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“I just need closure.”
We say it after breakups, friendships that fade, family estrangement, betrayal, loss, or any ending that leaves us with unanswered questions. We imagine closure as one final conversation—the explanation, the apology, the truth, the moment someone finally understands what they did to hurt us. But sometimes that conversation never comes. And even when it does, it doesn't always give us what we hoped it would. In this episode of Right Here, hosts Christopher Mooney, LCSW and Kenyon Phillips, LMSW explore the myth of closure and what it means to move forward when an ending stays unfinished. They unpack why uncertainty is so hard to tolerate, why we often confuse closure with validation, and how our peace can become dependent on someone who may be unable, unwilling, unsafe, or simply unavailable to give us the resolution we want. The conversation also looks at what we may actually be grieving: not just the person or relationship, but the future we imagined, the version of ourselves we were in it, the belief that things would eventually get better, or the person we kept hoping someone would become. Chris and Kenyon close the episode by offering practical ways to begin creating your own closure—recognizing patterns even when every detail is missing, naming what you were hoping to receive, deciding whether contact would truly help, and creating rituals that don’t require the other person’s participation.
We say it after breakups, friendships that fade, family estrangement, betrayal, loss, or any ending that leaves us with unanswered questions. We imagine closure as one final conversation—the explanation, the apology, the truth, the moment someone finally understands what they did to hurt us. But sometimes that conversation never comes. And even when it does, it doesn't always give us what we hoped it would. In this episode of Right Here, hosts Christopher Mooney, LCSW and Kenyon Phillips, LMSW explore the myth of closure and what it means to move forward when an ending stays unfinished. They unpack why uncertainty is so hard to tolerate, why we often confuse closure with validation, and how our peace can become dependent on someone who may be unable, unwilling, unsafe, or simply unavailable to give us the resolution we want. The conversation also looks at what we may actually be grieving: not just the person or relationship, but the future we imagined, the version of ourselves we were in it, the belief that things would eventually get better, or the person we kept hoping someone would become. Chris and Kenyon close the episode by offering practical ways to begin creating your own closure—recognizing patterns even when every detail is missing, naming what you were hoping to receive, deciding whether contact would truly help, and creating rituals that don’t require the other person’s participation.
Creators and Guests
What is Right Here?
Right Here is a mental health podcast that explores the psychological patterns shaping our relationships, choices, and inner lives. Hosted by therapists Christopher Mooney, LCSW, and Kenyon Phillips, LMSW, each episode offers grounded, compassionate conversations rooted in clinical insight and real human experience. No jargon. No judgment. Just clear, thoughtful dialogue designed to help listeners better understand themselves and the people around them.