Sam and Joe Farren grew up in the UK with a father who was trying to balance caring for their mother (who had a chronic and very serious illness), working in London, and raising two young boys. After their mother passed when Sam was six and Joe was three, their father did his best to provide love, fun, and stability, supported by a “village” of friends and babysitters. A year later, the family moved to Australia when their father remarried.

As adults, Sam developed a strong sense of protection for others, often neglecting his own emotional needs, while Joe struggled with feelings of guilt and the challenge of processing his emotions. Both reflect on how their childhood shaped their faith and emotional well-being growing up. In this episode, they offer practical advice for parents from a child’s perspective and discuss the value of counselling, a supportive community, and faith in navigating grief and trauma.

Note: Hearing Sam and Joe's perspective was incredibly insightful, especially as we continue to explore the impact of grief and loss on children, which has been the focus of Season 2. This conversation led me to reach out to their father and the woman who became part of their family, to hear what they observed in Sam and Joe’s journey through grief, and how they supported them during those challenging times. Stay in touch to find out when this episode gets posted.

In this episode, you will discover:

1. The impact of grief, loss, and trauma on children and how it shapes emotional well-being into adulthood.
2. The importance of having a supportive community to provide care and stability during tough times.
3. That even limited memories of traumatic events can profoundly affect emotional development.
4. How processing emotions through counselling or therapy can aid healing and growth.
5. The role of faith and spirituality in finding meaning and resilience during challenging circumstances.
6. How creating joyful memories and offering love and patience can help children navigate grief.

… and much more

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