Helping Children and Teens with Loss

Loss, as defined by the Grief Recovery Institute, is the end of or change in, anything familiar. Therefore, we experience a WHOLE ton of loss as humans, and these losses start when we’re super young. The most common losses our children and teens experience are pet loss, death of grandparent, moving schools or cities, divorce of parents, death of parents, loss of friends (death, conflict), 1st love breakups, debilitating injury or chronic condition diagnosis, physical or mental health illnesses of self, siblings, or parents/caregivers. (and there are MANY more not listed here!) 

Despite how prevalent loss is in our human lives, we are taught very little about it, and even less about how to process all the confusing and uncomfortable emotions that come with it. Instead, our emotions are often unintentionally invalidated or shut down by well-meaning adults who are just sharing what they were taught as children by the…