On Episode 3 of Season 10 of The Surviving Siblings Podcast®, host Maya Roffler welcomes back Dr. Dawn DiRaimondo, psychologist, surviving sibling, author, and the very first guest to ever join Maya on the podcast.
Bringing Dawn back during Season 10 feels especially full circle. Maya first connected with Dawn during her fourth year of grief after reading her book, Surviving Sibling Loss: The Invisible Thread That Connects Us Through Life and Death. At the time, Maya was beginning to think about how she could share her own story and eventually create a space for other surviving siblings to share theirs, too.
Dawn became an important resource as Maya navigated how to approach conversations involving grief, trauma, and mental health responsibly, and those early conversations helped shape what The Surviving Siblings Podcast® would eventually become.
Now, nearly 100 episodes later, Maya brings Dawn back for a conversation centered around one of the topics she hears about most often from surviving siblings: therapy.
What if you tried therapy and it didn’t work? How do you know whether you’re ready? How do you find someone who truly understands grief and sibling loss? And how do you know when a therapist simply isn’t the right fit?
Maya and Dawn discuss what to look for in a grief therapist, red flags that may signal someone isn’t the right fit, what a healthy therapeutic relationship can actually feel like, and why finding a therapist can sometimes feel a little like dating—you may need to meet more than one person before finding someone you feel safe with.
The conversation also expands beyond traditional talk therapy into trauma-focused modalities, medication, affordability, community support, and the different resources that may become part of someone’s grief support system over time.
Most importantly, Dawn reminds surviving siblings that one difficult experience with therapy doesn’t mean therapy itself cannot help. The right therapist should provide a space where you can tell your story, say your sibling’s name, talk about the complicated parts of your grief, and move at a pace that feels safe for you.
In This Episode:
(0:00:00) – Welcoming Back The Podcast’s First-Ever Guest Maya welcomes Dr. Dawn DiRaimondo back to The Surviving Siblings Podcast® and reflects on the significance of bringing her first-ever guest back during Season 10.
(0:02:00) – How Maya + Dawn First Connected Maya shares how reading Dawn’s book during her fourth year of grief led her to reach out and how their relationship became part of the early foundation of the podcast.
(0:04:00) – Being Ready to Tell Your Sibling’s Story Dawn and Maya revisit their early conversations about interviewing surviving siblings and why giving someone time to process their loss before publicly telling their story matters.
(0:07:00) – How Sibling Grief Resources Have Changed Dawn reflects on losing her brother Michael in 2004 and how few resources existed specifically for surviving siblings compared with the books, podcasts, communities, workshops, and support available today.
(0:18:00) – Am I Ready for Therapy? Dawn addresses the fear surrounding that first appointment and why finding the right therapist may matter more than determining whether you are perfectly “ready.”
(0:19:00) – Finding a Therapist Who Understands Grief Dawn shares practical advice for searching for someone who specializes in grief, loss, and bereavement and explains why specialty and experience can make a significant difference.
(0:20:00) – Therapy Red Flags After Sibling Loss Maya and Dawn discuss why comments about needing to “move on” or talking about your sibling too much can be signs that a therapist may not understand significant grief.
(0:29:00) – Finding a Therapist Can Feel Like Dating Why your first therapist doesn’t have to be your forever therapist and why meeting with two or three different providers can help you find someone you genuinely connect with.
(0:41:00) – What Should You Expect From Grief Therapy? Dawn explains why grief therapy usually isn’t a quick fix and how conversations may include your relationship with your sibling, your family dynamics, your emotions, your daily functioning, and the future you expected to share.
(0:42:00) – Losing Your Past, Present + Future Maya and Dawn discuss why sibling loss can affect identity so deeply when the person you lost shared your childhood, existed in your present, and was supposed to remain part of your future.
(0:46:00) – Talk Therapy, EMDR + Trauma Treatment Dawn introduces trauma-focused modalities and explains why some grieving people may benefit from additional trauma treatment beyond traditional talk therapy.
(0:49:00) – Timing Matters With Trauma Work Maya and Dawn discuss why being ready to talk with a therapist isn’t necessarily the same as being ready for deeper...
