“……my brudder, Bill.” It was a phrase I heard often from my grandfather while I was growing up. He often recounted memories of he and his brother getting into trouble together, or just your typical brotherly tryst. Thinking back now, I would like to think that perhaps the fondness my brother, Jimmy, and I had
In the season 2 finale of Unspoken Grief, hosts Michael Vinton and Tina Chevalier welcome three first-time guests: spouses/partners Keith (Tina’s husband), Tony Spatafora (Michael’s husband), and April Schmitt. The guests share how they learned of the murder-suicide losses in their families, what they previously understood about suicide and murder-suicide, and what surprised them afterward,
Hosts Michael Vinton and Tina Chevalier welcome psychiatrist Dr. Janine Roach to discuss bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, psychosis, and severe mental illness in the context of grief after murder-suicide, emphasizing “seeking understanding without seeking blame” and avoiding posthumous diagnosis or stigmatizing violence. Dr. Roach explains common misconceptions, including that bipolar disorder is not moment-to-moment moodiness but
Grief has never arrived in an orderly way for me. We are often taught that grief moves through stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It can sound almost reassuring, as though grief follows a predictable path and, if we keep moving, we will eventually reach the end. But grief has not worked that way
When Anger Returns Read More »
In this episode of the Unspoken Grief podcast, hosts Michael Vinton and Tina Chevalier talk with Eric Kussin, founder of Same Here Global and co-host of the podcast We’re All a Little Crazy, about mental health advocacy, grief, and the harm of simplified narratives. Eric shares his background in professional sports leadership, his debilitating mental
Ep. 13 – #SameHere: A Conversation & Mental Health Deep Dive with Eric Kussin Read More »
Hosts Michael Vinton and Tina Chevalier welcome “Anonymous Daughter”, who lost her parents at 13 to a murder-suicide and originally told her story in a 2017 online essay, “I’m Finally Ready to Talk About How My Parents Died.” She describes loving memories of both parents and how the reality defies simple assumptions, then reflects on
Ep. 12 – Anonymous Daughter Read More »
Unspoken Grief hosts Michael Vinton and Tina Chevalier welcome Nina Rodriguez, founder and executive producer of the award-winning podcast Grief and Light, to discuss grief as a lived experience deserving dignity, depth, and community. Nina shares how her brother Joseph died from fentanyl poisoning in 2019, the traumatic aftermath, and the harmful things people said
Ep. 11 – Nina Rodriguez: Yosef’s Sister Read More »
In this Unspoken Grief episode, hosts Michael Vinton and Tina Chevalier, speak with survivor Krista Schenck, who lost both parents, Mark and Bonnie, in a July 2021 murder-suicide in which her father was the perpetrator. Krista shares what it has meant to live in the aftermath, including shock, a roller coaster of grief, anger, dark
Ep. 10 – Krista Schenck: Life After the Unthinkable: Love, Loss, and Bojangles Read More »
Unspoken Grief hosts Michael Vinton and Tina Chevalier welcome Dr. Denise Dailey, a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Our Daily Bread, LLC, to discuss insights from their APA Division 19 Society for Military Psychology symposium presentation, “Unseen Battlefields,” exploring the intersection of military-related violence and murder-suicide and the overlooked impact on families and communities.
In this episode of Unspoken Grief, hosts Michael Vinton and Tina Chevalier welcome survivor and advocate ChaRon Sattler-LeBlanc, who lost her cousin Julie (23) and Julie’s daughter Jacqui (5) in July 1990. ChaRon describes learning the news while in college, the isolation and shame of grieving before online communities or public language for murder-suicide loss,
