Making space for grief, identity, and the need to belong.
Participant Workbook for Week 1
Making space for grief, identity, and the need to belong.
Purpose of This Week
Week One helps you recognize and name the reality of estrangement in the context of earlier separation, disrupted trust, and the search for belonging. This week is not to force reconciliation or try to resolve every loss at once. Instead, it focuses on creating a safe foundation for reflection and growth
The Goals are to
• Define estrangement in personal, plain language within the context and lived experience.
• Recognize how estrangement can connect to earlier experiences of separation, disrupted attachment, or family complexity.
• Name honest emotions connected to estrangement, identity loss, and the need to belong without judgment.
• Identify the specific losses underneath the larger loss, including family role, history, connection, and stability.
• Understand that different people may hold very different stories about the same family history or separation.
• Practice one calming tool that supports nervous system regulation, self-trust, and emotional steadiness.
This workbook is private. You are invited to share only what feels safe, and you may choose to pass on any question.
Some Prompts may bring up experiences related to separation, placement history, reunification, or family loss. Please
move at your own pace and pause whenever you need to. The purpose of this week is reflection not pressure. You do
not need to have everything figured out before you begin.
