Podcasts about closure ambiguous loss

**TRIGGER WARNING** This episode covers sensitive subject matter and is not suitable for all listeners. If this topic could be a trigger for you, listen to this episode with a friend, a sibling, a loved one or a parent so you can talk about any emotions that come up for you. The contents of this episode are not intended to replace therapy and should not be taken as such. If you need immediate help, please call the crisis hotline listed below in our resources.   Welcome to Rock Your Shine: After you've been cracked wide open. On this show, I sit down with people from all over the world to hear their transformational stories on their deep grief and loss journeys.    Have you heard of the term ‘Ambiguous Loss'?   Dr. Pauline Boss coined this term in the 1970s. Today, the term is used in professional discourse as well as in the general public and arts communities.   In her new book, she asks, “How do we begin to cope with loss that cannot be resolved?” Which is what we're speaking about in this conversation.   Pauline Boss, PhD, is emeritus professor at University of Minnesota. She is known worldwide for developing the theory of ambiguous loss and as a pioneer in the interdisciplinary study of family stress management. Dr. Boss is the author of Loss, Trauma, and Resilience: Therapeutic Work with Ambiguous Loss in addition to The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change.  Listen in as we talk about: [2:00] The definition of Ambiguous Loss [7:15] How to live with deep trauma and ambiguous loss [12:15] How to hold space for people who have experienced ambiguous loss [16:00] The difference between sadness and depression [34:50] Tips to manage the stress after loss [41:40] An excerpt from Dr. Boss' book [43:30] How to become more present with our loved ones   Resources mentioned in this episode: Rock On: Mining for Joy in the Deep River of Sibling Grief by Susan E. Casey Books written by Dr. Boss   Grief Hotline:  https://www.griefresourcenetwork.com/crisis-center/hotlines/    Connect with Dr. Boss here: https://www.ambiguousloss.com  Connect with Susan http://instagram.com/susan.casey/  https://www.facebook.com/Susan-E-Casey-101187148084982  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDcl58l8qUwO3dDYk83wOFA  https://rockyourshine.com/   

Grab a cup of tea, a notebook, a pen, and a quiet spot, for today you and I have the chance to sit down with a legend. Dr. Pauline Boss coined the term Ambiguous Loss as part of her thesis in the 1970s and has pursued and expanded its definition and treatment ever since. At 89 years old she is still writing, still learning, and as we get into in this talk, has seen quite a large amount of trends come and go in society and in the way we parent, teach, and treat. We discuss all different kinds of ambiguous loss including identity change, loss of a relative to dementia, and those who go missing and are never found. We also talk about the COVID-19 pandemic and the losses we are still suffering as a world community. I have never been so honored and so touched to have a guest make time for me. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do. Pauline Boss, PhD, Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota is a Fellow in the American Psychological Association and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and a former president of the National Council on Family Relations. She practiced family therapy for over 40 years. With her groundbreaking work in research and practice, Dr. Boss coined the term ambiguous loss in the 1970s and since then, developed and tested the theory of ambiguous loss, a guide for working with families of the missing, physically or psychologically. She summarized this research and clinical work in her widely acclaimed book Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief (Harvard University Press, 2000). In addition to over 100 peer reviewed academic articles and chapters, her other books include Loss, Trauma, and Resilience: Therapeutic Work with Ambiguous Loss (W. W. Norton, 2006) and Loving Someone Who Has Dementia: How to Find Hope While Coping with Stress and Grief (Jossey-Bass, 2011). Her most recent book is The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change (W. W. Norton, 2022). Her work is known around the world wherever ambiguous losses occur, and thus her books are now available in 18 different languages. For more information about Dr. Boss, her writings, and the ambiguous loss online training program, see www.ambiguousloss.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

