Grief Definitions Flashcards
Continuing Bonds Theory
Bereaved individuals may be well served to find ways to reconnect to their deceased loved one in ways that are meaningful; often summed up in the statement that death ends a life but not a relationship
Dual process model
A model of grief that posits that bereaved individuals will “oscillate” regularly between restoration orientation (activities or daily living, distractions) and loss orientation (remembering the deceased, reminiscing).
Assumptive world
Fundamental beliefs that an individual holds regarding how the world works and how others and one’s self are viewed. The assumptive world is thought to provide individuals with a sense of safety and security in everyday life situations.
Fundamental illusion
The belief that things will always remain the same; maintaining this illusion serves the purpose of allowing people to feel safe and solid in the world.
Atomistic view
Assumes that each individual in a society stands alone as an independent, self-sufficient unit. The individual is seen as the “atom” of society and therefore the only true object of concern and analysis
Disenfranchised grief—
refers to situations in which the loss is not recognized as valid, the griever is not recognized as a valid person to mourn a loss, the grief response of the individual falls outside of social norms, or in which the loss itself has a social stigma attached to it
What are four ways people might experience disenfranchised grief
- The relationship that was lost was not considered valid, socially acceptable, or important (mistress)
- The loss itself is not recognized or viewed as significant (dog)
- The grieving individual is exempted from rituals that might give meaning to the loss or is not seen as capable of grieving for the loss
- some aspects of the death or loss are stigmatizing, embarrassing, or unacceptable (suicide)
Presence vs Therapeutic Presence
Presence: the act and intention of “being with” another individual, with full attention, and engagement
Therapeutic presence: involeves the counselor engaging the skills of centering, intentionality, intuitve knowing, at one ment, imagery, and conneting with the client
extraordinary experiences
events in which a person believes he or she has been spontaneously contacted by a deceased loved one
instrumental grievers
Individuals who tend to grieve more cognitively and behaviorally, and who generally express their grief in terms of thoughts, analysis, and actions
intuitive grievers
individuals who tend to express feelings, and wish to talk about their experiences with others
linking objects
special items that serve as reminders to clients of a deceased loved one. These items often invite memories
The different ways grief can be expereinced
emotionally, cognitively, physically, spriitually, socially, economically, behaviorally
Stug reactions
subsequent temporary upsurges of grief that occur in situations in which the realization of the loss and its magnityde are brought into the active awareness of the bereaved indiviuals
Transformed faith consciousness
difficult times in peoples lives that lead to greater questioning of beliefs and searching for meaning, with the result being a deeper appreciation of life and ones beliefs
7 mediators of morning
- identifying the relationship of the deceased person to the bereaved individual
- the nature of the attachement to the deceased person
- how the person died
- the bereaved indiviudals history of previous losses and stresses
- personality style and how the person has coped in the past with stressful situations
- perceived social support that is avalibke
7 the presence of concurrent changes and crises that may be occurring at the same time
ambiguous loss
loss that remains unclear, cannot be fixed, and has no closure. It can be physical or psychological
chronic sorrow
an ongoing response to losses that are continual and unending in nature; the chornicity of the feelins and the ongoing nature of the loss separate chonic sorrow apart from other forms of grief
living losses
losses that will remain as ongoing presence in the life of an individual; the individual will continue to live with the loss experience. The ongoing nature of the loss with require continual adaption and adjustment
nonfinite losses
loss experiences that are enduring in nature, usually precipitated by a negative life event or an episode that retains a physical and/or psychological presence in an ongoing manner
separation distress
the presence of yearning, longing, preoccupation, and searching for the deceased individual after death
four cadinal features of nonfinite losses
- there is ongoing uncertainty regarding what will happen next
- there is often a sense of disconnection from the mainstream and what is generally viewed as normal in human expereince
- the magnitude of the loss is frequently unrecognized or not acknowledged by others
- there is an ongoing sense of helplessness and powerlessness associated with the loss
complicated grief
prolonged acute grief symptoms and situations in which the bereaved is unable to rebuild a meaningful life without the deceased person
dissociation
person is physically present but there is a sense that emotionally and/or cognitively the person is absent
traumatic grief
delineates the degree of the separation anxiety and assault to the assumptive wold that is experienced by the bereaved individual. Some losses are traumatic because they focus on the experience and response of the bereaved person, and not necessarily on the events surrounding the death itself.
traumatic loss
places the focus on the events and the stressors that occurred around the loss which are usually sudden, unexpected, violent, disfiguring, or out of the normal expectation
clustering
a form of therapeutic writing that calls for brainstorming and drawing to make connections between feelings and events in a concise manner
Internal family systems model of therapy
based on an understanding that the personality exists as a system of parts to which compassionate curiosity may be brought in order to facilitate healing.
mindfulness practice
includes learning to cultivate an intentional focus on the moment to moment experience as it is in the here and now; detached observation of thoughts, feelings, and sensations, and nonjudgemental acceptance of ones experience exactly as it is
Ritual
usually involves an action that is initiated on the part of the bereaved individual to give a symbolic expression to certain feelings or thoughts
Contemplative Practices
Various practices that allow practitioners to reflect and connect with their intention and a sense of presence in a moment-to-moment way. Contemplative practices may assist counselors to remain grounded when bearing witness to painful or potentially traumatic material from clients, and can be protective in situations where a sense of powerlessness, helplessness, or injustice could otherwise overwelm both the counselor and the client
coping
the process of attempting to deal with challenges to ones assumptice world and situations that are perceived by the individual as stressful or even threatening, although coping strategies may or may not be successful
narcissistic snares
unrealistic expextations by counselors to heal all, know all, and to love all
broken heart phenomenon
the view that when the death of a bereaved individual occurs after the loss of a significant loved one, the individual dies of a broken heart. It is related to studies that demonstrate higher rates of morbity and morality in some bereaved individuals after the death of a loved one.
secondary traumatization
a state of tension and ppreoccupation with the individual or cumulative trauma of clients
traumatic countertransference
a state in which the counselor can become overwhelmed by bearing withness to the client’s intense emotional experiences.
Nonfinite losses vs ambiguous
Nonfinite loss is described more from an intrapersonal perspective with the lost experience focusing on the individual’s perception and coping (what did I have that I am now losing)
Ambiguous loss is a concept that was formulated within the family stress model and the loss is described in terms of how the family members perceive and define the loss according to the boundaries of the family system (who is absent from the family system that should be present)
Criteria for complicated grief
Maybe present after any loss that is extremely personally devastating and that the devastation can derive from sudden unexpected death, from their quality of their relationship to the deceased, and or personal predispositions
Complicated grief symptoms
Persistent feeling of intense yearning or preoccupation with the deceased, shock, disbelief, and anger about the death, difficulties with trust, and engagement and behaviors and activities to try and avoid reminders of the loss or feel closer to the deceased
Risk factors for complicated grie
Personal physiological vulnerabilities such as a personal or family history of mood and anxiety disorders
Insecure attachment style
History of trauma or multiple losses
