Writing on Betrayal, Divorce, Relationships, and What Gets in the Way.
These posts are written for people navigating difficult relationship experiences: not as a substitute for therapy, but as a place to find language for what you're going through.
Shelby Doherty-Sirkovich, RP, MACP · CRPO #12083 · Virtual therapy across Ontario
Ambiguous Grief: Grieving What Was Never Fully Lost
There's a kind of grief that doesn't have a funeral.
It might be grief for a parent who is still alive but was never really there. Grief for a relationship that ended without a clear reason, or one that kept going without ever really working. Grief for the family you thought you'd have, or the one you thought you already did. Grief for a version of yourself you had to give up in order to survive something.
None of these losses come with rituals or casseroles or condolence cards. There's no socially recognized moment to mourn, no permission to fall apart, and often no one around who understands why you're still grieving something that isn't technically gone, or something that other people think you should be over.
This is ambiguous grief: grief without clear boundaries, and grief without social permission.
Posts on this site are educational and are not a substitute for individual clinical care. Shelby Doherty-Sirkovich is a Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO #12083) practicing virtually across Ontario, Canada. If you are in crisis, the 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline is available 24/7 by call or text. In an emergency, call 911. For Ontario community and social services, call 211.