I never saw it coming -the cataclysmic argument that triggered my adult son to estrange me three years ago. I might never see it end -the suffering of ambiguous loss of the relationship without closure. Coined by family therapist Pauline Boss, Ph.D., 40 years ago, ambiguous loss refers to unresolved physical or emotional loss or the loss of a relationship with no closure. Unresolved closure might involve a physical loss with a psychological presence when a loved one's absence is unknown, uncertain, or unresolved. Likewise, a loved one might be physically present but psychologically absent because of dementia, traumatic brain injury, addiction, or mental illness. Ambiguous loss refers to unresolved physical or emotional loss or the loss of a relationship with no closure. So, too, the ambiguous loss may encompass physical and emotional loss because of divorce, adoption, estrangement, incarceration, immigration, or ghosting. Such loss is especially grievous around the loss of a fulfilling long-term relationship. Such is my circumstance. Ambiguous Loss by Estrangement Three years after the meltdown with my 34-year-old son, an occasional flicker of hope for contact, connection, and reconciliation still moves me to reach out. But sadly, my text messages and phone calls go unreturned. My invitations for meet-ups go unacknowledged. And his once frequent reach outs to check in on me, his mother who raised him as a single parent, are but a distant memory. No matter the circumstance, the interminable suffering of ambiguous loss defies resolution, creates long-term uncertainty about the relationship, and freezes the grief process, according to Boss. Yet, unlike death, whereby mourners receive confirmation of the loss and support through funerals, burials, and gatherings, none exist for unresolved loss. So often, we who experience estrangement never see it coming. Only after a prolonged silence, separation, and isolation do we realize the exquisitely painful loss of the cherished relationship we once knew. Hence, like an unsuspecting moth captured in a jar, we find ourselves trapped in the suffocating reality of ambiguous loss. We see our human swarm living interconnected lives, oblivious to the invisible suffering separating our reality from theirs.  In numbness and shock, we expend untold energy attempting to escape the misery of separation. In yearning to restore the relationship, we resort to “bargaining” -with our Creator, ourselves, and the aggrieved party. In anger, we deny, deflect, defend, and dismiss our role in the conflict. Finally, in anguish, we deplete our mental, emotional, and spiritual reserves for coping and thus descend into hopelessness and despair. Alas! Like the entrapped moth, whose spirit succumbs to the oxygen-depletion, the light of our being fades in the reality of the depleted relationship – the “oxygen” that once breathed life, love, and interconnection into our hearts.  How can we move forward amidst the interminable torment of estrangement by a parent, child, or partner with whom we once shared a fulfilling relationship? I offer some insight based on my experience of ambiguous loss by estrangement. Moving forward Hold yourself in loving self-kindness Your loss is real, and your grief is bottomless. Whether you recognize what caused the shift or have no clue, berating yourself over what you could've, should, or might've done is moot.  As the reality of the estrangement sets in, you may experience recurring bouts of guilt, shame, ignorance, naivete, anguish, anger, sadness, despair, worry, yearning, and a host of other complicated feelings. The overwhelm of such feelings, especially when repressed, suppressed, dismissed, or denied over time, can derail your emotional mettle for coping. Carve out a set amount of time daily to meditate and sit with your feelings in nonjudgmental, loving self-kindness. Forgive your loved one Every human being is flawed, fragile, broken, and wounded. The person who estranged you may have issues of which you are unaware, and they may not have the emotional capacity for the relationship they once shared with you.  Likewise, they may not have the emotional intelligence or maturity to confront you about their grievance. The person may not recognize their lack of emotional capacity or maturity. Thus, they see estrangement as their only protective defense mechanism. Forgive your loved one in your heart and in your prayers. Forgive them when gazing at their picture, and forgive them when remembering the joyful moments of your relationship. Forgiveness might not heal the estranged, but it can heal us who suffer the estrangement. So, too, recognize that your loved one may suffer similar complicated feelings about ending the relationship without closure. Forgive yourself You are human. Whether it was a series of micro-hurts, a cataclysmic circumstance, or an unknown rift that shifted the relationship, forgive yourself. You had needs that, for whatever reason, you could not express, or the other person could not meet, or vice versa. It takes two persons to nourish a relationship and two to make it wither.  Indeed, you may never know what drove your loved one to choose estrangement over relationship. Forgiving yourself is the first step in arriving at some degree of acceptance and peace in processing concomitant grief of ambiguous loss. Seek community Seek community with others who live with ambiguous loss by estrangement. Like the moth trapped in the jar, we who suffer alienation sadly so often do so in isolation, amplifying the loss of our human interconnections. Move toward the light As the shock of estrangement wanes, gently and with great self-compassion, begin looking at the parts of yourself that reflect your authentic essence and those that no longer reflect who you are. Direct your focus to nurture the best parts about yourself and aim to surrender those that no longer serve you.  And so, as you live in the reality of ambiguous grief, may you once again find the light of your being through healing, community, and the “oxygen” of new human interconnections. Quotes to consider I am a stranger in this world, and there is a severe solitude and painful lonesomeness in my exile. Kahlil Gibran, The Treasured Writings of Kahlil Gibran It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being. John Joseph Powell, The Secret of Staying in Love To be soul broken is to be filled with anguish that is brought on by the loss of our love, our relationship, and ourselves, and, often it is void of validation. If you know this pain, my deepest sympathies to you, not only for your loss but for how you've been hurting. Stephanie Sarazin, Soulbroken: A Guidebook for Your Journey Through Ambiguous Grief Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home: its essential sadness can never be surmounted. And while it is true that literature and history contain heroic, romantic, glorious, even triumphant episodes in an exile's life, these are no more than efforts meant to overcome the crippling sorrow of estrangement. Edward W. Said, Reflections on Exile and Other Essays I'm afraid your memories of me are unfair. A.A. Patawaran, Manila Was A Long Time Ago – Official I intentionally hold the opposing ideas of absence and presence because I have learned that most relationships are indeed both. Pauline Boss, Ph.D. The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change Questions to answer Ambiguous loss can encompass other types of loss beyond relationships. Have you experienced ambiguous loss around unrealized hopes, dreams, goals, or disappointments, such as the unexpected loss of a job, health, career, home, lifestyle, stage of life, or group of friends? Did you feel isolated in that no one seemed to notice or understand the depth of your grief? Have you ended a relationship without offering the other person an opportunity for closure? Over time, have you considered how the other person has processed the unresolved closure and how you have processed (or not processed) the loss of the relationship? Have you considered reconciling with the estranged person directly or indirectly (i.e., through a letter or third party)? What might be your hesitancy or fear?   Guest Blogger Bio: Peggy M. Phillips is an author writing in the Christian Fiction-Metaphysical genre. Peggy debuted her first work of fiction in November 2022 with the poignant and powerful epistolary novella, “Letters to the Little Flower The Gift of Spiritual Companionship with St. Therese of Lisieux.” Born in Wichita, KS, United States, Peggy grew up in a large Catholic family in a small Kansas town. A Registered Nurse who works in mental health services, Peggy enjoys hiking the beautiful nature trails of Kansas and spending time with her family.    Resources: https://www.ambiguousloss.com/resources/   https://whatsyourgrief.com/   Photo by Milo Bauman on Unsplash Further reading Read this further here FOLLOW ME! Email me: barry@turningthepage.co.nz Website: https://turningthepage.co.nz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/turningthepage1atatime Twitter: https://twitter.com/barrypearman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barry_pearman/ Podcast https://turningthepage.co.nz/podcast-listen-mental-health/ Support Turning the Page with a Donation https://turningthepage.co.nz/give/

The pandemic has made it common for people to have endured extraordinarily difficult circumstances and lost something or someone dear to them. Without any sense of closure, that can be hard to deal with. University of Minnesota Professor emeritus Pauline Boss is an expert in family stress. She coined the term “ambiguous loss” in the 1970s. These are losses that leave people without a clear understanding of the ‘why' behind the loss or much emotional closure. Ambiguous loss describes the kind of unresolvable grief many of us feel or have felt during the pandemic. Pauline Boss wrote a book about this during the height of the pandemic. It's called The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change. Pauline Boss joined Cathy to reflect on the last three years of loss and change due to the pandemic.

Description: Understanding Ambiguous Loss and how it relates to our military children. Show Notes: https://www.ambiguousloss.com/ https://www.ambiguousloss.com/resources/   This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support from the Scott Spouses Club. https://www.scottspouseclub.com/   Bio: Dr. Pauline Boss Pauline Boss, PhD, Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota is a Fellow in the American Psychological Association and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and a former president of the National Council on Family Relations. She practiced family therapy for over 40 years. With her groundbreaking work in research and practice, Dr. Boss coined the term ambiguous loss in the 1970s and since then, developed and tested the theory of ambiguous loss, a guide for working with families of the missing, physically or psychologically. She summarized this research and clinical work in her widely acclaimed book Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief (Harvard University Press, 2000). In addition to over 100 peer reviewed academic articles and chapters, her other books include Loss, Trauma, and Resilience: Therapeutic Work with Ambiguous Loss (W. W. Norton, 2006) and Loving Someone Who Has Dementia: How to Find Hope While Coping with Stress and Grief (Jossey-Bass, 2011). Her most recent book is The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change (W. W. Norton, 2022). Her work is known around the world wherever ambiguous losses occur, and thus her books are now available in 18 different languages. For more information about Dr. Boss, her writings, and the ambiguous loss online training program, see www.ambiguousloss.com.

Hi Friends and welcome to JOY IS NOW! The podcast where we take a psychologically minded look at life. I'm your host Lisa Anderson Shaffer, coach, consultant, and resident psych enthusiast.Today I am excited to host for a THESE THREE THINGS segment discussion, emeritus professor at University of Minnesota, world-renowned developer of the theory of ambiguous loss, pioneer in the interdisciplinary study of family stress management, and author of 8 books including the brilliant and incredibly relevant new release,  The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change, DR. PAULINE BOSS.  We discuss her newest book, The Myth of Closure, and Dr. Boss shares her three most valuable life lessons. There is so much goodness in this episode. Get comfortable, sit back and enjoy getting to know one of the great scientific minds of our time, Dr. Pauline Boss. Listen in, it's a good one!This has been JOY IS NOW with me, Lisa Anderson Shaffer, LMFT. You can find me for hire at LISAANDERSONSHAFFER.COM and join the patronage support for this podcast and my daily practice journal, THESE THREE THINGS at patreon.com/lisaandersonshaffer. You can also follow along with my musings at @lisaandersonshaffer on Instagram.JOY IS NOW is listener supported. When you buy through shared links, we may earn an affiliate commission.LISA ANDERSON SHAFFER, LMFTNEWSLETTERBOOKPATRONAGEINSTAGRAMEPISODE LINKS:DR. PAULINE BOSSBOOKSupport the show

Matt Baxterhttps://www.wedgehr.com/PODCAST: https://www.mattbaxtershow.com/abouthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mattcbaxterMatt Baxter is host of his self-titled podcast The Matt Baxter Show. Matt is a serial entrepreneur who started his first business at 15 and now runs a thriving human resource technology startup. Matt's goal in everything he does is to help push people one degree closer to where they want to go. He embraces new ideas, starting things (professionally scatterbrained), and out of the box thinking. https://www.wedgehr.com/Pauline Boss, PhD, is emeritus professor at University of Minnesota. She is known worldwide for developing the theory of ambiguous loss and as a pioneer in the interdisciplinary study of family stress management. Dr. Boss is the author of Loss, Trauma, and Resilience: Therapeutic Work with Ambiguous Loss. In her new book, The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change, renown grief counselor and psychologist Pauline Boss, Ph.D. tackles how to deal with even more loss in the age of COVID-19. https://wwnorton.com/nonfiction/mental-healthZach Selwynhttps://www.axs.tv/channel-category/check-out-parking-lot-payday/https://zachselwyn.com/Zach Selwyn, host of AXS TV "Parking Lot Daypay" whose diverse credits include leading roles on acclaimed series such as "Around the Horn" (ESPN), "Attack Of The Show", and "America's Secret Slang", among others. Parking Lot Payday puts a fun and unique spin on the traditional game show experience, as Selwyn and his crew ride into concert parking lots to give attendees the chance to cash-in on their knowledge of their favorite bands. https://www.axs.tv/

Pauline Boss, PhD. - The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change.

Today's Podcast is with Grief Expert Dr. Pauline Boss. She is known worldwide for developing the theory of ambiguous loss and as a pioneer in the interdisciplinary study of family stress management. Dr. Boss discusses her new book - The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change. She also touches on the mass shooting tragedies in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, NY and how the survivors can find resolution to their grievous losses.Buy her book: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324016816Support the show

**TRIGGER WARNING** This episode covers sensitive subject matter and is not suitable for all listeners. If this topic could be a trigger for you, listen to this episode with a friend, a sibling, a loved one or a parent so you can talk about any emotions that come up for you. The contents of this episode are not intended to replace therapy and should not be taken as such. If you need immediate help, please call the crisis hotline listed below in our resources.   Have you heard of the term ‘Ambiguous Loss'?   Dr. Pauline Boss coined this term in the 1970s. Today, the term is used in professional discourse as well as in the general public and arts communities.   In her new book, she asks, “How do we begin to cope with loss that cannot be resolved?” Which is what we're speaking about in this conversation.   Pauline Boss, PhD, is emeritus professor at University of Minnesota. She is known worldwide for developing the theory of ambiguous loss and as a pioneer in the interdisciplinary study of family stress management. Dr. Boss is the author of Loss, Trauma, and Resilience: Therapeutic Work with Ambiguous Loss in addition to The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change.  Listen in as we talk about: [2:00] The definition of Ambiguous Loss [7:15] How to live with deep trauma and ambiguous loss [12:15] How to hold space for people who have experienced ambiguous loss [16:00] The difference between sadness and depression [34:50] Tips to manage the stress after loss [41:40] An excerpt from Dr. Boss' book [43:30] How to become more present with our loved ones   Resources mentioned in this episode: Rock On: Mining for Joy in the Deep River of Sibling Grief by Susan E. Casey Books written by Dr. Boss   Grief Hotline:  https://www.griefresourcenetwork.com/crisis-center/hotlines/    Connect with Dr. Boss here: https://www.ambiguousloss.com  Connect with Susan Instagram Facebook YouTube http://susanecasey.com/  TikTok

On this episode, Larissa & Elizabeth talk about desire and power--how they're related and how we can embrace our power and act on our desires.Discussed on this episode:K.F. Breene, Magical Midlife Madness series Gina at Incandescent TarotLarissa's current favorite  tarotdeck is the Lightseer's TarotThe Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change by Dr. Pauline BossNobody's Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental IllnessRoy Richard GrinkerAppetites: Why Women Want, by Carolyn KnappI Am Always Hungry When I WriteOn motherhood, writing, being selfish, and doing it anywayShine TheoryIsaac's BagelsJoanne ChangJewish For Good ChallahMusic by ZakharValaha from Pixabay Music by ZakharValaha from Pixabay

On this episode, Larissa & Elizabeth talk about desire and power--how they're related and how we can embrace our power and act on our desires.Discussed on this episode:K.F. Breene, Magical Midlife Madness series Gina at Incandescent TarotLarissa's current favorite  tarotdeck is the Lightseer's TarotThe Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change by Dr. Pauline BossNobody's Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental IllnessRoy Richard GrinkerAppetites: Why Women Want, by Carolyn KnappI Am Always Hungry When I WriteOn motherhood, writing, being selfish, and doing it anywayShine TheoryIsaac's BagelsJoanne ChangJewish For Good ChallahMusic by ZakharValaha from Pixabay Music by ZakharValaha from Pixabay

Feeling sad and feeling anxious are two common signs of ambiguous loss. Dr. Pauline Boss, one of the world's leading experts on ambiguous loss, shares insights and research in The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change, her newest book. Dr. Boss is a psychologist, thought leader, emeritus professor, and author of the seminal books Loss, Trauma, and Resilience: Therapeutic Work with Ambiguous Loss, and The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss In A Time of Pandemic and Change. She's known worldwide for developing the theory of ambiguous loss and as a pioneer in the interdisciplinary study of family stress management. And at the age of 87, she's having a moment! A delightful guest, Pauline freely shares some of her personal journey and how her experiences of loss changed the scope of her newest book even as she was writing it. She says that ambiguous loss is "an unclear loss." And that many people don't realize they're grieving. The result can be that the grief then becomes frozen. When we understand that how we're feeling and why we're feeling it is because we're grieving an unclear loss, our lives can begin making more sense. Examples of ambiguous loss include the Covid pandemic, leaving one's home and/or country as an immigrant or refugee, romantic relationship breakups, divorces, family disintegration, adoption caretaking an elderly spouse, partner, parent, or adult child with physical and/or mental health issues. Pauline Boss makes it clear that most caregivers are not depressed. Nor should they be labeled with a pathogizing diagnosis they don't deserve. What many caregivers are is sad. And it's a sadness that's very normal and understandable given the circumstances. Closure on normal grieving is a myth. Grief does not end. Further, if we've loved someone or something, we want to remember. Because we're remembering with love. Pauline offers thoughtful, and helpful counsel for how to increase our tolerance for ambiguous loss, and continue moving forward with our lives, even as we hold what's dear to us in our hearts.   If you're feeling sad, depressed, confused about how to move forward after a traumatic change, or if you'd like to explore grief counseling in Santa Fe, please reach out to the Santa Fe Therapist for a free 15-minute phone consult. Send an email to melanie@melanieharth.com and schedule a session, won't you?

