Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of childhood abuse, trauma, and loss. Please listen with care.

Grief isn’t always a single event. It can be a relentless series of losses that force you to rebuild your life from the ground up. That’s exactly what happened to Chris Dale. After losing both parents, a child, and the version of his childhood he believed was true, Chris found himself grappling with not just heartbreak, but the overwhelming logistics of caregiving, finances, and trauma recovery.

In this episode, Chris joins Justin Weidenfeld to talk about the quiet chaos of being denied Medicaid three times, paying for care out of pocket, and navigating deeply personal revelations, all while trying to hold a family together. Chris shares how counseling and EMDR therapy helped him process long-buried pain, and why financial planning has to account for more than just numbers when clients are grieving or traumatized. Now a certified financial planner and founder of Life After Grief Financial Planning, Chris brings lived experience into every client interaction, bridging the gap between mental health and money in a way most advisors never touch.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introducing Chris Dale and the Mission of the Podcast

04:10 Losing Both Parents and Becoming the Caregiver

08:00 The Death of a Child and Putting Grief on Hold

11:30 Repressed Childhood Abuse and the Impact of Trauma

20:00 Healing Through EMDR and the Journey to Emotional Recovery

30:00 Teaching Boys It's Okay to Be Emotional and to Self-Regulate

34:50 Supporting Parents Financially and the Fallout of the 2008 Crash

40:30 Good Financial Practices: Budgeting, Emergency Fund, Paying Yourself First

46:00 Making Financial Decisions in Grief: The Importance of Space and Timing

1:01:00 Legacy, Honoring His Parents, and Teaching His Kids About Money

1:06:00 Final Reflection: “There Is Life After Grief”

Links

Connect with Chris Dale:

Website: https://lifeaftergrieffp.com/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-talk-with-life-after-grief-chris/id1593025052,

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-dale-life-after-grief-fp/

Connect with Justin Weidenfeld:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-weidenfeld/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-currency-of-grief-podcast/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecurrencyofgrief_podcast

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurrencyofgrief

Website: https://www.ironbridgewc.com/team/justin-weidenfeld

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm