Healing Through Grief: How Britt Michaelian Turned Loss into Purpose

When Grief Becomes a Turning Point

Most of us don't plan for the moments that change everything. Britt Michaelian sure didn’t. She was living in San Francisco, raising her daughters, working in expressive arts therapy, and creating vibrant, Rothko-inspired paintings that hung in galleries across the country. Her life was full and familiar. But then her mother got sick. And nothing stayed the same after that.

That’s where Britt’s shift began. It didn’t happen all at once. It came in waves. Through loss, caretaking, and eventually, a deeper understanding of her own intuition, Britt began to ask the harder questions. The ones about purpose, alignment, and what it means to truly heal.

The Day Everything Changed

One of the most powerful moments Britt shared was the day her mom died. Earlier that morning, she had an unshakable feeling that something was about to happen. Not just a sense of dread – she knew. She told her husband, “I think my mom’s going to die today, and it’s going to be bloody.” Her mom had seemed fine. She even went to the grocery store that evening. But later that night, Britt found herself kneeling beside her mother as she took her final breath.

Britt said it felt like an honor. To be there. To witness her mom – the woman who brought her into the world – as she left it. That moment, as devastating as it was, opened something in her. A quiet knowing that there was more to this life, more to her work, and more that needed to be expressed through her art and energy.

Rediscovering Intuition and Creativity

Britt’s path didn’t just lead her away from her previous life. It led her into a new one. After her mom passed, she stepped away from consulting work and creative projects. But when her sister was diagnosed with cancer shortly after, everything deepened. Britt had already started studying Reiki, but her sister’s four-year journey pushed her to explore healing on an even more spiritual level.

That’s when Britt found her way back to painting. Only this time, it wasn’t about color theory or gallery deadlines. It was about love. Energy. Frequency. During one visit with her sister, Britt had just finished giving her Reiki and sat down to work on a paint-by-numbers kit her sister had gifted her. In that quiet moment, she had a vision – she could infuse her artwork with the healing energy her sister needed. That moment was the seed for what would become her signature: mixed-media frequency paintings created with crystals, minerals, sound tuning, and prayer.

From Structured Boxes to Sacred Circles

When I asked Britt how her art had changed, she said something that stuck with me. Before, her work was all boxes and lines. Structured. Controlled. But now? It’s all circles. Organic, fluid shapes. She leaned into sacred geometry – the kind you see in flowers, water, and shells – because she believes it holds healing power.

That evolution felt like a mirror for her life. What once had been compartmentalized became expansive. Her healing wasn’t about going back to who she was. It was about becoming someone new. Someone who allowed flow, intuition, and emotion to lead.

And as she painted, she healed. Not just herself, but others. Her artwork now lives in homes and healing spaces around the world. Through her annual Healing House event, she creates opportunities for people to reconnect with themselves through guided meditation, sound baths, group Reiki, and sacred visuals.

Honoring the Mess and the Magic

What I appreciated most in my conversation with Britt was her honesty. Grief didn’t make her a guru. She still has hard days. She still has questions. But she’s learned how to sit with the discomfort, how to ask better questions, and how to listen more deeply. To herself, to her body, to the people she loves, and to the clients she supports.

She also spoke about what it meant to parent through grief. Her youngest daughter, who was close with her mom, started having meltdowns she couldn’t explain. That was Britt’s cue. Her grief wasn’t private. She needed to model it. To show her daughter how to feel, not just push through.

It was such a good reminder that healing isn’t a solo act. It’s relational. It’s generational. And it’s always unfolding.

You can listen to Britt’s full story on The Life Shift Podcast. It’s a conversation about loss, but more than that, it’s about what happens when we let grief change us for the better.

🎧 Listen here: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com