#33 After the Shock: Elizabeth Moncrieff-Philp on Sudden Loss, Grief, and Loving Your Kids Through It

When Elizabeth Moncrieff-Philp lost her husband in a devastating car accident, she suddenly found herself raising four children alone — while trying to hold space for their grief as well as her own.

In this powerful conversation, Elizabeth reflects on what it meant to keep showing up when everything changed. From navigating school routines to managing the different responses to trauma in her kids, she opens up about the kind of parenting no one prepares you for — and the surprising moments of grace and strength that carried her through.

What makes this even more special, is that Elizabeth made the decision to move her children to the school where I was working as a young teacher some time after the accident. One of her children ended up in my class — and I look back now, realising I didn’t have a clue how to support them.

That’s why conversations like this matter. They give us access to the kind of wisdom that can shape how communities respond to families walking through loss and grief.

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or someone supporting others in hard seasons, this conversation offers real hope and grounded wisdom.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. What helped Elizabeth keep showing up when grief threatened to overwhelm
2. How she navigated four very different grief journeys in her children
3. The surprising power of small routines — like packing lunchboxes, or getting the uniforms ready — to create stability
4. How each of her children processed trauma differently — and what she might have done differently, knowing what she knows now.
5. The deep impact of teachers, friends, and community showing up with quiet support
6. How faith helped her hold tension between pain, hope, and healing
7. What she wishes more people understood about walking with grieving families

… and much more!

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Elizabeth bio:

Liz was a mother of 4 young children when her husband Tom was killed suddenly in a car accident whilst they were on leave in Australia from their role as missionaries in Nepal. She currently works as a mental health social worker where she has learned a lot about resilience from the stories that have been shared with her.