Counselling in Grief

MASENO UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF NURSING
BScN (WITH, IT)
COMMUNIICATION SKILLS- COUNSELLING

NSC 204
GROUP MEMBERS
 NUR/
 NUR/
 NUR/
 NUR/
Grief Counseling
• It’s a form of therapy designed to help people work
through the various stages and emotions of grief following
a loss
It’s a form of therapy designed to help people work through the
various stages and emotions of grief following a loss
Grief is the emotional response to a loss, typically that of a loved

one.
Grief can encompass many different emotions — sadness, anger,

guilt — as well as have significant mental and physical impacts on
those suffering from it.
Many people are familiar with the five stages of grief that Swiss
psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross coined in her book On Death
and Dying more than 50 years ago.
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross coined in her book On Death and Dying
more than 50 years ago.
Kübler-Ross conceived the model to describe the emotional journey
of the dying.
She theorized that people working through grief follow a particular
pattern:
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Most people naturally resolve or figure out how to
manage their grief over time.
For many others, these emotions persist and can have
severe negative impacts on their lives.
The purpose of grief counseling is to help people
navigate this complex process and learn how to grieve in
a healthy way.
• Counseling can help individuals avoid some of the
more acute manifestations of grief and process their
emotions in a healthy manner.
• According to famed psychologist William Worden, the
following are the primary objectives of grief counseling:
Accept the Loss

Work Through the Pain
Adjust to Life
Maintain a Connection
1. Accept the Loss
One of the first and most critical steps in working through grief is
coming to terms with the reality of a loss.
• Denial is a natural response, allowing individuals to pace their
grief and the pain that comes with it.
• However, to truly cope with grief and heal, individuals must
learn to acknowledge their loss.
2. Work Through the Pain
Many people respond to a loss and the ensuing grief by
trying to avoid it and suppress their emotions.
This only compounds their suffering.
An essential part of managing grief is experiencing the
pain that comes from it and persevering.
3. Adjust to Life
• When people experience grief, it’s generally because they
lost someone or something that was a huge part of their
lives.
• Adapting to a loss can be extremely challenging and can
even feel like a betrayal.
• This reasoning can leave people feeling stuck.
• Grief counseling can help individuals reorient and
restructure their lives after a loss.
4. Maintain a Connection
• While accepting a loss and adjusting to life after it are
essential steps in the grief process, it’s also important to
maintain a connection to what was lost.
• When a loved one dies, for example, it can be helpful for
the bereaved to remember the happiness that person
brought instead of focusing only on the pain of the
person’s absence.
Benefits of Grief Counseling
1 . Reduces Anxiety, Guilt, and Depression

• Grief counseling can help individuals manage anxiety and
avoid depression by providing them with strategies to
work through their emotions constructively.
• Feelings of guilt are also common for the grief stricken.
• They may feel guilty about things they did or didn’t do
when their loved one was alive, or for not mourning
enough.
• Counseling can help patients overcome these feelings.
2. Helps People Understand the Grieving Process
Understanding the stages of grief and loss allows
individuals to more fully tap into their thoughts and
emotions, opening a path to healing.
Grief counselors can help patients understand this
process.
3. Reminds People There’s More Than One Way to
Grieve
• People dealing with grief may feel like they’re doing it
wrong — that they’re not sad enough or that they’ve been
grieving too long — but there’s no “right” way to grieve.
Counseling reminds patients of this and helps them
recognize that every person’s experience is unique.
4. Helps People Understand That Grief Can Be Caused
by Different Kinds of Loss
• Though grief is traditionally associated with the death of
someone close, people may grieve for many different
reasons: losing a pet, going through a divorce, moving
away from family and friends, or being diagnosed with a
terminal illness. Counseling can help people give
themselves permission to grieve over such things without
feeling weak or selfish.
5. Guides Patients Back to Self-Care
• Grief can exact a heavy toll, leaving sufferers feeling
drained physically, mentally, and emotionally. Counseling
can guide patients toward self-care strategies to help
them cope and recover, including mindfulness practices
and simple tips like exercising and getting enough sleep.

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MASENO UNIVERSITY

COMMUNIICATION SKILLS- COUNSELLING

Grief is the emotional response to a loss, typically that of a loved

Grief can encompass many different emotions — sadness, anger,

Accept the Loss

1 . Reduces Anxiety, Guilt, and Depression

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