Dual Process Model: Oscillating Through Grief
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 Margaret Stroebe and Henk Schut, describes how healthy grieving involves oscillating between two orientations: loss-orientation, which focuses on the pain of bereavement itself, and restoration-orientation, which focuses on adjusting to life changes and building a new identity. Moving back and forth between these two modes, rather than staying locked in either one, is what allows people to process loss without becoming overwhelmed.
Understanding this model helps grievers and their supporters recognize that taking a break from grief is not avoidance but a necessary part of healing. AI companions can help users identify which orientation they are in at any given moment and provide prompts or exercises matched to that specific mode, whether they need to process the pain or practice stepping into their rebuilt life.
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