Foundations of Navigating Specific Types of Loss

Grief is not limited to death. Many of the most disruptive losses in adult life come from relationship endings, job loss, health changes, and shifts in identity. Sound coping rests on recognizing each kind of loss and the responses it tends to produce. This foundational course explains the landscape. By the end of this course you will be able to describe common non-death losses and their unique features, recognize the concepts of ambiguous and disenfranchised loss, identify the patterns of grief that often go unrecognized, and understand the principles of coping across these losses. What you will learn: - The grief of the end of a long relationship including divorce and friendship loss - The grief of job loss, retirement, and career transition - The grief of health loss, chronic illness, and shifting capacity - The grief of identity shifts including life stage transitions and role changes - The concept of ambiguous loss including caregiving for someone with dementia - The concept of disenfranchised grief and why it is harder to navigate - The principles of coping across these losses including validation and meaning making The course uses readings, case examples, and reflection prompts. Each module ends with applied exercises you can use in your own situation. This course is written for adults experiencing or supporting someone through a non-death loss. By the end you will have replaced the implicit assumption that grief is only about death with a clearer understanding of the many forms loss takes and how to think about coping with each.