UNE's Arabella Pérez, Laurie Cyr-Martel join statewide panel on grief and loss

Arabella Pérez, D.S.W., M.S.W., LCSW, assistant clinical professor in the University of New England School of Social Work and Trauma Informed Certificate coordinator, and Laurie Cyr-Martel, D.B.H., LCPC, director of counseling at UNE, recently offered their expertise at a statewide forum on the topic of grief and loss.

The forum, “Recovery Strategies for Pandemic Related Grief and Loss,” held virtually on Tuesday, March 9, was the second such event in a series on emotional well-being during the pandemic, sponsored by the Maine Community Action Partnership, The Opportunity Alliance, Maine Public Health Association, UNE’s Center for Excellence in Public Health, and the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The forum built upon themes discussed at the first event, simply titled “Emotional Well-Being During a Pandemic,” at which Perez spoke. Topics included the loss of loved ones; isolation from friends, family, and co-workers; and the disruption of life events.

At Tuesday’s event, Cyr-Martel discussed ways to recognize, acknowledge, and validate our collective losses and grief during the pandemic. She said that resiliency is less about “bouncing back” from hardships but more about finding support to validate our emotions.

“Many do not speak of loss and grief, and yet, for the last two years, we have been surrounded by our losses,” she reflected after the event. “Perhaps it is how we acknowledge those losses and our grief that allows us to move forward — to redefine and possibly ‘recalibrate’ our lives. When we find the support needed in validating those losses, we might create the resilience needed to authenticate the situations that have challenged our very heart and souls.”

Following Cyr-Martel’s introduction, three breakout groups were offered, with a session on social isolation by Pérez.

In her breakout, Pérez discussed the differences between loneliness and isolation and the ways the pandemic has brought on both. She addressed ways to manage those feelings without bringing about health problems and how to support others during periods of isolation.

“Isolation has meant grieving routines, milestones, and friendships, and, for those who have experienced and endured these losses, there have been and will be opportunities to experience positive growth,” Pérez remarked. “That's how we build resiliency and make meaning out of the suffering.”

Additional breakout sessions included managing the work/life balance throughout the pandemic, facilitated by Erik Eisele, E-Covid project director for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, and how to deal with family and friends who have opposing views on masking and vaccinations, facilitated by Elisabeth Marnik, Ph.D., professor of molecular biochemistry at Husson University.