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How to find meaning after loss

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David Kessler |

How to Deal with Difficult Feelings

• May 2021

You may be familiar with the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. After decades of research and his own experience with tragic loss, grief expert David Kessler ventured beyond that classic framework and sought a sixth, crucial stage: meaning. He shares practical wisdom and strategies for anyone seeking to honor a loved one's memory and move through life in light of personal loss. (This conversation, hosted by TED curator Cloe Shasha Brooks, is part of TED's "How to Deal with Difficult Feelings" series.)

You may be familiar with the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. After decades of research and his own experience with tragic loss, grief expert David Kessler ventured beyond that classic framework and sought a sixth, crucial stage: meaning. He shares practical wisdom and strategies for anyone seeking to honor a loved one's memory and move through life in light of personal loss. (This conversation, hosted by TED curator Cloe Shasha Brooks, is part of TED's "How to Deal with Difficult Feelings" series.)

Discover surprising truths about the rocky terrain of grief, and begin to remember with more love than pain.

Explore this website dedicated to finding help, education and support after loss.

Explore this website created with the goal of helping you and your family better cope with the many aspects of loss.

About the speakers

David Kessler

Grief and loss expert

See speaker profile

David Kessler's experience with thousands of people on the edge of life and death has taught him the secrets to living a happy and fulfilled life, even after life's tragedies.

Cloe Shasha Brooks

Cloe Shasha Brooks

TED speaker development curator

See speaker profile

Cloe Shasha Brooks curates speakers for TED in a variety of fields, with an international focus on culture, society, literature and humor.

David Kessler | Scribner, 2020 | Book

Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief

In this groundbreaking book, David Kessler journeys beyond the classic five stages to discover a sixth stage: meaning.

Paul Denniston | Chronicle Prism, 2021 | Book

Healing Through Yoga: Transform Loss into Empowerment – With More Than 75 Yoga Poses and Meditations

So often, we think that grief lives only in our hearts and minds. But what about the emotions that weigh us down and the grief that gets stuck in our body? Our emotions need motion, and Healing Through Yoga is a unique, simple and powerful way of healing. Grief Yoga founder Paul Denniston takes you through the stages of Awareness, Expression, Connection, Surrender and Evolution with clear and compassionate instruction.

Louise Hay and David Kessler | Hay House Publisher, 2015 | Book

You Can Heal Your Heart: Finding Peace After a Breakup, Divorce, or Death

This remarkable book discusses the emotions that occur when a relationship leaves you brokenhearted, a marriage ends in divorce or a loved one dies.

Scott Berinato | Harvard Business Review, 2020 | Article

"That Discomfort You're Feeling is Grief"

A palpable sense of collective grief has emerged in our world. Grief is actually multiple feelings that we must manage. In an interview with HBR, David Kessler explains how the classic five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, acceptance) apply today, and the practical steps we can take to manage the anxiety.

Unlocking Us with Brené Brown, 2020 | Listen

"David Kessler and Brené on Grief and Finding Meaning"

Brené Brown and David Kessler join in a beautifully thought-provoking conversation to discuss love, loss and the power of finding meaning after even the most devastating losses.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross | Scribner, 2014 | Book

On Death And Dying

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's groundbreaking classic on the five stages of grief.

Learn more

Discover surprising truths about the rocky terrain of grief, and begin to remember with more love than pain.

Explore this website dedicated to finding help, education and support after loss.

Explore this website created with the goal of helping you and your family better cope with the many aspects of loss.