This text offers some reflections on the unconscious mechanisms activated when a loved object is lost, particularly in the case of the death of children. The author draws a parallel between this particular type of mourning and the situation experienced by analysts who experience the death of patients. In the context of healthcare and health policy, the author draws on his previous work to use short clinical vignettes to illustrate the importance of psychoanalysis in preventing pathological mourning. In his view, the theme of death and helplessness must also be addressed in psychoanalytic institutions.