The word "grief" typically invokes images of sorrow after a loss, the immediate aftermath, the funeral, the empty chair. But for millions of people, a complex, deeply painful emotional process begins long before the final goodbye. We often see the impact of anticipatory grief first-hand and are committed to creating spaces for understanding, support and open conversation around loss.
Anticipatory grief is the profound sense of loss feltwhen a death or a major life change is impending, but has not yet occurred. It is most commonly experienced by individuals and families facing a terminalillness, a progressive disease like Alzheimer's or a slow decline in a lovedone's health.