Spring Symposium

The Long and Winding Farewell:
How Divorce Changes What We Think We Know About Grief

by Hope Edelman

When we think about grief, we usually picture mourning the loss of a loved one to death. But grief comes in other forms, too. Divorce grief is its own specific category, and both overlaps and departs from more typical forms of bereavement. Most notably, it involves mourning the loss of a history and a shared existence while a former spouse is still alive and often a source of ongoing interaction. And just as happens after a loss to death, grieving the end of a marriage can last much longer than most people expect.

In this workshop, we'll examine ways to help clients cope with current, fresh grief; recognize when past grief is showing up; and learn how to manage our own grief if or when we experience a loss in our own lives. Specific topics will include: the unique features of divorce grief, masculine vs. feminine styles of grief, how children grieve, and how to recognize and manage common triggers clients may face.