048 | The Reality of Death and Grief with Karl Jennings

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SS048 Shepherd & The Shrink The Reality of Death and Grief with Karl Jennings

Karl Jennings is the owner and one of the leaders of Borek Jennings Funeral Homes. He owns two other companies and is the author of When We Must Say Farewell. In this episode, he joins us to talk about what happens within us when we experience loss.

Today, Karl joins us to share his story. He talks about what went into his decision to go into the funeral industry and his family’s and friends’ reactions. He discusses his experience in mortuary school and notes the gap he observed in the industry between the theoretical wish to help people and the reality of product selling. He shares the two mega-trends that he sees complicating the funeral business, and he talks about the two integrated faces of a funeral. He explains why it’s counterproductive to bottle up your grief, and he offers insight into what to say to someone who has just experienced loss.

“[The experience of being with the dead is] surreal, it’s sacred, and it’s a little scary.”

- Karl Jennings

This week on Shepherd & the Shrink:

  • Karl’s story and his decision to go into the funeral industry

  • The two faces of a funeral

  • Why you can’t fake empathy

  • The power of human touch

Resources mentioned

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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Martin Fletcher