Peaceful Exit
We live in a culture that avoids death and Peaceful Exit is an invitation to be in candid conversation about it. Writer and host Sarah Cavanaugh believes talking about death will work to dispel our natural fear and build courage in the face of death. She’s talking to authors who have written extensively on the topic to help us normalize death as part of the human experience, no matter who you are, no matter your politics, spiritual faith or socioeconomic status. Peaceful Exit explores how to radically accept our eventual demise, how to talk about it and even plan for it. But it’s not all doom and gloom – there's joy, meaning and connection to be found in exploring the messiness of death, dying and grief.
- Update frequency
- every 14 days
- Average duration
- 34 minutes
- Episodes
- 66
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2025
Get Me to 21 with Gabi Lowe
In this episode of Peaceful Exit, host Sarah Cavanaugh interviews Gabi Lowe, author of Get Me to 21: The Jenna Lowe Story. Gabi shares her deeply personal journey of love, loss, and resilience. Follo…
The Other Side of Yet with Michelle Hord
Michelle Hord, author of 'The Other Side of Yet,’ recounts the devastating loss of her daughter, Gabrielle, who was murdered by her ex-husband. The conversation delves into how Michelle navigated her…
COVID Chaplaincy with Luke Lorentzen and Mati Engel
In this episode, we talk with Luke Lorentzen and Mati Engel about their intimate documentary, 'A Still, Small Voice'. The film features Mati as a hospital chaplain during the height of the Covid-19 …
The Girlfriends with Carole Fisher
In this episode of Peaceful Exit, host Sarah Cavanaugh interviews Carole Fisher, who shares her deeply personal journey through experiences of grief, denial, and the healing power of community in the…
The Anthropology of Death with Anita Hannig
In this episode of Peaceful Exit, host Sarah Cavanaugh interviews an anthropologist who immersed herself in the world of assisted dying in Oregon, Anita Hannig. Anita shares the methodology of partic…
The Power of Storytelling with Brittani Ard
Brittani Ard, from the podcast "You Probably Think This Story's About You", shares her raw, unfiltered story of navigating loss and a manipulative relationship, revealing how personal tragedy became …
Grief and Artivism with Kumi Naidoo
Kumi Naidoo is a prominent global activist. He is the former Secretary General of Amnesty International and Executive Director of Greenpeace. Kumi shares his life story from growing up in Apartheid S…
Briefly Perfectly Human with Alua Arthur
Alua Arthur is an entrepreneur, death doula, and New York Times bestselling author, who recently published her book, 'Briefly Perfectly Human.' Alua shares her life story from fleeing Ghana as a chil…
Grief, Trauma, and Healing with Louisa Zondo
From growing up in Apartheid South Africa to helping write the country's constitution, Louisa Zondo's life story is nothing short of extraordinary. We talk about her experiences as a young mother, he…
Your Grieving Brain with Mary-Frances O’Connor
Mary-Frances O’Connor is a neuroscientist at the University of Arizona where she studies the impact of grief on the brain. Her work helps explain things like why we still expect our dead loved one to…
When Families Choose Assisted Dying with Cynthia Clark
After a terminal brain cancer diagnosis, Cynthia Clark’s husband chose to have a medically assisted death when his treatment stopped working. Cynthia shares all about the grief of losing your partner…
Assisted Dying in Canada with Stefanie Green, MD
Stefanie Green, MD, was one of the first providers of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in Canada, when it became legal in 2016. Her book, This Is Assisted Dying: A Doctor's Story of Empowering Pati…
Conscious Grieving with Claire Bidwell Smith
Claire Bidwell Smith knows grief well. When she was 14, both of her parents were diagnosed with cancer at the same time. Her mom died when Claire was only 18, and her dad died when she was 25. After …
Puberty and Death with Julie Metzger
Julie Metzger has been teaching families about puberty for over 30 years. Her book, “Will Puberty Last My Whole Life?” and her course, Great Conversations, are amazing resources to help teens and fam…
Navigating ALS with Rachael King
ALS is a heartbreaking disease. Just ask my guest Rachael King. Her husband, health care activist Ady Barkan, recently died from complications of ALS at age 39. They have two young children. Despite …
Talking to Kids About Death with Elena Lister and Michael Schwartzman
This episode is all about how to talk to kids about death. Experts Elena Lister and Michael Schwartzman both have decades of experience working with kids and families, in schools and private practice…
Grief Is Funny with Leslie Gray Streeter
Leslie Gray Streeter tells it like it is. Her husband, Scott, suddenly died one night when he was just 44 years old. Leslie chronicles that heartbreaking experience and the depths of her grief in her…
Medicine in the Eleventh Hour with Sunita Puri
Sunita Puri is a palliative care doctor who chronicles her journey through medical school, fellowship and finding her specialty in her book, “That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour.”…
Grieving and Google Docs with Valarie Kaur (re-release)
This week, we’re re-releasing one of our earliest episodes, and still one of my favorite conversations. Author and activist Valarie Kaur shares personal stories from her work as an activist, which le…
Poetry Unplugged with Michael Wiegers
Michael Wiegers is the Editor-in-Chief at Copper Canyon Press, an independent nonprofit press that publishes award-winning poetry. Under his leadership over the past 30 plus years, CCP has published …