The conference, held on November 13th at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, highlighted that grief is not always associated with the death of a loved one. Losses such as identity, roots, home, or a life project can also generate often-unseen grief processes. The main objective was to acknowledge these experiences, respect individual timelines, and offer support based on listening, understanding, and respect to help rebuild life projects.
The meeting brought together professionals and individuals with personal experience to address, from a multidisciplinary perspective, the different ways of experiencing loss and the importance of support that considers all dimensions of a person: physical, emotional, social, and spiritual.
“"Hope is not forgetting, but finding new purposes to continue living"
Philosopher and theologian Francesc Torralba opened the conference with a talk marked by his personal experience following his son's death. Torralba reflected on the profound impact of losing a loved one and the need to build new life purposes to face grief with hope. He advocated for gratitude, support communities, and listening that doesn't always require words, warning against societal pressure to overcome losses too quickly.
Panel discussions broadened the perspective on grief, addressing complex losses such as grief from suicide, migratory grief, loss of home, or identity changes associated with a mental health diagnosis. Yolanda Osorio, a psychiatrist at Parc Sanitari SJD, discussed migratory grief as a loss of roots and difficulties in building belonging. Charo Sillero, director of CRI La Llavor, highlighted the losses faced by women experiencing homelessness. Jan Ambròs, a peer from the Federació Veus, shared his process of accepting a mental health diagnosis and overcoming self-stigma. Rafa Vilalta recounted his recovery from addiction and homelessness.
The spiritual dimension of grief was the focus of the conference by Bibiana Marín, a social worker at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, who presented grief as a transition process towards a new life purpose, where professional support involves being present and sustaining hope.
The conference concluded with acknowledgments of the work of the Healthcare Social Work team by Laura Morro, dean of the Official College of Social Work of Catalonia, and Antoni Serrano, Mental Health Director at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu. The meeting reinforced the idea of accompanying grief by recognizing the uniqueness of each story, making often-silenced losses visible, and offering spaces for care to help people regain meaning, connections, and hope.
To conclude, Anna Quaresma performed 'Magnolias' by Rosalía, framing a day dedicated to making losses visible and advocating for the importance of accompanying them.
