Definition
Continuing bonds describe the ongoing relationship a bereaved person has with the deceased — in memory, ritual, dream, conversation, and inner sense of presence. They are normal and often healthy.
Why it matters
The older framing of grief as “letting go” has been extensively challenged. Many people integrate loss precisely by continuing the bond.
The Science
Klass, Silverman, and Nickman’s work documented continuing bonds across cultures. Contemporary bereavement research treats healthy continuing bonds as one of several valid pathways through loss.
The NSI Perspective
NSI treats continuing bonds as a legitimate, often protective, feature of grief.
Clinical Implications
Clinicians who pressure patients to "move on" often work against the grain of the biology.
Practical Application
You do not have to give up your love to survive its loss. You can carry the person with you — differently, honestly, over time.
References
- 1.Klass D, Silverman PR, Nickman SL, eds. Continuing Bonds: New Understandings of Grief. Taylor & Francis; 1996.