Deathly Honest is an invitation to explore the complexities of aging, dying, death and grief.
Join Kelli Lyles, grief counselor, gerontologist and certified death midwife, as she gently (and sometimes hilariously) holds space through every experience.
Seasonal Grief: When Our Bodies Remember
Meet your host, Kelli Lyles—a grief counselor, gerontologist, and certified death midwife—as she embarks on a deeply personal journey that was always within her. In this debut episode, Kelli shares the inspiration behind Deathly Honest and her mission to create open, unfiltered conversations about death, dying, grief, and aging. Her goal is simple: to bring honesty, compassion, and understanding to the topics we so often avoid.
As the days grow shorter and autumn settles in, Kelli explores the idea of seasonal grief—the way shifting seasons and anniversaries stir memories our bodies still hold. In this episode, she reflects on fall as both cozy and complicated, sharing personal stories of loss, nostalgia around her children’s birthdays, and the deep emotions tied to October after losing both parents that month. It’s an honest conversation about how our bodies remember, why certain times of year feel heavier, and how to gently honor those feelings as we move through the seasons.
Letting Go, Holding On: Motherhood, Grief, and the Art of Bird Launching
Meet your host, Kelli Lyles—a grief counselor, gerontologist, and certified death midwife—as she embarks on a deeply personal journey that was always within her. In this debut episode, Kelli shares the inspiration behind Deathly Honest and her mission to create open, unfiltered conversations about death, dying, grief, and aging. Her goal is simple: to bring honesty, compassion, and understanding to the topics we so often avoid.
On this episode of Deathly Honest, Kelli reflects on the emotional terrain of “bird launching”—her tender term for the experience of raising children and sending them into the world. She shares her own story of transitioning from active motherhood to the quieter role of observer, and the unexpected grief that comes with it. This is a deeply honest conversation about letting go, holding on, and the evolving identity of motherhood.
Grieving the Mother You Never Had: The Lifelong Pain of Narcissistic Mothers
Meet your host, Kelli Lyles—a grief counselor, gerontologist, and certified death midwife—as she embarks on a deeply personal journey that was always within her. In this debut episode, Kelli shares the inspiration behind Deathly Honest and her mission to create open, unfiltered conversations about death, dying, grief, and aging. Her goal is simple: to bring honesty, compassion, and understanding to the topics we so often avoid.
Grief doesn’t only show up after a death—it can live with us for a lifetime when we've been shaped by a narcissistic parent. In this episode of Deathly Honest, Kelli Lyles explores the deep, often invisible grief that comes from having a mother who could never truly see, love, or nurture you. She discusses what this kind of loss feels like, how it impacts our sense of self, and what healing might look like when there's no apology or closure. If you’ve ever felt alone in mourning a relationship that others don’t understand, this conversation is for you.
Life, Lately
Meet your host, Kelli Lyles—a grief counselor, gerontologist, and certified death midwife—as she embarks on a deeply personal journey that was always within her. In this debut episode, Kelli shares the inspiration behind Deathly Honest and her mission to create open, unfiltered conversations about death, dying, grief, and aging. Her goal is simple: to bring honesty, compassion, and understanding to the topics we so often avoid.
On this episode of Deathly Honest, Kelli talks about life lately and the new projects she has coming down the line.
Leanna’s Story
Meet your host, Kelli Lyles—a grief counselor, gerontologist, and certified death midwife—as she embarks on a deeply personal journey that was always within her. In this debut episode, Kelli shares the inspiration behind Deathly Honest and her mission to create open, unfiltered conversations about death, dying, grief, and aging. Her goal is simple: to bring honesty, compassion, and understanding to the topics we so often avoid.
Kelli is joined by her first guest, Leanna, who gets deathly honest about losing her dad to cancer.
Welcome to Deathly Honest
Here's what to expect from Kelli Lyles–grief counselor, gerontologist, certified death midwife, and the host of Deathly Honest.
Kelli Lyles Gets Deathly Honest
Meet your host, Kelli Lyles—a grief counselor, gerontologist, and certified death midwife—as she embarks on a deeply personal journey that was always within her. In this debut episode, Kelli shares the inspiration behind Deathly Honest and her mission to create open, unfiltered conversations about death, dying, grief, and aging. Her goal is simple: to bring honesty, compassion, and understanding to the topics we so often avoid.
Meet your host, Kelli Lyles—a grief counselor, gerontologist, and certified death midwife—as she embarks on a deeply personal journey that was always within her. In this debut episode, Kelli shares the inspiration behind Deathly Honest and her mission to create open, unfiltered conversations about death, dying, grief, and aging. Her goal is simple: to bring honesty, compassion, and a little levity to the topics we so often avoid.