Naming the Grief We Don’t Name
- Common unspoken losses in aging: role shifts, functional changes, social contraction, identity transitions
- Intake prompts to surface hidden grief without pathologizing
- Validating language that normalizes disenfranchised grief
Meaning, Identity, and Mortality
- Values and meaning prompts for life transitions
- Legacy and role-continuity exercises (e.g., brief letter, “meaning map”)
- Non-impositional stance toward existential and spiritual themes
Accessible Somatic Practices
- Gentle seated movement and breath work to support regulation
- Titration, pacing, and “stop/slow/safe” cues to prevent overwhelm
- Adapting for pain, balance issues, dizziness, and medical limitations
Session Integration and Ethics
- Simple session arc: acknowledge loss → regulate body → explore meaning → small action
- Micro-rituals and at-home practices clients can repeat
- Documentation language that honors unspoken grief
- Limitations of the research and potential risks