Grief and Gratitude: Sally McQuillen on Losing Her Son

Psychotherapist and author Sally McQuillen shares how she carries her son’s light forward after an unimaginable loss.

Author

Matt Gilhooly
October 07, 2025

Reaching for Beautiful

A mother’s story of loss, healing, and the choice to keep living

When psychotherapist and author Sally McQuillen lost her 21-year-old son Christopher in a tragic accident, her life split in two. In this week’s episode, she opens up about parenting through grief, finding gratitude in heartbreak, and why she believes love is the only thing that lasts.

Sally’s story is heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. She speaks about sobriety, resilience, and the ways grief reshaped her understanding of strength and vulnerability. Her journey reminds us that even when life brings us to our knees, there is still light to carry forward.

Three Things to Think About

  1. Grief doesn’t end — it integrates and reshapes the way we live and love.

  2. Vulnerability in grief is not weakness — it’s a form of strength.

  3. Choosing gratitude in pain doesn’t erase sorrow — it creates room for both.

Two Things to Ask Yourself

  1. Identify where you’re closing your heart — what might happen if you softened instead?

  2. Consider how you might honor someone you’ve lost by how you show up today.

One Thing to Try This Week

Write down three memories of a loved one you’ve lost and share one with someone else. Connection heals.

I’d love to hear what resonates most for you. Just hit reply and share your thoughts — or listen and watch the full episode using the links above.

Matt

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PS: During a long weekend trip in May, I created a short-form podcast, “It’s Okay If…” Each episode is under three minutes long and provides a permission slip to simply be human. I’d be honored if you subscribed to the show. New episodes are released every Wednesday at noon ET.