Throughout the book, Warden gives his readers many examples of personal anecdotal research as well as anecdotal research from other professionals in the field to strengthen his model. Worden gives specific examples as he writes about complicated grief after a death of a child. Some of the research is contradicting about the rates of divorce between married couples after divorce. He specifically quotes Kloss (1986-1987) in speaking about how each member of the family system deals with the loss differently and could put a strain on the relationships, however, when conduction research it is necessary to take into account any preexisting relationship struggles (p. 227-228). Worden gives his own personal anecdotal research when describing …show more content…
Other factors Worden talks about in this section are also backed up with multiple qualitative studies. These factors include; children at home, lower social class, little employment, high anger, lack of coping skills. While studies back up these risk factors, Worden reminds his readers that these predictors do not apply to every population and we must be sensitive to culture (p. 89). Worden also defends his point about the effectiveness of grief counseling with many qualitative research studies (p. 120-122). He gives a list to remind clinicians to better implement interventions. He uses a Parks study from 1998 which says not all mourners need therapy or counseling, and adding to this Neimeyer’s (2000) study states that grief is unique to each individual so counseling looks different in each setting. These studies help prove Worden’s argument that those at risk will benefit from interventions. Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy also uses some quantitative research studies to better support Worden’s arguments. The Harvard Child Bereavement Study (1996) assessed 125 school aged children after the death of one parent (p. 230-232). It found that most children (80%) were coping well by the second anniversaries. These children who were coping well came from families that were more stable and communication was easy. Children who were not coping well came
Kubler-Ross, E and Kessler, D (2005). On Grief and Grieving, London: Simon & Schuster. p7-28.
Grief counseling is a much-needed field in the new millennia. As population grow and expand, races collide in culture, religion, and grief. It is imperative that Pastors, leaders, and average society understand the dynamics of grief and suffering. More important, counselors must learn how to balance their lives and the ones they chose to consul. Grief counselors need to be compassionate, attentive, yet balanced in order to be an effective treatment for their clients.
Death is a universally experienced phenomenon. In the United States alone, over 2.6 million people die each year (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015). For practitioners, it is of utmost importance to better understand the process of grief to develop better interventions for bereaved individuals.
The paper written gives an objective critique and evaluation of the article, “The Assimilation of Problematic Experiences sequence: An Approach to Evidence- Based Practice in Bereavement Counseling. Published in the May 2011 Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care. In the article, the author John Wilson discussed the complexity of grief on an individual basis as it pertains to the clients internal and external perceptions of loss. Furthermore, documenting the difficulties faced by the bereavement counseling profession to aid clients in understanding how their past experiences, beliefs, and the words of others shapes their perception of traumaTtic life events, like death.
Parental loss at a young age has been linked to heightened risk of psychological problems in adulthood, especially depression and lower self-confidence (Mack, 2001; Mireault & Bond, 1992; Saler &Skolnick, 1992*) It has also been linked to several different health conditions including chronic pain, hypertension, heart disease, and immune disorders (Luekin & Lemery, 2004; McEwen & Seeman, 2006). The way a child grieves over a lost parent shapes the way that information is interpreted and stored in the brain as well (Lupien, Ouellet-Morin, Hupbach, Tu, Buss, Walker, et al., 2006; Vanitallie, 2002) and it can influence whether or not life events are defined as stressful (Lupien et al., 2006). Studies conducted concerning childhood bereavement suggest that early parental loss can lead to the development of poorly regulated neuro-emotional response systems (Brotman, Gouley, Klein, Castellanos & Pine, 2003) and the alteration of brain structures that help with memory and cognitive functioning (Lupien et al., 2006; Vanitallie, 2002). Because of the impact of the loss, often times, children need help to recover from the loss of their parent. There have been several studies conducted on effective interventions and strategies when it comes to helping a child grieve and recover from the loss of their loved one.
Ciska et al examined randomized controlled trials related to prevention or treatment of complicated grief from a systematic literature search to determine the short-term and long-term effect of both preventive and treatment interventions for adults with complicated grief (2010). Researchers used two search strategies to identify relevant studies. The first strategy was electronic databases Web of Science (WOS) and PsycArticles with the following search terms: “bereave OR mourning OR grief OR survivor OR widow” AND “psychotherapy OR therapy OR intervention OR treatment OR managing OR counselling OR support OR help”. The second strategy was searching qualified studies through the reference lists of large-scale review articles about the
The single biggest protective factor facilitating early parental loss and poor physical and mental health outcomes is the presence of a supportive, nurturing parent who models healthy grief and supports the child’s emotional expression (Lueken, Kraft, Appelhans, & Enders, 2009; Lueken & Lemery, 2004; Worden, 1996). Werner-Lin & Biank (2012), set out to teach parents how to appropriately model grief, to engage with children in their expressions of sadness, and to provide the family with resources and coping skills. As previously stated, children that experience parental loss are at a high risk of a variety of succeeding health and mental health problems (Bruskus, 2008; Dyregrov & Yule
The proposed study is a program evaluation of the in-school grief support groups offered to teens through Willow House. This particular program allows the organization to partner with area high schools to offer peer support groups. The groups are facilitated by trained grief professionals and school clinicians. Participants are students who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or other close loved one. The main purpose of the group is to provide a safe space in a familiar place where students can express feelings related to their grief, where their loved ones are remembered and honored, and where their process of learning to cope is shared. In order to assure that the in-school grief support groups are achieving this purpose, Willow House wants to evaluate whether or not positive change has occurred among the students, regarding their grieving process, by use of self-evaluations prior to and at the conclusion of the program.
