Spousal / partner loss is often experienced as a profound loss resulting in significant disruptions in one’s daily life and major changes in the social world. Whether the couple relationship used to be loving and intimate or ambivalent and conflictual, the surviving spouse / partners commonly need to review their sense of identity, life goals and relationships with the surrounding others, as well as reorganize their daily routines and reset their relational roles and directions in life ahead. At the same time, spousal / partner loss often implies parental / grandparental loss for the affected children / grandchildren in the family. As parents / grandparents may play multiple roles and instill different influences in children’s daily life and personal development, regardless of age, the departure of such a parental figure may result in a great sense of loss and disorientation for the bereaved children as well.
In this module, we will examine the unique features in spousal / partner loss and parental / grandparental loss. We will also introduce two conversation guides – the “RINGS for Life” and the “House the LIGHT” that are tailored for these two losses respectively as possible tools to facilitate meaning reconstruction with the bereaved spouse / partner and the bereaved children / grandchildren.