Dr. Robert A. Neimeyer, Director of the Portland, Ore., Institute for Loss and Transition and Professor of Psychology at the University of Memphis, will present “Loss, Grief and the Quest for Meaning” at the ninth annual Dr. and Mrs. Max Littner Memorial Lecture Series for Bereavement, which is co-sponsored by St. Luke’s University Health Network, 7:30 p.m. May 8, Central Moravian Church, 73 W. Church St., Bethlehem.

“Dr. Neimeyer is a world-renowned expert on end-of-life and grief issues,” said Wendy Littner-Thomson, founder of the lecture series. “His hour-long lecture will focus on not only what’s effective when coping with loss but also on ways to adapt to loss that are meaningful for those who are going through it.”

In his lecture, Neimeyer will draw on contemporary understandings of grieving as a meaning-making process and consider what this implies for individuals and families negotiating loss as they strive to manage the emotional challenges of mourning and reconstruct a continuing bond with a loved one who is physically absent but psychologically present, Littner-Thomson said.

Neimeyer will talk about how people can move from grief to growth and reaffirm a life of meaning that has been challenged and changed by bereavement.

There will be a 30-min. question and answer session after the talk.

Neimeyer is a published poet. Copies of his poetry collection as well as his book, “Lessons of Loss: A Guide to Coping,” are expected to be available for purchase and signing after the lecture.

The Dr. and Mrs. Max Littner Memorial Lecture Series for Bereavement Is intended to promote living meaningfully and well, as well as conversations with loved ones about topics about life and death.

The annual lecture features prominent guests who discuss the importance of mind and body in healing and care, and ways people can cultivate hope, take action, and be more responsible for their own mental and physical health.

Co-sponsors include: Heintzelman Funeral Home, Wendy Littner-Thomson Counseling Services, LLC. and Cancer Support Community Greater Lehigh Valley.

Tickets: slhn.org/littnerlectureseries.