Dr. Pauline Boss PhD - She is a renown grief counselor, psychologist and emeritus professor at University of Minnesota. She is known worldwide for developing the theory of ambiguous loss and as a pioneer in the interdisciplinary study of family stress management. She joins Tavis to unpack her new book “The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in A Time of Pandemic and Change” which teaches us how to tolerate the ambiguity in our more common losses in everyday life (Hour 1)

Frankie's guests include financial first aid blogger and author Alyssa Davies, Dr. Pauline Boss professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota and the world renowned for developing the theory of ambiguous loss and is author of the new book "The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change, and Kathy Buccio with a feature on KFC for Mother's Day.Alyssa Davies is a content manager for Zolo and a published author living in Calgary, Alberta. She is the founder of the two-time award-winning Canadian Personal Finance Blog of the Year, Mixed Up Money. In her handy and accessible new guidebook, Financial First Aid, you'll learn how to navigate unexpected financial surprises. https://mixedupmoney.com/Pauline Boss, PhD, is emeritus professor at University of Minnesota. She is known worldwide for developing the theory of ambiguous loss and as a pioneer in the interdisciplinary study of family stress management. Dr. Boss is the author of Loss, Trauma, and Resilience: Therapeutic Work with Ambiguous Loss. In her new book, The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change, renown grief counselor and psychologist Pauline Boss, Ph.D. tackles how to deal with even more loss in the age of COVID-19. https://wwnorton.com/nonfiction/mental-healthKathy Buccio is a TV Host, Lifestyle Expert, Producer and Influencer with over 20 years of television experience. She started her career in New York as a producer for the hit entertainment show, Access Hollywood. You can currently see her as an on-camera expert and contributor for outlets like The Today Show, Telemundo Un Nuevo Dia, Acceso Total, NBC 6 in the Mix, NY PIX 11, NBC Boston's The Hub Today, and various ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX stations across the U.S. She is also one of the hosts for the South Florida PBS Health Channel. https://kathybuccio.com/

This week, Caitlin Plant, Program Manager at Distress and Crisis Ontario, is sharing some information on ambiguous loss, loss related to death, grief, and the myth of closure. Much of what she speaks about in today's episode comes from a recent workshop she attended with Dr Pauline Boss, based on work published in her latest book, “The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change”. As well as providing information on different forms of loss, Caitlin also shares some tips for managing grief. If you need support due to anything mentioned in this episode, or for something unrelated to the podcast, please remember that our Member centres and/or ONTX are here to help. You can find your nearest centre by visiting our website at www.dcontario.org/locations and you can access the ONTX chat function from any page of our website as well by clicking the “looking for support” sidebar. ONTX can also be accessed by texting SUPPORT to 258258. ONTX is available daily from 2PM – 2AM EST, but many of our Member centres operate 24/7. If you would like to provide feedback on our podcast, or request future topics, please do so here: https://forms.gle/C2nmqGqKoiwTsX6x6. If you have any questions for Yasmine Mohamed, a recurring guest speaking with us about her Muslim faith, please submit them here: https://forms.gle/3kmgbXPrGYPmw8BU9. Thank you for listening, we hope you join us again next week.

How do we begin to cope with loss that cannot be resolved? The COVID-19 pandemic has left many of us haunted by feelings of anxiety, despair, and even anger. In The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change (W.W. Norton, 2021), pioneering therapist Dr. Pauline Boss identifies these vague feelings of distress as caused by "ambiguous loss," losses that remain unclear and hard to pin down, and thus have no closure. Collectively the world is grieving as the pandemic continues to change our everyday lives. With a loss of trust in the world as a safe place, a loss of certainty about health care, education, employment, lingering anxieties plague many of us, even as parts of the world are opening back up again. Yet after so much loss, our search must be for a sense of meaning, and not something as elusive and impossible as "closure." Dr. Boss also provides strategies for coping: encouraging us to increase our tolerance of ambiguity and acknowledging our resilience as we express a normal grief, and still look to the future with hope and possibility.  Pauline Boss, PhD, is emeritus professor at University of Minnesota. She is known worldwide for developing the theory of ambiguous loss and as a pioneer in the interdisciplinary study of family stress management.  This interview was conducted by Jolie Ho, a PhD candidate in clinical psychology whose own research focuses on social support-seeking in response to life stressors within the context of anxiety disorders, including implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for individuals with social anxiety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychology

