Caring for an ageing parent or loved one can be an act of profound love, but it can also carry a response that is rarely named—grief. 

We are confronted with our identities—past, present and future—as we transition into new seasons of our lives, but when we become caregivers, it can add another layer of loss and grief that we never saw coming.

The Weight of the Unspoken aims to demystify grief and explores the forms of grief that can accompany caregiving—including identity and other non-death related losses. 

The talk will also include a dialogue with two caregivers, author Bertha Henson and media veteran Sharon Lim, both of whom were featured on James’ award-winning podcast about the unspoken stresses of caregiving.

Bertha and Sharon are the eldest child in their families, hold distinct identities in their careers, but also had to make the transition into caregivers.

What is the impact on caregivers if we remain grief illiterate? Will remaining misinformed push caregivers into further isolation? What identities did Bertha and Sharon have to navigate during their caregiving journeys, and how did they cope with these transitions? 

This is a conversation for caregivers, those who love them, and why caregivers need to love themselves, too. It is for anyone who wants to understand the emotional weight of caring, including unspoken grief.

Date: 15 October 2026, Thursday

Time: 7.30-9PM

Venue: Proud Spaces

243 Alexandra Road, #05-03

The Weight of the Unspoken is presented as part of October in Mind, a Proud Spaces initiative nurturing mental wellbeing by strengthening social support, connection and community resilience.

  James Leong is an Adjunct Lecturer at NTU’s Master of Science in Psychology—Asia’s first master’s-level specialisation in thanatology (the study of death, dying, and bereavement). A registered counsellor and certified grief specialist, James runs his own counselling practice Listen Without Prejudice and works extensively with incarcerated individuals, families, and caregivers navigating complex loss.  

Recognised by Audible and IMDA as one of Asia’s leading storytellers in 2021, his podcast The Dance of Fear and Vulnerability was lauded for its treatment of the Covid-19 pandemic and its emotional impact. In 2024, he collaborated with Temasek Foundation and SG Enable to produce Asia’s first podcast on caregiver stress. “This is What Caregiver Stress Feels Like” won “Podcast Thought Leader and Innovator of the Year” at the Asia Podcast Awards 2025. 

James was also a Psychological First Aid trainer with the Singapore Red Cross, and a facilitator for Singapore’s only men’s suicide survivor group at the Samaritans of Singapore.

Bertha Henson is an ex-journalist, author, political commentator and social media influencer. It’s been said that there are givers and takers in this world, and Bertha is the giver in caregiver. Her book, “When Mama Fell” was written to help caregivers navigate the healthcare maze, but she reveals in her podcast episode with James that it is really a love letter to her mom. This is a story about the giver and caregiver, the eldest child, the high achiever, the responsible one, seen as selfless and even beyond reproach. Enter Bertha’s world for a glimpse into the whys behind these sacrifices and what drives these givers to keep giving even when facing the inevitability of saying goodbye.

Sharon Lim is a media consultant, is single, and is the eldest child and the primary caregiver to her parents. In what she calls a “double whammy,” her mother passed away on Valentine’s Day in February 2024 and her father just two months later. Her podcast episode with James was recorded in January 2026, almost two years after their passing. Enter Sharon’s world and find out whether the “stress” in caregiver stress ends when our care recipients pass on, where do caregivers go after saying their final goodbyes, and what does grief readjustment feel and sound like?