Welcome back to Return to Moore. I was thirteen when my Aunt Madeline received her terminal diagnosis. Over the next year and a half, as my mother became her caregiver, I found myself unexpectedly close to an aunt I'd never really known. Thirty years later, I still think about what our relationship could have been.

In "Grief as a Gateway," I sit down with Oz Escobel, clinical director and psychotherapist of Awakening LLC, to examine grief beyond death. We explore how loss shows up in transitions—moving cities, ending relationships, leaving behind identities we once held.

Oz lost his father at six in Guatemala and learned emotional restraint as survival. After immigrating to the United States, he navigated grief, identity, and belonging as a gay man in a new culture. His path into therapy came through life itself and a partner who encouraged him to seek support. Sitting in the client's chair showed him the power of being seen.

Today, Oz supports individuals and couples navigating identity, intimacy, and relational wounds. He integrates Emotion-Focused Therapy, Gottman Method, and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy. His work is grounded in the belief that healing expands capacity rather than erases parts of the self.

This episode offers a different framework: grief as evolution, not failure.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:06 - "Aunt Madeline's Vibrant Gatherings"
05:41 - "Childhood Eavesdropping and Family Grief"
11:25 - "Grieving What Could Have Been"
13:28 - "Grief: A Journey, Not Destination"
17:33 - Understanding Grief and Internal Loss
21:20 - "Nervous System and Grief"
24:29 - Expanding Grief Beyond Death
29:41 - "Reflections on Relocation Challenges"
30:32 - "Processing Transitions and Identity"
33:55 - "Understanding and Embracing Grief"
40:05 - "Lessons from Feelings and Grief"
43:31 - "Unprocessed Emotions and Grief"
48:05 - "Navigating Grief Through the Body"
51:42 - "Grief: Feel, Evolve, Suspend Judgment"
53:57 - "Sharing Stories, Processing Grief"
56:19 - "Grief, Podcasts, and Connection"
56:45 - Outro

Quotes:

"Grief isn't something to fix—it's something to feel. In feeling it, we discover who we are."- Jonathan Moore

"Grief is not a sign of failure—it's a sign that something mattered. Approach it with curiosity and compassion, and it will transform you."- Oz Escobel

Key Takeaways:

Grief Is More Than Loss—It’s Growth
Your Body Remembers—Listen Inward
Grief is Nonlinear—And That’s Okay
Celebrate the Power of Reflection
Vulnerability Connects
Grief Evolves, and So Do We
Support, Not Solution

Connect with Oz Escobel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakeningllc_
Website:https://www.awakeningllctherapy.com/

Connect with the Host:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jonathan-moore/
Website:https://returntomoore.com/

Produced by Heartcast Media
http://www.heartcastmedia.com