The Power of Closure: Why We Want It, How to Get It, and When to Walk Away

Find healing and move on from the past in the face of loss, confusion, and pain

“If only I could get some closure…” If you’ve found yourself saying these words, you’re not alone. When you’ve lost a relationship, a job, or a loved one, closure can seem as elusive as it is necessary. Psychotherapist and relationship coach Gary McClain says it’s one of the most common—and important—issues his clients bring up.
    In this empathetic and insightful guide, Dr. McClain explains why the promise of closure is so appealing—and why it’s not always all it’s cracked up to be. He walks readers through what closure is (and isn’t), the reasons we want it, how to seek it in healthy and productive ways, and ways to move forward when we don’t get the closure we’re looking for. Learn how to find peace and leave regret behind when you can’t stop obsessing about a fight with a friend, when your world has been turned upside down by a breakup, or when a loved one has died. Whether you’re dealing with the pain of loss or are simply feeling the need to tie up a loose end, big or small, in a relationship, The Power of Closure will help you let go of the past and embrace the future.

Dr. Gary McClain is a psychotherapist in private practice in New York City. His areas of specialty, in his practice as well as in the corporate setting and in academia, is communication and relationship issues. His work has appeared in Self, Real Simple, the Daily Beast, and elsewhere.