Hellos and Goodbyes
Lifelong Learning | Registration opens 8/20/2026 9:00 AM EDT
Grief is a normal, expected and in fact inevitable part of life. During each of our lifetimes there will be big and not so big griefs; there will be a series of hellos and goodbyes. These griefs will happen both to us and to those we care about. And yet we often don't talk about grief, much less learn about it. This course will use both psychological theory and true stories to explore common questions about grief such as: Why each of us grieves differently? How long should grief last? Are there predictable phases or stages of grief that we all experience and What is the difference between normal grief and depression? We will also briefly explore the differences between adult, child and adolescent grief along with the implications of sudden versus expected loss. Most importantly we will explore how to help ourselves and others realistically deal with loss and yet keep moving forward.
Michele Reiss
Dr. Michele A. Reiss is an experienced medical educator, psychotherapist and author. Before retiring, Dr. Reiss was the Assistant Program Director and Director of Behavioral Medicine for the Family Medicine Residency Program at UPMC St. Margaret Hospital. As such she spent over twenty years educating physicians, medical students and other health care professionals in palliative care and behavioral medicine. As a psychotherapist, Dr. Reiss continues to specialize in helping clients cope with life threatening medical illnesses and/or grief. Dr. Reiss book, Lessons In Loss and Living, is a collection of true stories about the many heroes she has been privileged to work with and learn from.