Grief Counseling & Grief Therapy Flashcards
Mourning
the process that one goes through in adapting to the death of that person
Grief
indicates the experience of one who has lost a loved one to death
Bereavement
the loss to which the person is trying to adapt
Normal grief (uncomplicated grief)
encompasses a broad range of feelings & behaviors that are common after a loss
Pathognomic characteristics of normal or acute grief
1) Somatic or bodily distress
2) Preoccupation w/ the image of the deceased
3) Guilt relating to the deceased or circumstances of the death
4) Hostile reactions
5) Inability to function as one had before the loss
A 6th characteristic of the death exhibited by many patients…
They appeared to develop traits of the deceased in their own behavior.
Feelings in the bereaved
1) Sadness
2) Anger
3) Guilt & Self-Reproach
4) Anxiety
5) Loneliness
6) Fatigue
7) Helplessness
8) Shock
9) Yearning
10) Emancipation
11) Relief
12) Numbness
Physical Sensations
1) Hollowness in the stomach
2) Tightness in the chest
3) Tightness in the throat
4) Oversensitivity to noise
5) A sense of depersonalization
6) Breathlessness
7) Weakness in the muscles
8) Lack of energy
9) Dry mouth
Cognitions
1) Disbelief
2) Confusion
3) Preoccupation
4) Sense of Presence
5) Hallucinations
Behaviors
1) Sleep Disurbances
2) Appetite Disturbances
3) Absentminded Behavior
4) Social Withdrawal
5) Dreams of the Deceased
6) Avoiding Reminders of Deceased
7) Searching or calling out
8) Sighing
9) Restless Hyperactivity
10) Crying
11) Visiting Places or carrying objects that remind survivor of deceased
12) Treasuring Objects that belonged to Deceased
Depression overlaps with __________ but its not the same thing
bereavement
In _____ the world looks poor & empty
Grief
In ________, the person feels poor and empty.
depression
The experience of bereavement in others touches the counselor personally in at least three ways:
1) makes us painfully aware of our own losses
2) the counselor’s own feared losses
3) Existential anxiety & one’s own death awareness
Ways for the counselor to be more effective in dealing with bereaved:
1) explore their own histories with loss
2) get a clear sense of the kinds of resources available to the bereaved
3) identify any unfinished business that is still present from prior losses
4) know their limitations w/ respect to the kinds of clients & grief situations they are able to deal with.
