Jill Johnson-Young
Appears on episode 4 of “Breakthrough the Ordinary Podcast”
Jill Johnson-Young, LCSW is the CEO of Central Counseling Services in Riverside, Murrieta, and Corona California. She specializes in grief and loss, dementia, and trauma and speaks internationally to therapists, allied health professionals, associations for grief, the funeral industry, and community groups. Her career has included more than a decade with hospice as a medical social worker and as director of social workers, chaplains, and grief staff. Jill has authored several books for children and adults on grief and was a founding member of the Riverside Purple City Alliance. She also facilitates a monthly dementia support group in the community and a weekly FB live Grief Chat. Her most recent book release is “The Rebellious Widow,” which weaves some of her story into the book you need to prepare for a coming death, the dying process, and recovery. Jill teaches grief and dementia to therapists, and current courses are on her site. You can find more about Jill at www.therebelliouswidow.com and www.jilljohnsonyoung.com
Get Jill’s Book
The Moment the World Stopped… My wife Linda and I had been together for twenty years and were raising two teenage daughters when we received some of the worst news any couple will ever hear in their lifetimes: her sudden frequent bouts of what we had believed to be pneumonia were actually symptoms of advanced pulmonary fibrosis (PF). No matter how courageously she fought, how much she exercised, or how hard we prayed, and bargained, and tried, it was clear that PF would win the battle. We had to get ready. We had to get the kids ready. We texted the kids that we would be home later. Intuiting what was really going on, Kerry replied, "This is it, isn't it, Mom? Mama's really dying now." Our hearts broke reading her words. There was no protecting ourselves or our girls from Linda's approaching death. This was really happening. To us, Jill and Linda. Someday not too far off, I would just be Jill again. What would that even mean anymore, after decades of being half of a loving, committed couple who'd built a life together? I was about to find out.