Lane Pease from Kate’s Club on Building Resiliency in Kids After Loss

"Children can be resilient. But we know there are factors that have to do with building resiliency in them. They are not automatically any more resilient than we are, or than anybody is. If anything, they’re very vulnerable to a lot of things. Losing a parent in childhood is one of the most adverse events that can occur in a child’s life. So, to just say they’re resilient, they’ll be fine, is not enough."     -- Lane Pease, program director at Kate's Club

I really loved talking with Lane Pease for this episode. Lane is the program director of Kate’s Club in Atlanta and is herself a widowed parent. We discussed so many topics that I found fascinating, and I hope you will, too. Topics we discussed include:

• building resiliency in kids after loss;
• the balance between maintaining structure & routine and giving your family a break when needed;
• when to choose one-on-one therapy vs a peer grief group for your child;
• traumatic grief – what is it, and how does it differ from adaptive grief, & signs your child might be experiencing this;
• Worden’s Tasks of Mourning;
• how the surviving parent’s ability to cope affects the child’s ability to cope;
• the importance of open and honest communication with your child regarding cause of death, especially in difficult situations; and
• Kate’s Club’s programs (a great resource if you live in Atlanta!).

I hope you enjoy my discussion with Lane Pease.