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A Closer Look at Our Fall Webinar
For many people, grief is not just about missing someone they loved deeply. Sometimes, the person who died had a complicated or painful relationship with us. There may have been distance, conflict, unmet needs, or long‑standing hurt. When that person dies, the emotions that follow can be hard to name.
You might feel sadness and relief at the same time. You might feel anger, guilt, or a sense of “I should feel something different than I do.” You may not see your experience reflected in how others talk about grief.
That’s why we’re offering “Grieving When the Relationship Was Strained,” a fall grief support webinar with Heather Stang, MA, C‑IAYT.
When Grief Doesn’t Look the Way People Expect
When a relationship was strained, other people may assume:
- You’re only relieved that the person is gone
- You’re grieving a simple, loving relationship
- You “shouldn’t be so upset” because things were difficult
The truth is usually more nuanced. You might be grieving:
- What you wish the relationship could have been
- The loss of future possibilities or reconciliation
- Moments of connection that did exist, alongside the hurt
Grief in these situations can be isolating—especially if you feel you can’t talk openly about the full story.
What the Webinar Will Explore
In this webinar, Heather Stang will gently address topics such as:
- Why grief can feel different when the relationship was difficult or strained
- How guilt, regret, relief, anger, and shame can all show up together
- Why your experience still counts as grief, even if it doesn’t fit the usual mold
She will also introduce practical tools drawn from mindfulness and self‑compassion—approaches that help you:
- Notice what you’re feeling without judgment
- Soften harsh self‑criticism and “shoulds”
- Begin to make peace with what was and what is, one step at a time
The goal is not to rewrite the past or pretend the relationship was something it wasn’t. It’s to help you carry the truth of your story with more tenderness and less pain.
Who This Webinar Is For
This webinar may be helpful if:
- Your relationship with the person who died involved distance, conflict, or mixed experiences
- You feel both love and hurt when you think of them
- You notice guilt or shame about feeling relief after their death
- You’ve struggled to find grief support that acknowledges complicated relationships
You do not have to share your story out loud to benefit. Listening, learning, and reflecting quietly are all welcome ways to participate.
You Deserve Compassion in Complicated Grief
At Bakken‑Young, we believe that all forms of grief deserve compassion—even and especially the ones that don’t look “simple” from the outside. Grieving when the relationship was strained is real grief, and it can be very heavy to carry alone.
We hope this webinar offers you a sense of understanding, language for what you’re going through, and a few tools you can continue to lean on in the weeks and months ahead.
For more information or to register, please visit our event page or contact us. You don’t have to navigate this kind of grief without support.
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