A seminar on Loss and Grief was held in collaboration with our university and Küçükçekmece District Directorate of National Education.
The seminar, organized for mentor teachers as part of the “Öğretmenim Benimle” project, featured presentations by Dr. Hadiye Küçükkaragöz and Lecturer Dilek Özyürek from the Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling. The opening speeches were delivered by Prof. Dr. Ragıp Özyürek, Head of the Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling, and a Deputy Director of the Küçükçekmece District Directorate of National Education.
Following the opening remarks, Lecturer Dilek Özyürek highlighted the significance of losing a loved one in human life and touched upon the grief process. She stated, “Grief is a more challenging process to cope with when it is caused by human actions.” Özyürek explained concepts such as direct grief and indirect grief, emphasizing that indirect grief occurs when an individual witnesses or feels the pain of others’ losses, even without experiencing a personal loss.
Dr. Hadiye Küçükkaragöz, who spoke after Lecturer Özyürek, explored the relationship between trauma and grief. She remarked, “Sometimes, grief can result from trauma.”
Dr. Küçükkaragöz categorized the loss process into normal and abnormal losses, saying, “We consider losses that occur in line with the life cycle of our loved ones as normal losses. However, every loss is unique and personal to the one experiencing it.”
She also addressed ambiguous losses, explaining that such situations prolong and intensify grief. Then, she pointed out the psychological ambiguity seen in Alzheimer’s patients, stating, “A situation where a very close person no longer recognizes you can be an example of this and is considered a continuous loss.”
Dr. Küçükkaragöz also discussed the grief process in children, emphasizing the impact of culture about how children effected by grief. She highlighted that grief can also be observed in children who experience bullying or separation anxiety.