As a practitioner, the role in this situation is to minimize disruptive events, protect each child’s experience of attachment from harm and support family coping. For this, creating goals for dealing with grief and moving forward is important. Children and adolescents do not tend to grieve in isolation. They grieve within the social context of their family, friends, cultural setting and community (Di Ciacco 2008). Narchaul (2008) refers to Bowlby’s (1969) theory of attachment as providing a framework for us to understand the connectedness to others and how we relate to others. Personal behavioural and coping strategies can be sourced back to childhood upbringing and influences, with issues such as trust, resilience and the ability to regulate emotions essential in playing a role in recovery (Turunen, 2014). Weenolsen (1991, p. 60) states that each disaster or trauma provides a scenario in which the recovery of human beings relies heavily on their ability to transcend their loss of attachment and move on, to psychologically rebirth their attachments. The development theory is another one where the practitioner would identify the conditions impacting as an individual. This path gives direction to upcoming plans and interventions. As the children are at different stages this theory base is appropriate. For example both children would be engaged with creative/physical outlets, observed during family interactions and noted for behavioural traits (Di Ciacco 2008).
It is noted through literature that there is little conclusive ideas noted on the severity of the affects that the loss of a parent or loved one has on a child or adolescent. This is due to differences in opinions in medical professionals and lack of research completed to date on bereaved youth. For example, Auman, M. J., states, “the death of a parent is one of the most significant and stressful events children can encounter.” (2007) where on the other hand,
Cousland’s smile widened, pleased at the reaction. “It would be…remiss of me not to aid another in their vengeance, especially against those who harmed their family.” The man grasped the hilt of a knife tucked into his belt.
Elizabeth Lawrence et al. wrote a psychological research article titled, “Gender Differences in Grief Reaction Following The Death of A Parent,” which was published in 2006 in Omega: Journal of Death & Dying (Lawrence, et al. 323). The article’s research question was whether or not there was a difference between how men and women coped with grief; the results of the research were that females were more likely to experience adverse consequences than males (Lawrence, et
Upon further examination, one must consider each stage is a process with identifiable characteristics that are critical to the coping and grieving process it is both cultural and traditions to respect the deceased and support those who remain. Make no mistake this is a traumatic event and I surprise that more counselors do not seek to explore this part of counseling as a career path. Kanal (2011) sets forth that death also has different levels of impact on the family (p. 151). For example, losing a parent after the person lived, a full life is hard; it appears even more difficult than the loss of a child. The author suggests in many instances, this area is where the counseling professional can do the most good.
A universal theme that all human beings encounter that trigger a negative emotional and physical symptom is grief. However, different cultures experience bereavement in a variety of ways (Pomeroy & Garcia, 2009). From a priest’s standpoint, Hater (2017) shared how he learned how to cope with death when he spent time with his ill father. During his time by his father’s side, he stated how the emotional event was like an up and down rollercoaster, but at the end of the journey, the Holy Spirit invited him into a new life, which renewed his hope. Nevertheless, Hater (2017) disclosed how the grief process helped him become a stronger person who can now support others who are psychologically and physically suffering from a loss (Hater, 2017). Based on Hater’s (2017) viewpoint, he reported a positive way of overcoming bereavement and assisting others, although, counselors who are supporting grief, are obligated to be self-aware of their automatic responses that have developed from their previous experiences (Pomeroy & Garcia, 2009).
Regard to the bereavement issue, Worden theory is used for the daughter. The purpose is to moves from passive phase of grief to active task of mourning (Buglass, 2010). The theory have 4 tasks, i.e. To accept the reality of the loss (Rochelle Perper, Ph.D., 2015). Then, to process the pain of grief (Rochelle Perper, Ph.D., 2015). Thirdly, to adjust a world without the deceased (Rochelle Perper, Ph.D., 2015). Fourthly, to find out how to stay emotionally connected with the deceased and keep moving on in their own life in the same time (Counselling Tutor,