How do we begin to cope with loss that cannot be resolved? The COVID-19 pandemic has left many of us haunted by feelings of anxiety, despair, and even anger. In The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change (W.W. Norton, 2021), pioneering therapist Dr. Pauline Boss identifies these vague feelings of distress as caused by "ambiguous loss," losses that remain unclear and hard to pin down, and thus have no closure. Collectively the world is grieving as the pandemic continues to change our everyday lives. With a loss of trust in the world as a safe place, a loss of certainty about health care, education, employment, lingering anxieties plague many of us, even as parts of the world are opening back up again. Yet after so much loss, our search must be for a sense of meaning, and not something as elusive and impossible as "closure." Dr. Boss also provides strategies for coping: encouraging us to increase our tolerance of ambiguity and acknowledging our resilience as we express a normal grief, and still look to the future with hope and possibility.  Pauline Boss, PhD, is emeritus professor at University of Minnesota. She is known worldwide for developing the theory of ambiguous loss and as a pioneer in the interdisciplinary study of family stress management.  This interview was conducted by Jolie Ho, a PhD candidate in clinical psychology whose own research focuses on social support-seeking in response to life stressors within the context of anxiety disorders, including implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for individuals with social anxiety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

How do we begin to cope with loss that cannot be resolved? The COVID-19 pandemic has left many of us haunted by feelings of anxiety, despair, and even anger. In The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change (W.W. Norton, 2021), pioneering therapist Dr. Pauline Boss identifies these vague feelings of distress as caused by "ambiguous loss," losses that remain unclear and hard to pin down, and thus have no closure. Collectively the world is grieving as the pandemic continues to change our everyday lives. With a loss of trust in the world as a safe place, a loss of certainty about health care, education, employment, lingering anxieties plague many of us, even as parts of the world are opening back up again. Yet after so much loss, our search must be for a sense of meaning, and not something as elusive and impossible as "closure." Dr. Boss also provides strategies for coping: encouraging us to increase our tolerance of ambiguity and acknowledging our resilience as we express a normal grief, and still look to the future with hope and possibility.  Pauline Boss, PhD, is emeritus professor at University of Minnesota. She is known worldwide for developing the theory of ambiguous loss and as a pioneer in the interdisciplinary study of family stress management.  This interview was conducted by Jolie Ho, a PhD candidate in clinical psychology whose own research focuses on social support-seeking in response to life stressors within the context of anxiety disorders, including implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for individuals with social anxiety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You have to have something new to hope for sure. You might still keep hoping that somebody with a terminal illness might get better and indeed they do sometimes. Or you might hope as after 9/11, that somebody will be found who was in the trade towers when they fell down. And in fact, a few people were found in another country or in a psychiatric ward and not being able to remember who they were, but for the most part, you keep hoping and you move forward with life in a new way. Without that missing person, you must do both. You cannot just hope because that means you're immobilized, you're frozen in place and the children will suffer, the family will suffer, you will suffer from that. It has to be both/and.” So says, Dr. Pauline Boss, emeritus professor at University of Minnesota and world-renowned as a pioneer in the interdisciplinary study of family stress management as well as for her groundbreaking research on what is now known as the theory of ambiguous loss. Dr. Boss coined the term ambiguous loss in the 1970s to describe a very particular type of loss that defies resolution, blocks coping and meaning-making and freezes the process of grieving. With death, she says, there is official certification of loss, proof of the transformation from life to death, and support for mourners through community rituals and gatherings. In ambiguous loss, none of these markers exist, the lingering murkiness leaving individuals unnerved and stressed out.  In her forty years of clinical experience as a family therapist, Dr. Boss has worked with individuals, couples and families dealing with some kind of ambiguous loss - from families in New York who lost family members during 9/11 and are experiencing the physical kind of ambiguous loss, to those dealing with the psychological ambiguous losses of a parent with Alzheimer's disease, a loved one with an addiction, or someone who is changing as a result of aging or transitioning. Drawing on research and her immense cache of clinical experience, Dr. Boss has developed six guiding principles for building the resilience to both bear the trauma of ambiguous loss and to move forward and live well, despite experiencing a loss with no certainty or resolution.  She joins me today to discuss this often unrecognized, but ubiquitous type of loss, particularly as it relates to closure - the subject of her most recent book, The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change. Our conversation touches on our collective grieving following the pandemic and our country's awakening to the concept of systemic racism; how we can begin to increase our tolerance for ambiguity, and the importance of discovering new hope in the face of grief that has no end. Our search, she tells us, must not be for the elusive concept of closure, but rather for a sense of meaning and a new way to move forward.  EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Unnerving ambiguity… Using both/and language around loss… Pillars of processing… Moving forward, not moving on… MORE FROM PAULINE BOSS: The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief Loving Someone Who Has Dementia: How to Find Hope While Coping with Stress and Grief What if There's No Such Thing as Closure? - NYT Magazine, December 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All of us have experienced a wide range of loss and grief from the last 2 years of life under a pandemic.  In this second installment of our focus on grief and Loss, host Lisa Laudico speaks with leading social scientist, family therapist, professor, and writer Dr. Pauline Boss about all of her research and her latest book, The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic & Change.  Dr. Boss has extended the lens of her groundbreaking research to the world we live in today.  This is another episode that has something for everyone – not just those of us living with MBC or a terminal diagnosis.  It is a privilege to listen to Dr. Boss speak and teach.   This type of interview will now be part of our new, “Our MBC Bookshelf” series that will highlight the authors and books who make a difference in our lives.  If you have an author whom you would like us to interview – drop us a line.   Finally, we have launched a new version of our very popular Dash of Joy – this season we want to hear your little dashes of joy and we will play them in future episodes.  Moments of joy do not have to be (maybe shouldn't be?) big splashy insta moments but the big and small real moments of joy that help us each day to have some lightness in our heart even when life feels so hard.  Listen here for Dar Finkelstein's introduction of this new mini segment this season. More info is available on our website:   www.ourmbclife.orgGot something to share?  Feedback? Email:   ourmbclife@sharecancersupport.orgSend us a voice recording via email or through speakpipe on our website.  Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @ourmbclife

