Grief in Young Adulthood: Losing a Parent Before 30

Losing a parent in your teens or twenties is a uniquely painful experience that can shape your identity, relationships, and mental health for years to come. In this episode of The Aspiring Psychologist Podcast, Dr Marianne Trent speaks with Harry and Hannah from It's Time Charity, which supports young adults aged 16–30 who have experienced parental loss. Together, they explore the impact of grief in young adulthood, from missing milestones like graduations, weddings and parenthood, to navigating university life while grieving, and the emotional triggers that resurface over time. They also discuss practical coping strategies, how to support someone who's grieving, the difference between grief and trauma, and why therapy can help even years later. Whether you’ve lost a parent, are supporting a friend, or work in mental health, this conversation offers comfort, insight and solidarity. #GriefInYoungAdulthood #ParentalLoss #ItsTimeCharity #YoungAdultGrief #MentalHealthSupport #TheAspiringPsychologistPodcast ⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Why this episode matters 01:11 – Grieving in your 20s: different to older age 04:05 – The myth of "being strong" after loss 06:28 – Talking grief in inner circles vs with strangers 07:31 – When you’ve lived longer without them than with them 10:03 – Parenthood and re-experiencing grief 13:28 – Nursery milestones and the absence of photos 17:07 – Keeping memories alive through food and traditions 19:46 – How to support someone grieving a parent 24:40 – Grief anniversaries and meaningful gestures 28:03 – Coping strategies, including risks like substances 35:18 – The difference between trauma and grief 39:02 – Therapy is worth trying more than once 40:37 – What It's Time Charity offers 43:25 – Where to find It's Time Charity online Connect and Follow It's Time Charity here: https://www.itstimecharity.co.uk https://www.instagram.com/itstime_charity/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/it-s-timecharity/posts/?feedView=all Links: 🫶 To support me by donating to help cover my costs for the free resources I provide click here: https://the-aspiring-psychologist.captivate.fm/support 📚 To check out The Clinical Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3jOplx0 📖 To check out The Aspiring Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3CP2N97 💡 To check out or join the aspiring psychologist membership for just £30 per month head to: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/membership-interested 🖥️ Check out my brand new short courses for aspiring psychologists and mental health professionals here: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/short-courses ✍️ Get your Supervision Shaping Tool now: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/supervision 📱Connect socially with Marianne and check out ways to work with her, including the Aspiring Psychologist Book, Clinical Psychologist book and The Aspiring Psychologist Membership on her Link tree: https://linktr.ee/drmariannetrent 💬 To join my free Facebook group and discuss your thoughts on this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aspiringpsychologistcommunity Like, Comment, Subscribe & get involved: If you enjoy the podcast, please do subscribe and rate and review episodes. If you'd like to learn how to record and submit your own audio testimonial to be included in future shows head to: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/podcast and click the blue request info button at the top of the page. Hashtags: #aspiringpsychologist #dclinpsy #psychology #assistantpsychologist #psychologycareers #podcast #psychologypodcast #clinicalpsychologist #mentalhealth #traineeclinicalpsychologist #clinicalpsychology #drmariannetrent #mentalhealthprofessional #gettingqualified #mentalhealthprofessionals #traineepwp #mdt #qualifiedpsychologist #traineepsychologist #aspiringpsychologists #wellbeing Mentioned in this episode: Sponsored by WriteUpp Tap to Pay This episode is sponsored by WriteUpp. Their Tap to Pay app turns your smartphone into a card reader, helping private practitioners take secure payments without additional hardware. Use code MARIANNE30 for a free 30-day trial and 30% off your first 6 months at this link: https://writeupp.com/?refid=142336