Module Overview
Originated by Dr. Panos Vostanis
Like the changing seasons, loss comes to everyone including young people. Whether through loss of friendship, illness, death or the symbolic losses of identity, innocence, or security. Each primary loss carries secondary losses, such as the loss of relationships, roles, responsibilities, and can leave young people and families struggling under the weight of multiple afflictions.
Trauma refers to any deeply disturbing experience, and automatically includes loss in some form. It doesn’t have to involve immediate threat or physical harm to be traumatic, and it doesn’t even have to happen directly to you or your family. Given that this area needs to be treated with utmost care for individuals, in this module we take a light touch approach to this highly emotive and challenging topic. We seek to encourage young people to recognise that loss is part of life and that they can develop helpful coping strategies.