Dual Process Model: Oscillating Between Loss and Restoration
Grief isn't linear movement through stages but a rhythm of swinging between directly facing your loss and tending to the practical demands of living—between falling apart and keeping going. You need both poles: complete absorption in sorrow would paralyze you, but avoiding grief entirely prevents any real integration of what has changed.
HypatiaThe Dual Process Model of grief, developed by researchers Stroebe and Schut, describes how healthy grieving involves moving back and forth between confronting the pain of loss and engaging with the practical demands of rebuilding a new life. Rather than moving through fixed stages, people oscillate naturally between these two orientations.
This framework helps remove the guilt many people feel when they have a good day or focus on practical tasks instead of grieving. AI tools support both sides of this process by helping you capture raw emotional reflections during loss-oriented moments and organize action plans, routines, and goal-setting during restoration-oriented phases.
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