Analysing Theories Of Loss And Grief In Social Work Practice

Grief is a natural response to a major loss, though often deeply painful and can have a negative impact on your life. Any loss can cause varied levels of grief often when someone least expects it however, loss is widely varied and is often only perceived as death. Tugendhat (2005) argued that losses such as infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, adoption and divorce can cause grief in everyday life. Throughout our lives we all face loss in one way or another, whether it is being diagnosed with a terminal illness, loss of independence due to a serious accident or illness, gaining a criminal record (identity loss), losing our job, home or ending a relationship; we all experience loss

Loss is a phenomenon that is experienced by all. Death is experienced by family members as a unique and elevated form of loss which is modulated by potent stages of grief. Inevitably, everyone will lose someone with whom they had a personal relationship and emotional connection and thus experience an aftermath that can generally be described as grief. Although bereavement, which is defined as a state of sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one, is a universal experience it varies widely across gender, age, and circumstance (definitions.net, 2015). Indeed the formalities and phases associated with bereavement have been recounted and theorized in literature for years. These philosophies are quite diverse but

Grief counseling is a division of social work that involves the interpersonal aspect of the social worker’s role as expert in coping with death. In this paper I will define grief counseling and some ways to cope with loss. Next I will discuss the history and seven stages of grief. There are two main forms of grievers which are intuitive and instrumental. In addition there are four major types of grief which are acute, anticipatory, sudden and complicated. The helping process is explained as well as some disorders related to grief. A current trend for grievers is to seek involvement in programs such as the Canadian Cancer Society, Missing Children of Canada and Victim Services. These organizations provide counseling services and crisis

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.

This report gives an in depth explanation as to how positive mental health can be restored through bereavement counselling. The report is divided into five sections. Firstly the purpose of bereavement counselling and what the client can expect to gain from it. It will then go on to explain how talking therapies, another name for counselling, can support a client through their most extreme emotions brought on by death or the loss of something precious to them. The third part explains the different stages of grief as outlined by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross model – ‘The Five Stages of Grief’. I will go on to explain how research findings have proven how counselling can promote positive mental health and finally the conclusion.

Death and dying is a natural and unavoidable process that all living creatures will experience at some point in life, whether it is one’s own person death or the death of a close friend or family member. Along with the experience of death comes the process of grieving which is the dealing and coping with the loss of the loved one. Any living thing can grieve and relate to a loss, even children (Shortle, Young, & Williams, 1993). “Childhood grief and mourning of family and friends may have immediate and long-lasting consequences including depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, behavioral disturbances, and school underachievement” (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2006, p. 61). American children today grow up in cultures that attempt to avoid grief and

Grief is the act following the loss of a loved one. While grief and bereavement are normal occurrences, the grief process is a social construct of how someone should behave. The acceptable ways that people grieve change because of this construct. For a time it was not acceptable to grieve; today, however, it is seen as a necessary way to move on from death (Scheid, 2011).The grief process has been described as a multistage event, with each stage lasting for a suggested amount of time to be considered “normal” and reach resolution. The beginning stage of grief is the immediate shock, disbelief, and denial lasting from hours to weeks (Wambach, 1985). The middle stage is the acute mourning phase that can include somatic and emotional turmoil. This stage includes acknowledging the event and processing it on various levels, both mentally and physically. The final stage is a period of

Research studies are vital for understanding how to make practice and policies the best they can be for service users. Social work is a diverse and complex field, and research studies in this area not only allows social work professionals to expand their personal knowledge within their practice, but it can also benefit their clients and even society from a policy or legislative level. In discussing the vital importance of such research I will be looking at the work of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross (1969), whereby she forms a model of stages of grief. Before the 1970s, psychologists treated death as taboo. However Kubler-Ross’ book, ‘On Death and Dying’ outlined the need for understanding human loss, signalling a new era of open discussion on the topic.

This project was undertaken with the intention of helping people who lost a loved one and the social workers, doctors, ministers, and hospice workers who are charged with bringing them physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. The project was designed to be available in churches, synagogues, hospitals, hospices, and support groups. This project was developed to help alleviate the grieving’s emotional pain and to suggest ways of how the grieving can pick up the pieces of their lives.

The tragic death of a child is full of profound pain, which affects not only individuals but whole communities. In addition to presenting a myriad of difficult emotional, cultural and age specific problems which need to be addressed for the health of all. For the purpose of this paper, the author uses mother, father, and community include all family members, including spouses, extended family, and significant others. This paper will look at grief associated with the loss of a child, the mourning tasks used in order to help survivors heal.

Viorst (1986) stated that the losses that we experience are necessary for us to grow and adapt as part of our normal functioning. Loss is natural, unavoidable, and inexorable; losses are necessary because we grow by losing and leaving and letting go (Darcy, 2011). After that we encounter those losses we grief, which is defined as the physical, psychological, and social reactions to the loss of something or someone important to us (Hooyman & Kramer, 2006). Everyone reaction to grief and loss are different, for example when my mom lost her mother when she was sixteen her coping strategies were different from her sisters from what I learned. Myself, I also encountered many losses from my childhood to today and I never really understood how they shaped me until I started thinking about them for this particular assignment.

The research has included both the internet and books borrowed from my father, a psychologist, as well as conversations with my father about the theoretic and practical aspects of the grief cycle of my character. As well as this, recently someone close to my family passed away, so I have my own experience with grief to draw upon. In addition, someone else close to a family member is in danger of dying very soon, and the fear and denial that this has incorporated into the subconscious parts of everyday life have been apparent to me, revealing even more of the practical aspect of grief, the aspect which is outwardly conveyed to the grieving person’s peers. This side of grief is different to the internal conflicts and emotions which sometimes remain hidden even to those closest to the person.

This essay explores several models and theories that discuss the complexities of loss and grief. A discussion of the tasks, reactions and understanding of grief through the different stages from infants to the elderly, will also be attempted.

If they fail to work through their grief and their grief is unresolved, they can develop problems later in their adulthood. Sometimes these problems are not too serious, but sometimes they become major, long term emotional handicaps (Fitzgerald, 1994). Usually the short term reactions tend not to last more then a few weeks, and most children regain their previous level of psychosocial functioning. Reports show however, that children who have lost a parent have higher levels of emotional disturbance for up to two years, than children who have not been through such a traumatic event. Up to forty percent of children may show disturbance a year after the loss. Some children may develop learning problems and may fall behind in school. In extreme cases children have suicidal thoughts and long to be with those who have passed on, though these thoughts are rarely acted upon (Black, 1998). Problems can arise because a child who loses a parent also tends to become very protective and anxious about the health and survival of the other parent. Children often protect the surviving parent from knowing that they are in distress. This may lead the parent to believe that the child has not been affected by, or has already recovered from the loss (Black, 1998). The family may then believe that the child has resolved their grief when, in fact, they have not. Young children who lose a parent through death and don’t allow themselves to mourn the loss may experience a strong sense

Any death is a traumatic event, a major loss that affects every member of the family as well as society (Leming & Dickinson 2011). Coping with loss it’s very important because it allows individuals to express their emotions and to heal their psychological pain. Grievance s a process that helps people deal with loss. Grief is a very powerful emotion that is regularly triggered or encouraged by death (Leming & Dickinson 2011). This process is complex and requires effort and energy from the griever. Coping with any kind of loss takes time and can be challenging. Takes time for someone to assimilated and accept that the other person isn’t there anymore.