Living through the period leading up to the loss of a loved one
There are times when loss does not strike suddenly, but creeps up on you gradually.
This happens when a loved one falls ill, when a diagnosis changes the course of life, when the body or mind begins to change irreversibly.
In these cases, we go through a complex and often lonely period: the loved one is still there, but they are no longer the same as before. The pain begins before the actual loss and is intertwined with love, fear, hope, a sense of helplessness and, at times, guilt over what one is feeling.
Many people struggle to recognise this grief or to allow themselves to feel it, because ‘nothing has happened yet’. Yet what they are experiencing is real and deserves to be heard.
In clinical terms, this experience is called anticipatory grief: a silent and often invisible grief, which arises from the bond and the awareness of what is changing.
This webinar is designed as a space for understanding and support, for those who are experiencing the gradual change in a loved one and feel the need to make sense of what is happening within themselves.
The webinar will focus in particular on:
- what happens emotionally when a loved one changes due to illness, decline or irreversible changes;
- how to recognise the grief that arises before the loss and put a name to the experience you are going through;
- what emotions may emerge at this stage and how to accept them without judgement or forcing;
- how to remain in the relationship even when it is not possible to change the situation;
- a final space for reflection and questions, to share experiences and thoughts in an atmosphere of listening and respect.
A session aimed at those supporting a loved one through a process of gradual change and who feel the need to navigate this time with greater awareness, respect and compassion.
THE WEBINAR IS LED BY
Psychologist, Psychotherapist, expert in end-of-life care, particularly in Nursing Homes, specialising in Palliative Care and bereavement [contact]
Psychologist, Psychotherapist, expert in EMDR and Sensory-Motor Psychotherapy, specialising in particular in anticipatory grief and traumatic grief