Broken heart
For most bereaved individuals, the journey through grief will ultimately culminate in an acceptable level of adjustment to a life without their loved one. The Kübler-Ross model postulates that there are five stages of grief after the loss of a loved-one: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. And while it is recognized that mourners go through initial period of numbness leading to depression and finally to reorganization and recovery, most modern grief specialists recognize the variations and fluidity of grief experiences differ considerably in intensity and length among cultural groups, individually from person to person as well as depending on the amount of investment put into the relationship.
Second Firsts
After switching careers, Rasmussen decided in 2010 to focus on her work as an independent grief counselor. Continuing her prior research in the field, she began identifying a pattern of behaviors and beliefs that serve to perpetuate grief and affect quality of life after loss. Aligning her observations with concepts from neuroscience and, more specifically, neuroplasticity, Rasmussen developed a new model of grief.