Ep. 77 Pat Dollard on Ambiguous loss following his partners' disappearance & lgbtq+ grief

Shapes Of Grief

The experience of grief within the lgbtq+ community can be profoundly painful as a result of past losses connected to sexuality. This can be experienced as bereavement (the AIDS crisis), stigmatisation, marginalisation, tacit acceptance from family & community, outright homophobia or erasure by parents or other family members. Many young Irish people left Ireland in the 1980s and 1990s to find a larger gay community and the relief of anonymity in bigger cities such as London. In this episode, Irishman Pat Dollard takes us through the choices he made and why, how he met his partner Mike, the story of their relationship and the utter shock and devastation experienced when Mike went missing while on holidays four years ago. We explore ambiguous loss, meaning making and how grief changes us, as well as the importance of lgbtq specific bereavement groups. Thank you Pat, for this very touching conversation.

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About Shapes of Grief:

Shapes of Grief is an internationally recognized organization dedicated to enhancing competency around loss, grief and bereavement literacy. Curated by Psychotherapist and grief specialist Liz Gleeson, Shapes of Grief equips individuals with the tools and expertise necessary for understanding and supporting the complex needs of the bereaved, or people grieving any type of loss.

With a curriculum that has been meticulously developed to include the most comprehensive evidence-based material available, Shapes Of Grief stands out as the only program to feature contributions from international grief experts. The award-winning online programme offers different levels of training to accurately meet the needs of each learner.

Don’t wait to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most, sign-up HERE for our FREE Masterclass in Loss & Grief.