Grief as a Natural Response to Change: The importance of pausing to honor what came before | 006

Why social innovation begins with rethinking loss and letting go

In this deep and humbling episode of the Social Regeneration Podcast, I welcome innovation expert and grief counselor Fenja Jensen. Together, we explore the powerful intersection between creating "the New" and letting go of "the Old".

Every change process inevitably involves some form of loss. From corporate restructures to personal life transitions, pausing to acknowledge what we leave behind is crucial for transformational processes. Fenja shares insights from her design thinking background and her current work supporting people through irreversible loss. The conversation touches on how grief is often unrecognized - even in everyday moments like birthdays, holidays, or endings of routines.

We challenge the belief that progress is only forward motion and make a case for honoring what has been.

Whether you’re a change agent, team leader, or navigating personal shifts, this episode offers tools and wisdom for embracing the full transition spectrum.

Grief is not something to “fix” but a natural response to change.

By learning to hold space for endings, we can more intentionally shape the beginnings that follow. A must-listen for those working at the edge of social innovation, sustainability, and emotional intelligence.

 

💡 HIGHLIGHTS of this Episode

✨ Why every change process include a grieving process

✨ How innovation and grief counseling complement each other

✨ The importance of pausing to honor what came before

✨ How grief shows up in everyday life - not just after death

✨ Practical reflections on creating more compassionate transitions in systems and organizations

 

👋 ABOUT Fenja

As a facilitator for Systemic Transformation, Fenja designs and moderates workshops and seminars around innovation & collaboration. She enables teams to work together in new ways by guiding them through creative methods and processes.

Fenja is passionate about the potential of interdisciplinary cooperation and holistic collaboration on order to navigate the complexity of the challenges of the present and the future.

As a Grief Coach, she supports individuals through the moments of irreversible loss in their lives. Fenja invites individuals and groups to engage in open, honest, and daring conversations about grief - to explore how grief can be expressed and processed on personal, interpersonal, organizational, and systemic levels.

 

🔗 CONNECT & follow Fenja's work

👉 Website

👉 LinkedIn

👉 Club Wider Willen

👉 Trauerbegleitung Berlin

 

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💌 CONNECT & engage with Pia

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn to follow and support each other’s work. 🤗

If you consider yourself an #impactjobseeker or aspiring #impactpreneur at the beginning of your journey, jump on my Newsletter “Impact Insights” where I regularly share tools and best practices from my work as a sustainability consultant and system change facilitator. 🤓

For daily insights “behind the scenes” and event updates, join the extended community on the @work.with.impact Instagram account. 🧐💓

Take care of yourself and others!

Pia 🤍

 

P.S. You can also watch this Episode on our YouTube Channel to see our faces 👋 😊

 

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