How To Move On From Your First Friend Breakup, From 3 Experts

In a recent Her Campus feature on the emotional complexity of losing a close friend, Tara Gogolinski, LMFT, offered insight into why these breakups can feel so disorienting and painful. She explained that many friendship endings create a form of ambiguous loss — there’s no clear rupture, no conversation, and often no chance to repair or say goodbye. Tara highlighted how this lack of closure can leave people replaying moments, searching for answers, and struggling to make sense of a relationship that quietly changed shape. Her contribution brought a steady, compassionate lens to an experience many young adults navigate alone, reminding readers that grief in friendship is real, valid, and worthy of care.