Grief is the New Normal Podcast: S2E31 How Do You Heal What Was Never Held? Perinatal Loss with Caitlin Silverstein, LCSW

Navigating Perinatal Loss: A Deep Dive with Caitlin Silverstein, LCSW

In this episode of 'Grief is the New Normal', Dr. Heather Taylor, a licensed psychologist and grief specialist, converses with Caitlin Silverstein, LCSW, on her work and experiences with perinatal loss. Caitlin shares her journey from working with spinal cord injury patients in a busy NYC hospital to specializing in maternal mental health. The conversation delves into the complexities of perinatal grief, often an under-recognized form of grief involving hopes and milestones never reached. Caitlin discusses strategies to help families process their grief, including creating memory spaces and integrating grief into daily life. They also explore the societal challenges of perinatal loss and the critical role of communication and ritual in honoring lost babies. For those supporting someone through such a loss, this episode offers valuable insights and strategies to help navigate this complicated and intense type of grief.

00:00 Introduction to Grief is the New Normal

00:28 Meet Caitlyn Silverstein: A Journey in Maternal Mental Health

03:06 Understanding Perinatal Loss and Disenfranchised Grief

06:44 Navigating Grief: Strategies and Support

11:24 Empowering Grievers: Reclaiming the Narrative

15:24 Emotional and Physical Reactions to Perinatal Loss

20:09 Understanding Grief: Moving Through, Not Moving On

20:19 The Integration of Grief

22:19 Visualizing Grief: The Paper and Circle Analogy

25:09 The Importance of Naming and Integrating Grief

27:53 Grieving as a Couple and Family

30:39 Rituals and Practices to Honor Grief

32:25 Using Social Media for Grief Support

34:18 Final Thoughts and Resources

---------------------------------------

Caitlin Silverstein is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and owner of The Nurtured Bloom Therapy LCSW, P.C., specializing in pregnancy, postpartum, grief, and women’s mental health. Based in Long Island, NY, Caitlin brings her years of bedside experience from major New York hospitals into her boutique private practice, offering a deeply compassionate space for women facing the heartbreak of perinatal loss, the challenges of high-risk pregnancies, the identity shifts of motherhood, and the silent grief that goes unseen.

She holds advanced certifications including Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (Evergreen Certifications), International Partnership for Perinatal Excellence Certified Provider (Star Legacy Foundation), and Postpartum Mental Health Certification (Postpartum Support International).

Connect with Caitlin:

Instagram: @caitlinsilversteinlcsw

Website: www.caitlinsilversteinlcsw.com

Resources:

https://perinatalexcellence.org/

https://rtzhope.org/

https://postpartum.net/

https://whatsyourgrief.com/growing-around-grief/

------------------------------------------------

Grief is the New Normal is the podcast that refuses to sugarcoat loss—because grief isn’t a problem to fix, it’s a reality to live with. Hosted by Dr. Heather Taylor, a licensed psychologist with over a decade of experience in grief, trauma, and reproductive psychology, this show dives deep into the messy, nonlinear, and very real ways grief impacts our lives.

Whether you're navigating the death of your person, wrestling with the weight of an invisible loss, or trying to figure out who you even are after everything changed—this podcast is here for you. With a mix of solo deep dives, expert interviews, and candid conversations, Dr. Taylor unpacks the emotions no one warns you about, challenges outdated grief narratives, and o