The New Grief

Hour 2

‘Just like we plan for birth, we need to plan for death. After all, it’s a part of life,” says our guest, BARBARA OKUN Ph.D., professor of counseling psychology at Northeastern University. Medical advances have extended our lives, and when a family member is diagnosed with a terminal illness their loved ones around them need to cope emotionally and prepare the logistics of death – but now for a longer period of time than the generations before them. Okun calls this phenomenon “new grief.” She has co-written a book with Joseph Nowinski, Ph.D. about how families can become stronger through extended grief. It’s called Saying Goodbye: How Families Can Find Renewal Through Loss.

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[audio: 110711_110630.mp3]