Disenfranchised Grief: The Overlooked & Misunderstood Loss

In this presentation, we explore the concept of disenfranchised grief, a type of grief that occurs when someone’s loss is minimized, overlooked, often going unspoken or not socially acknowledged.

Grief is a deeply personal experience, but not all forms of grief are recognized or validated by society. In this presentation, we explore the concept of disenfranchised grief, a type of grief that occurs when someone’s loss is minimized, overlooked, often going unspoken or not socially acknowledged. This may happen when the relationship to the deceased or the nature or the loss is stigmatized or deemed unimportant by social &/cultural norms. We will examine the emotional and psychological Impact or disentranchised grier, as well as the unique challenges faced by individuals experiencing it

Learning Objectives:

• Define & understand disenfranchised grief & its characteristics
• Identify 5 types of disenfranchised grief
• Describe & discuss psychological & physiological expressions of grief
• Open discussion about social & cultural factors that contribute to the invalidation or minimization of certain types of grief
• Explore three clinical communication & healing strategies to support individuals experiencing grief, while promoting empathetic engagement and creating a compassionate environment.