Thompson reviews the 2006 book by Pauline Boss. Loss is a word that is used frequently to describe numerous life events. In its most apparent state, loss is experienced through the physical death of someone who was once spiritually, psychologically, and physically near. However, ambiguous loss may also occur, when a central person remains present physically but is mentally or psychologically absent, such as in dementia, mental illness, preoccupation with work, addictions, or divorce. As a counselor educator, the writer espouses Boss's values of a constructivist, preventative, humanistic, and holistic paradigm, and the dialectical approach as alternative to absolutist thought. Thompson concludes that because issues of loss are inextricably linked to human existence, numerous implications for continued research and exploration exist, for which Boss has provided a foundation by contextualizing two specific types of loss. Further, Thompson advocates that Boss's attention to pertinent literature and presentation of ambiguous loss theory has significant heuristic value and has contributed significantly to existing knowledge.