Losses That Don’t Get Mourned : A Therapeutic Writing Cohort from The School of You Writing Practice
This offering is part of The School of You Writing Practice — learn more about the practice here
This Cohort’s Theme: Losses That Don’t Get Mourned
Disenfranchised grief is the name psychologist Kenneth Doka gave to losses that receive no social recognition. These are losses for which there is no public language.
- The culture doesn’t recognise it as a loss
- You’re rushed to get over it
- There was no funeral, no marker
- Others minimise it: “At least it wasn’t worse”
These losses may include:
- Emotional neglect that was never named.
- Corporal punishment that was minimised, normalised or justified.
- Loss of childhood to premature responsibility
- The self you abandoned to survive or belong
- A relationship that ended without closure
- Migration and the loss of language or place
- Illness that altered your body or future
- A sibling bond that broke or never formed
- Success that cost you something essential
- Work that eroded your confidence or identity
How the Program Works
This is a 6-week writing arc focused on one loss.
The Writing Practice offers structure, carefully designed prompts, community witnessing, and psychological context. This program is not therapy, crisis intervention, or a support group for acute or recent loss. It is a reflective writing and meaning-making space designed for those who are able to engage with past or complex losses in a contained, thoughtful way.
You will:
- Submit a 500–600 word reflective piece and receive confirmation of participation.
- Attend the first 90-minute small-group meeting to meet one another, learn about disenfranchised grief, and read portions of your writing aloud.
- Receive curated prompts designed specifically for your writing, allowing you to deepen and expand your piece over two weeks.
- Expand your essay to 1000–1500 words.
- Attend a second 90-minute meeting to share your expanded writing and witness final reflections.
- Complete a brief impact questionnaire.
Groups are limited to six participants to ensure depth and containment.
Research Context
This inaugural cohort forms part of a research study exploring how structured writing supports the processing of disenfranchised grief — particularly within the Indian context, where such work remains under-researched.
Participants will complete a brief impact questionnaire at the end of the cohort. Responses will be anonymised and may contribute to academic publication.
There is no fee. Participation requires application, steadiness, and commitment.
How to Apply
Submit by April 15th:
- A 500–600 word reflective piece
Write about a loss you were not given permission to mourn.- What was lost? What made you aware of the loss?
- Why was there no space to mourn it? How did others see it?
- What has it been like to carry this loss in silence? What was it for you internally and outwardly?
- What still feels unfinished? How did this change you?
Write honestly and imperfectly. We are not evaluating writing skill.
Selection Criteria: What We Look For
We can say we are looking for adults (18+) with reflective capacity — the ability to step back and observe your own experience. This may appear as questioning, noticing patterns, holding contradictions, or wondering about what the loss has meant in your life.
We value authenticity over polish. We are not looking for literary skill. We are interested in writing that engages honestly with inner experience — feelings, meanings made then, and meanings being made now.
The loss may be painful or unfinished, but there should be enough steadiness to reflect without being overwhelmed in the moment.
Commitment to the full writing arc, both meetings, and the impact questionnaire is essential.
This session is fully booked. Drop your interest below to be the first to know when the next one opens up. In the meantime, explore our other offerings.