Friday Forum 2/4/22-Ambiguous Loss: The Myth of Closure

Tanya Berg MA, LPCC, LMFT presents on the concept of ambiguous loss during the current pandemic. With all that is happening in our world surrounding COVID-19 challenges, it has left many of us with feelings of anxiety, despair, and even anger (Boss, 2021). Pauline Boss (2021) identifies these vague feelings of distress as cause by "ambiguous loss, losses that remain unclear" and losses that have no apparent completion or end in sight, making closure difficult. Collectively we grieve as the pandemic continues to change our everyday lives. We discuss the different types of ambiguous loss, the strategies that help to cope with the ambiguity and grief related to it, and the restoration of hope and possibility in the midst of this ambiguity.