Grief in Counseling

Caption: Children & Grief: What You Need to Know

URL:http://www.drchristinahibbert.com/dealing-with-grief/children-grief-what-you-need-to-know/

Grief can be described as the natural reaction to loss, which may affect physical and psychological health (Hall, 2014). Some loss-related events could be the death of a family member, divorce, and even the loss of a beloved pet. Dealing with grief in a counseling session can be very complex because everyone handles the grieving process differently. The counselor must be aware of this and very cautious in how he or she goes about helping the individual. The client does not necessarily go into counseling specifically for grief itself, but rather it can arise throughout the course of therapy (Meir & Davis, 2011). The griever can experience a variety of emotions such as sadness, shock, loneliness, anxiety, and even guilt. But, as said before, grief is a process, so the therapist can remind the client that it is normal to for such emotions.

The counselor might also come in contact with a child that has just lost someone or something special. This interaction should be handled differently than when dealing with an adult. The grief process in children is dependent on their emotional and cognitive development as well as the environmental changes that can occur following a loss (Pond, 2012). Children can be confused with the concept of grief. Very young children do not realize the permanence of death. They can believe that the lost one will indeed return. A sense of betrayal can also be experienced because the child believes that the deceased abandoned him or her. With that being said, counselors have quite a challenge when dealing with such a topic. It is the therapist’s responsibility to be knowledgeable on the subject to best help his or her client. 

  

Hall, C. (2014). Bereavement theory: recent developments in our understanding of                      grief and bereavement. Bereavement Care, 33(1), 7-12.

Meir, S., & Davis, S. (2011). Elements of Counseling. 7^th edition. Belmont, CA: Brooks

            Cole. Cengage.

 Pond, K. (2012). A study of childhood grief and the church's response. Christian                         Education Journal, 9(1), 43.