The holidays can be stressful as we juggle work, family, money concerns and travel. But it can be an especially difficult time for those experiencing loss.
How do we talk about loss at this time of year? How can we remember our lost loved ones at a time when we're often surrounded by family and friends? How can we can accommodate — if not accept — a sense of loss that, for many, goes hand in hand with the holidays?
On this Vermont Edition, we talk about loss during this time of year, strategies we can employ to support friends and family experiencing grief and sadness, and how to approach these conversations with children.
Joining the discussion is Donna Soltura, a social worker focused on palliative care and bereavement support at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and Laura Basili, a clinical psychologist and visiting assistant professor at Middlebury College working in private practice in Middlebury.
Resources are available if you need immediate help:
- A list of mental health service providers in Vermont
- The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255)
- The Vermont Department of Mental Health's 24-hour Crisis Text Line: text VT to 741741
- Call Vermont 211 anywhere in the state, or visit Vermont211.org to get live referral help
Post your experiences with or strategies for addressing loss at the holidays below, or email us at vermontedition@vpr.net.
Broadcast live Thursday, Dec. 14 at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
