The Work That Found Her: Helping Children Navigate Grief, with Jen Noonan

Most people freeze in the face of grief. Jen Noonan walks toward it.

As a licensed clinical social worker at The Children’s Room, Jen supports children, teens, and families after the death of a parent, sibling, or child. Her work is quiet, courageous, and sacred—the kind of care most people couldn’t imagine doing. But for Jen, this is the work that called her.

In this conversation, we explore what it means to hold space for grief without trying to fix it, how kids experience and express loss differently than adults, and why just being there—especially in the hard moments—can be everything.

We also talk about:

• Why children often lead the way in grief
• The myths that keep adults from showing up
• How to talk to grieving kids in honest, age-appropriate ways
• What it really looks like to “hold space”
• The difference between avoiding grief and being present with it

If you've ever struggled with what to say to someone in grief—or feared saying the wrong thing—this episode offers clarity, compassion, and hope.

Plus: I share a bit about my own work on grief literacy, including my TEDx Talk on how we can become a more grief literate society.

Learn more about The Children's Room at their website or on Instagram

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Order Jessica's memoir, Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes

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Music credit: Limitless by Bells