“It came as such a shock. I just can’t believe he’s gone.”
Psychologists are accustomed to seeing bereaved individuals. But working with Jodie* presented a unique challenge – she’d never met the person she was grieving. Jodie was reeling after the recent death of a well known singer. Despite not knowing the singer personally, Jodie’s grief and loss seemed as palpable as other patients speaking about the deaths of family members or loved ones. Jodie reported that weeks after the singer’s death, she was struggling to attend work and was sleeping poorly, describing herself as consumed with thoughts of the singer.
