World-first therapeutic tool provides unique support for families of missing Australians
Melbourne – The Missing Persons Advocacy Network (MPAN) is today launching a world-first therapeutic tool to support families of long-term missing people processing ambiguous loss - one of the most traumatic types of grief.
Launching for National Missing Persons Week, The Hope Narratives will assist people struggling with complex, difficult, and often conflicting emotions that cannot be easily managed with standard grief counselling practices.
Ambiguous loss is defined as loss that occurs without a clear conclusion, delaying and complicating the grieving process, causing unresolved grief. This is very much the experience felt by loved ones of long-term missing Australians who live in an endless nightmare of ruminations and uncertainty about what happened to their loved one.
The Hope Narratives consist of a set of 145 tangible cards each displaying a sentiment from someone who has experienced what it's like to live with, and survive, 'the unending not-knowing'. (According to the AFP's latest data, 145 is the number of Australians reported missing every day.) Putting these series of statements together, users can construct their own unique hope narrative from their individual lived experience.
Forty-four loved ones of long-term missing people from across Australia and seven other countries participated in the creation of the cards by sharing their own experiences through workshops and interviews, to help others articulate their complex emotions as they navigate ambiguous loss. This allows users to visualise their thoughts and feelings with a shared connection to people who have lived through a similar experience, and realise that they are not alone.
Those less-inclined to seek traditional methods of therapy are able to work through this exercise in the comfort of their own home. The cards can also complement a standard counselling session; prompting conversations that may be difficult to start.
Loren O'Keeffe, Founder and CEO of the Missing Persons Advocacy Network, said all three categories of the cards (hard truths, coping mechanisms and hopes) capture the innermost feelings of a community that typically feels unheard.
"When a loved one goes missing, there is no right way to deal with it. You oscillate from hope to hopelessness, overwhelmed by the physical, mental and emotional burden, often feeling no one understands what you're going through.
"It's OK to feel uncertainty, hope, exhaustion, numbness - or even anger at your loved one for going missing. The Hope Narratives help bring out real and authentic emotions and in doing so, validate experiences in a really meaningful way.
"By supporting loved ones with this very special set of cards, our aim is to address a complicated grief that's historically been a misunderstood area of mental health for thousands of Australians."
According to Dr Sarah Wayland, Senior Lecturer and Missing Persons expert, the cards provide a novel and effective new treatment option for those struggling with traditional ways of coping with their unique loss.
"Unfortunately, standard grief counselling is vastly inadequate due to the fundamental differences between bereavement and missingness. The result is that it can prevent many people from seeking much needed support because counsellors don't have the knowledge or the tools to support those experiencing what happens when a loved one goes missing.
"The Hope Narratives in combination with specialist knowledge about ambiguous loss can be transformative for families who are psychologically and emotionally impacted by a loved one's disappearance."
From today, The Hope Narratives are available for purchase via the MPAN website.
The Hope Narratives are the culmination of expertise from the Missing Persons Advocacy Network, Dr Sarah Wayland, WhiteGREY and the 44 family members and loved ones who took part in the co-creation process.
Over 53,000 people were reported missing in Australia last year; a more than 30% rise in reports since 2020. While most are found within a week, over 400 people annually become long-term missing persons.
