As health professionals we must support patients and their families, carers and friends as they grapple with their personal experiences of loss and grief. In this insightful program we take a holistic approach to understanding and responding to loss and grief. We speak frankly with Christine McMahon, who lost her only son in Victoria's Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, about her personal experience of extreme loss and grief. Experts in counselling and palliative care help us to recognise loss and grief and employ practical strategies to support a person who is battling through one the most difficult times in their life.

Originally released by Video Education America (VEA), 2010. Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on July 17, 2015.

Encountering Grief and Loss: Introduction (1:08); --Defining Loss (3:26); -- Exploring Grief (3:11); -- Reactions to Loss and Grief (3:33); -- Coping Strategies (4:02); -- Moving Forward (3:16); -- Grief and Loss Conclusion (0:51); -- Credits: Encountering Grief and Loss (0:33); .