One of my constant frustrations in terms of grief education is the perpetuation of Kübler-Ross’s ‘stages of grief‘ model in popular culture, particularly when used in bereavement (or in an off-hand/ joke way such as “My barista has left my cafe and I’m in my anger stage…”).  The model was originally designed to describe the emotional shock people might experience following diagnosis of a terminal illness. Significantly, it was never intended to be linear – there is no ‘pattern’ or way of predicting how a person’s grief will unfold. Using the model out of its intended context – such as for bereavement – can create unrealistic expectations (which in turn compounds a person’s experience). Sorry for the long lecture but it is important in introducing David Kessler’s text, Finding Meaning – The Sixth Stage of Grief. Continue reading →