GRIEF COUNSELLING
BEREAVEMENT
Bereavement literally means being deprived by death. If someone
close to us dies, we go through a process of mourning. Bereavement can
have many physical and emotional effects on us, which will be covered
later in the course.
LOSS
To experience loss, we need attachment.
There are many theories about why humans and some animals make emotional
attachments to others. Survival could be one reason. Some theorists argue
that it is purely biological, whilst others argue that attachments form
due to the need for safety and security. John Bowlby (1980) supported the
latter view.
We learn attachment behaviour from the time we are born
and this affects our relationships throughout our lives. If we learn to
trust and have steady, dependable care, we are able to grow up with high
self-esteem and independence. We are also able to love and be loved. The
greater the attachment, there is obviously the greater potential for loss.
We may experience many losses throughout our lives, the loss of a loved
one, a pet, a job, financial security, but we may also experience the loss
of potential, that is, what might have been - the job we might have had,
the parent we never knew and so on. This course covers grief counselling,
supporting clients through the difficult process of coming to terms with
their loss.
COURSE STRUCTUREThe course is
divided into eight lessons as follows:
-
Nature and Scope of Grief and Bereavement
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Stages of Grief
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Grief and Children
-
Grief and adolescents
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Adjustment to Bereavement
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Abnormal Grief
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Preparing for Grief and Bereavement
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Future outlook and long-term grief
COURSE AIMS
-
Describe the nature and scope of grief and bereavement counselling and
individuals' attitudes to grief.
-
To identify through continuing exploration, the meaning and responses
of a wide range of loss situations, taking cultural variations into
account.
-
To describe the different ways that children may respond to grief and
to develop appropriate strategies for helping them to cope.
-
Determine the different ways that adolescents may respond to grief and
to examine how these perspectives have translated into counselling
practice
-
To describe the different means through which individuals are able to
adjust to loss and to consider other options available to them.
-
To describe when an individual's response to grief may be considered
abnormal and to discuss methods of assisting such individuals.
-
Define the different ways of preparing for grief and bereavement and
to consider social, cultural and psychological perspectives.
-
Describe separation, loneliness, the effects of long-term grief and
long-term counselling support strategies.
Confront and master questions such as:o List
euphemisms for dying.
o Consider factors that can help set the
conditions for the good death
o Discuss the ways that a wake or
funeral service can be of help to mourners.
o Discuss attitudes
toward death in society and how they affect the treatment of dying.
o
Compare effective and ineffective support for people going through
o
Explain why people pass through different stages at different times
o
List mechanisms available to help a counsellor support someone who is
grieving.
o Describe ways in which children might respond to
grief.
o Explain why different children respond to grief in
different ways.
o Describe counselling strategies for supporting
the grieving child.
o Research how adolescents respond to
grief.
o Outline counselling strategies for supporting the
grieving adolescent.
o List suicide prevention strategies.
o
Explain in general how we adjust to loss.
o List some
dangers of loss.
o Describe some alternatives for loss recovery.
o
Research how bereavement affects survivors.
o Describe some
abnormal responses to grief, and how to determine they are abnormal.
o
Describe some treatment methods for assisting a person suffering from
abnormal grief.
o Briefly describe symptoms of PTSD
o
Discuss socio-cultural perspectives in preparing for grief and
bereavement.
o
Research physiological and psychological effects of loneliness in the
aged.
o Describe some effects of long term grief.
o
Outline some long term counselling support strategies.
What
is grief, why is it usually healthy and normal, and how can you help
someone suffering grief?
Everyone suffers grief at some stage; and for
some helping others deal with grief can be a significant part of their job.
Grief
is either uncomplicated - "normal" grief or complicated. This is the
reaction of a loved one to loss. Some grieving individuals may display
symptoms that are characteristic of a Major Depressive Episode eg.
Sadness, insomnia, poor appetite, weight loss. The bereaved person may
think the depressed mood is "normal", but others may seek professional
help for the attendant symptoms, such as insomnia. The duration and
expression of "normal" bereavement varies among different cultural groups.
This
course provides a sound basis for understandsing and working with grief,
as a counsellor or in any other capacity where such an understanding is
required.
