Grief and Loss Support for Teens

Each of us will at some point be impacted by the death of a friend or loved one.  It is a common experience, yet it can be difficult to discuss openly.  The grief process is different for each person which makes open communication even more important, but this is sometimes blocked by developmental factors (e.g., grief in childhood vs. adolescence and adulthood) which influence our reactions to, and understanding of grief, and sometimes grief is complicated by the type of loss. 

Adolescence is a particularly difficult stage of life, even without the additional burden of grief – grieving teens may end up feeling lost or confused if they do not have someone guiding them through the process.  As adults, we can help attenuate some of their pain by normalizing their experiences while giving them space to be teens. 

This process is not easy, but don’t give up!  Sometimes it might seem like the only person who could possibly get through to your teen is their future (wiser) adult self, but indeed, adults have the ability to shape outcomes by providing compassion and support to grieving teens.  Often times the environment in which a teen is left after a loss is more important to the teen’s ongoing psychological development than the actual circumstances of the loss itself.    

Be sure to also check out our Community Resource page.

-Olivia Norton