Unrecognized Grief: The Grief We Overlook

This class introduces the concept of disenfranchised grief—grief that isn’t openly acknowledged, socially supported, or viewed as a “valid” loss by others. We’ll explore the many kinds of losses that can lead to this experience, such as the death of someone others didn’t recognize as significant, the loss of a pet, or meaningful non‑death losses that still carry deep emotional impact.

The session draws on several perspectives from the field of grief studies and highlights accessible forms of support that people often turn to for comfort. The goal is to increase awareness of how easily certain forms of grief are minimized—and to encourage more mindful, compassionate responses to those whose losses are too often overlooked.