Grief Unedited
How to Heal After Losing a Narcissistic Mother with Justine Nicholson
Episode Number: 29 Release Date: 30th September 2026 Episode Title: The Grief No One Talks About: Losing a Narcissistic Mother ⚠ Content Note: This episode contains discussions of complicated grief, difficult parent-child relationships, emotional harm, suicidal ideation, and the death of a parent. Please take care of yourself while listening. Episode Summary In this episode of Grief Unedited, Karen is joined by author Justine Nicholson, whose book The Grief No One Talks About: How to Heal After Losing a Narcissistic Mother explores the complicated grief that can follow the death of a parent when the relationship itself was difficult. Justine shares her experience of loving her mum while also experiencing fear, confusion, anger, guilt and, ultimately, relief after her death. They talk about the shame that can come with grieving a complicated relationship, the way childhood experiences can continue to shape us into adulthood, and how death doesn't necessarily bring an end to a difficult relationship. The conversation also explores ambiguous loss, no contact, the importance of language, and why we need more honest conversations about the many different ways grief can look. Justine also talks about why she wrote her book from lived experience, rather than as a clinician, and how hearing from others who feel less alone has affirmed her decision to share her story. About Justine Nicholson Justine Nicholson is an author who wrote The Grief No One Talks About: How to Heal After Losing a Narcissistic Mother from her own lived experience. Justine is clear that she is not a therapist, clinician or counsellor, and that her mother was never diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder. Instead, she uses the term “narcissistic” to describe the tendencies and behaviours she experienced within their relationship. Her book combines her personal story with reflections, tools and resources designed to help readers consider their own experiences and relationships. In this episode, we chat about: The Reality of Complicated Grief – When grief doesn't look the way society expects it to. Love, Anger, Relief & Guilt – How seemingly conflicting emotions can exist alongside one another. Grieving a Difficult Relationship – The unique grief that can come with losing someone you had a complicated relationship with. The Human Element – Shame, isolation and the feeling that nobody else could possibly understand. The Voice That Lives On – How childhood experiences and messages can continue to affect us long after a parent has died. Ambiguous Loss & No Contact – The grief that can exist even when someone hasn't died. Breaking the Stigma – Why we need to create space for honest conversations about difficult relationships and grief. The Power of Language – How finding words for our experiences can help us understand ourselves. Writing from Lived Experience – Why Justine chose to share her story and how the book developed. Feeling Seen & Less Alone – The messages Justine receives from people who recognise themselves in her story. Connect with Karen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/continuumcounselling Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/continuumcounselling Website: https://www.continuumcounselling.com Connect with Justine Website: https://www.justinenicholson.com TikTok: Justine Nicholson Author Instagram: Justine Nicholson Author Facebook: Justine Nicholson Author Justine's website is also being developed as a resource with tools, writing and blogs to support people through different experiences of grief. Support Grief Unedited If you enjoy Grief Unedited, you can support the podcast by: ❤️ Subscribe and never miss an episode Share an episode with someone who might find it helpful ☕ Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/griefunedited ⭐ Subscribe & leave a review – it really helps the podcast reach more people Shop the Grief & Growth Journal: https://amzn.eu/d/0fDaVBLj
