to move from a place of suffering to a new, happy life. Andrea lost her parents and husband in 2 1/2 years. Her husband, Brad, and her Dad both died from cancer, nine months apart. As a result, she was grief-stricken, stuck, and unable to move forward with her life.

Eventually, she discovered the power of a mourning ritual. The ritual helped her let go of her relationship with her husband, feel more in control of her life, and it allowed her to move forward. She felt compelled to share what she discovered with others and used her entrepreneurial experience to create tools to help people move forward following a loss in their life. Currently, she sells gift boxes for the loss of a relationship, pet loss, and is testing one for the loss of a loved one. She is also the founder of The Chicago Break-Up Group and The Park Ridge Break-Up Group on Meetup.com.

She lives in the Chicago metro area with two dogs and a cat, and practices Bikram yoga. Recently, she got engaged and is getting married in August 2020.