Understanding Grief, Death, and Loss: Supporting Staff & Clients through an ABA Lens

This week, Paola, Brittanny, and Leslie sit down with Board Certified Behavior Analyst Patricia (Tricia) Lund to unpack one of the most avoided yet deeply human topics- death, dying, and grief. Together, they explore how people experience grief, why traditional behavior plans often miss the mark, and how clinicians and caregivers can respond with compassion instead of compliance. From understanding the five concepts of death to recognizing secondary losses and writing grief-informed treatment plans, this conversation blends heart and science to help BCBAs, therapists, and families create safer, more humane spaces for people navigating loss.  Whether you’re a clinician, educator, or family member, this episode offers a fresh perspective on how Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) can support, not suppress, grieving behaviors. ☕ Support your favorite ABA podcast hosts by showing them love at buymeacoffee.com/everydayaba⭐ Help EveryDay ABA reach more people by following the show + , turning on automatic downloads, and leaving a 5-star review! 📲 Follow us on Instagram: @EveryDayABA.3📖 Get your CEU certificate here!  👟  Get a 10% Discount at Tiny Explorings Shoes using code PAOLA 🎁 Earn Rewards every time you shop by using Shopkick 🤑 Earn $50 cash back by using Rakuten📊   Earn 125,000 bonus points by opening a new Sapphire Reserve® account or 75,000 bonus points for opening a new Sapphire Preferred® account using EveryDayABA's code at Chase📢 To advertise on this podcast please e-mail: [email protected]   After listening to the episode, participants will be able to:Explain how grief can serve as a setting event impacting behavior and motivation.Identify strategies for creating grief-informed Functional Behavior Assessments and treatment plans.Differentiate between grief-informed and trauma-informed frameworks in ABA.