Worden: Four Tasks of Mourning

Question 1

Task I

Answer 1

Accepting the reality of the loss

Question 2

Task II

Answer 2

Processing the pain of grief. The patient uses coping mechanisms to deal with the emotional pain of the loss

Question 3

Task III

Answer 3

Adjusting to a world without the lost entity. The patient changes the environment to accommodate the absence of the deceased

Question 4

Task IV

Answer 4

Finding an enduring connection with the lost entity in the midst of embarking on a new life. The patient finds a way to keep the lost entity a part of their life while at the same time moving forward with life and establishing new relationships