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When the New York Times ran Patrick O'Malley's story about the loss of his infant son - and how his inability to "move on" challenged everything he was taught as a psychotherapist - it inspired an unprecedented flood of gratitude from readers. What he shared was a truth that many have felt but rarely acknowledged by the professionals they turn to: that our grief is not a mental illness to be cured, but part of the abiding connection with the one we've lost. Illuminated by O'Malley's own story and those of many clients that he's supported, readers learn how the familiar "stages of grief" too often mislabel our sorrow as a disorder, press us to "get over it," and amplify our suffering with shame and guilt when we do not achieve "closure" in due course.