Experiencing the state of loss: the phenomenology of the psychotherapeutic process

The subject of this study is the phenomenology of experiencing the state of loss, as well as the specifics of building the psychotherapeutic process when supporting families confronted with the sudden loss of a loved one. The focus is on the necessity of clinical differentiation between the objective event of loss, which represents a fundamental disruption of the patient's familiar way of life ("lifeworld"), and the internal intrapsychic process of grief, viewed as active psychological work to adapt to irrevocably changed conditions of existence. The multilayered nature of the analyzed phenomenon takes on particular significance within the scope of the study: a detailed examination of the cascade of "secondary losses" is conducted, which includes the deconstruction of social roles, identity, functional supports, and shared future plans. Additionally, the study addresses the somatic component of experiencing grief, specifically the formation of a chronic "mobilization" pattern of reactions, expressed in a pathological state of expectation and hyper-vigilance. The methodological foundation of the research consists of a phenomenological approach and qualitative analysis of psychotherapeutic practice. The methods of the research include theoretical generalization, clinical observation of somatic markers of maladaptation, as well as structural-logical modeling of the algorithm for psychological support. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the development and theoretical justification of a structured three-level algorithm of psychotherapeutic work, based on a strict distinction between the objective fact of loss and the intrapsychic process of grief. A detailed model of phenomenological deconstruction is proposed for the first time, shifting the specialist's focus from generalized affect to specific "secondary losses" of the patient, including the destruction of social roles, identity, and functional supports. The description of specific somatic reactions of maladaptation in the context of contemporary crises holds particular scientific value, especially the identification of the phenomenon of "pathological state of expectation" and hyper-vigilance, which block the process of natural mourning. As a result of the study, it is concluded that effective overcoming of the state of loss is impossible without conducting a thorough inventory of surviving resources. The practical implementation of the proposed algorithm, which includes working with psychosomatic "freezing" and establishing ecological boundaries with the social environment, allows for the prevention of complicated grief. The outcome of the psychotherapeutic process becomes not an attempt to return to the previous state, but the formation of a new functional model of life, in which the memory of the departed is integrated into the patient's inner world and serves as a foundation for their future.