Bereavement and the grieving process is being discussed by specialists at a seminar in Dublin today.
The open event is aiming to show that bereavement is a significant life experience and unveil how it can affect us.
Coping with Life's Losses is being run by the Bereavement Counselling Service, which handles around 300 calls every month, in association with The Carers Association.
The free event takes place from 10am to 1pm at the Davis Theatre, Arts Building, Trinity College.
"Society has expectations around how people should grieve, how long it should take to get over a loss and even how a person who has suffered asignificant loss should behave," said Dr John Sharry, Child and Family Psychotherapist at the Mater Hospital and Founder of Parents Plus and Brief Therapy Group.
"The reality is that everyone deals with loss in their own unique way.
"Some people need professional intervention to help them make sense of a loss and deal with what can often be overwhelming and intense emotions of anger, fear, guilt, sorrow, loneliness, regret and even in some cases a sense of relief.
"Other people with the support of family and friends just work through grief themselves.
"The important thing is that people feel supported in their loss and don't feel under pressure to conform to a preconceived set of rules on how to grieve.
"People often say life will never be the same again, especially after the death of a loved one, but hopefully people can work through their grief and come out the other side with a sense of hope and purpose in living their lives in a new way." PA