March 11 marks two years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. With another variant waning, many people are hoping, yet again, to close the book on COVID and move on. But what if there's a different way to think about life after loss? Pauline Boss, PhD, author of “The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change,” talks about what we have learned about grief, resilience and moving on after two years of pandemic life. Links Pauline Boss, PhD Speaking of Psychology Home Page

Interview with Dr Pauline Boss. Pauline Boss, PhD, is emeritus professor at University of Minnesota. She is known worldwide for developing the theory of ambiguous loss and as a pioneer in the interdisciplinary study of family stress management. Dr. Boss is the author of Loss, Trauma, and Resilience: Therapeutic Work with Ambiguous Loss in addition to The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.In this podcast episode you will learn:✨The difference between clear and ambiguous loss✨The 6 steps of a stress-based therapy✨The myth about lossEnjoy listening.With gratitude,Julia-----SHOWNOTESLearn More About Dr Pauline Boss:https://www.ambiguousloss.com/-----

Guest: Pauline Boss, author of “The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a time of Pandemic and Change”   COVID-19 has snatched more than 30,000 lives in Canada, more than 900,000 in the U.S. and millions more around the world. But it has stolen so much more. Whether it's the thought of loved ones dying alone or the inability to gather for a funeral, countless have suffered in the isolation of lockdowns and physical distancing. While not a matter of life and death, it can be hard to come to terms with other losses, be it weddings, graduations, or other missed events that shape our days. Following this time of collective loss, people are longing for closure and a way to move on. But do we actually need to? Social scientist Pauline Boss explains why not getting closure might actually be the healthiest path as we seek to move forward with life through – and beyond – the pandemic.   This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Matthew Hearn.

Pauline Boss is a professor emeritus at University of Minnesota, a pioneer of the field of ambiguous loss, and the author of numerous books, the most recent of which is called "The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic."

In her new book, “The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change,” Pauline Boss considers what it means to reach “emotional closure” in a state of unnamable grief.Hard to define, these grievances have been granted a new name: ambiguous loss. The death of a loved one, missing relatives, giving a child up for adoption, a lost friend — Boss teases out how one can mourn something that cannot always be described.The pandemic has been rife with “ambiguous loss,” Boss argues. Milestones missed; friendships and romantic liaisons cooled; families prevented from bidding farewell to dying loved ones because of stringent hospital rules. A sense of “frozen grief” pervades great swathes of the global community. Boss believes that by rethinking and lending language to the nature of loss, we might get closer to understanding it.This story was recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android. 

This show is a partnership with the Roseville Alzheimer's and Dementia Community Action Team.  Pauline Boss joins us today.  She is a renowned pioneer researcher and theorist of ambiguous loss.  She coined in the term “Ambiguous Loss.” Pauline is the author of eight books including Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief; Loving Someone Who Has Dementia; and the Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change, which will be released in December 2021. Please join us and share with others. Contact Pauline Boss Website:https://www.ambiguousloss.com Email:  https://www.ambiguousloss.com/contact-al/ Contact Lori La Bey with questions or branding needs at www.AlzheimersSpeaks.com Alzheimer's Speaks Radio - Shifting dementia care from crisis to comfort around the world one episode at a time by raising all voices and delivering sounds news, not just sound bites since 2011.