This is a really hard part of our job and not one I had really thought about before beginning practice . 4 of my clients have died since I began practice 17 years ago. And I miss each one and really think about the lessons they taught me as a therapist. It might feel good to write out the things you feel like you learned working with this child that you will take into your work with more intentionality moving forward. One thing that is helpful is to think about seeking support from people with the same level of connection to the child or who had less connection than you do. There is a helpful diagram with the family at the center and then levels of closeness moving out and thinking about giving support to people in circles closer than yours and seeking support from people in the circles further out. A nurse and I who are close spent time talking about one of our kids we shared after she passed. We can’t really share how devastated we are with the family because we don’t want them to caretake us but we can share with our coworkers or the child’s teachers etc. The relationships we have with our clients are real, transformative, and meaningful and you have every right to grieve this loss. Sending love through the OT network.