Holding Space for Complicated Grief & Loss

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Grief is not something we “get over.”
And when loss is layered, sudden, prolonged, or unresolved, grief can become complicated — living not just in the heart, but in the nervous system and the body.

This gentle, trauma-informed workshop offers a safe and compassionate space for individuals experiencing complicated grief — grief that feels stuck, overwhelming, confusing, or isolating long after a loss has occurred.

Led by J. Victoria Laszlo, LCSW, LCADC, this workshop reframes complicated grief not as a personal failing, but as a natural trauma response to profound loss. Participants are guided to understand why their grief may feel intense, nonlinear, or ever-present — and why this makes sense from a psychological and neurobiological perspective.

Rather than rushing healing or pushing for closure, this experience honors grief as something that needs witnessing, meaning, and gentleness.

What This Workshop Offers

• Education on complicated grief as a trauma response

• Insight into what to expect emotionally, physically, and cognitively

• Normalization of delayed, layered, or prolonged grief

• Space to explore emotions without judgment or pressure

• Rituals designed to gently ease emotional pain and create moments of connection

• Grounding practices to support the nervous system when grief feels overwhelming

Participants are invited into reflective, symbolic rituals — such as candle-based remembrance, intention setting, and embodied release — that help externalize grief and give it a place to be held. These rituals are not about “letting go,” but about making room for loss while restoring a sense of steadiness and meaning.

This Is Not a Support Group — and Not a Lecture

It is a contained, respectful healing experience that balances education with emotional presence. No one is required to share, explain, or perform their grief. Silence is welcome. Tears are welcome. So is quiet reflection.

Participants Leave With

• A deeper understanding of their grief experience

• Reduced self-blame and increased self-compassion

• Tools for regulating overwhelming emotional waves

• Simple rituals they can continue at home

• The experience of being seen, held, and understood

This workshop is especially appropriate for individuals experiencing:

• Prolonged or unresolved grief

• Traumatic loss

• Multiple or cumulative losses

• Grief accompanied by guilt, numbness, anger, or anxiety

Format: Gentle experiential workshop
Audience: Adults experiencing loss (individuals or groups)
Length: 60–90 minutes
Tone: Empathetic, trauma-informed, non-pathologizing