Parents tend to be our primary caretakers. They were the first people to take care of us and protect us. Their loss may feel like a sudden exposure to the elements. This can evoke feelings of fear and uncertainty. This article will explore these feelings and provide suggestions to help you better manage the loss of a parent.

Siblings play an integral part in our lives – from learning how to socialize and view the world to constructing who we are as a person. Our siblings are the ones who tend to have the closest insight into who we truly are. The loss of such a connection can be devastating on a very foundational level. Many surviving siblings carry this loss forever. This, however, does not necessarily have to be a totally negative experience.

The grieving process is a highly complex, dynamic and unique process to the individual that is difficult to predict and manage. The Dual-Process Model of Bereavement offers some guidance for how we can better facilitate the manoeuvring of this process in the healthiest and most beneficial way.