Group Counseling For Widowed Men Over Sixty Years
For a long time the debate has waged on as to what is the best means for those grieving or the bereaved to cope with the pain and loss of their situation. Though most people opt for the medical approach where they consult a medical professional, there have been those who argue for another different approach that is the use of support groups. This is a term used to refer to counseling frameworks where the grieving are grouped into units composed of several participants from a minimum of four to twelve depending on the number of participants and issue or problem similarity. Support groups are a place where the bereaved can find a safe haven for them to not only express their emotions but also it creates a platform for them to further understand their symptoms of grief the various stages of the grief and mostly provides the opportunity to feel a connection to people who are in a similar position which aids them in coping better with the loss of their loved one (Hospice of the Comforter, 2016). Additionally, social groups have been sold as a sanctuary where the members can adapt to life after loss through both social and grief support and counsel. These groups in many of the cases do not charge the participants a fee or any money and the main premise of their formation is openness and confidentiality where one can express themselves freely. In recent years however, research and studies have increased investigating the effect and
I chose the GriefShare support group because as nurses we will need to help our patients and their families with the grief process when a loved one passes away. On March 29, 2014, I met Claudette St. John, the group leader, at 6:45pm at Northwest Christian Church in Acworth, GA. Rick Baldwin also attended the meeting. The group meets from 7-8:30pm. Claudette shared that she has been doing grief support classes for the past 20 years and the past 3 years she has been doing GriefShare at Northwest Christian. She lost her teenage daughter in a car accident 20 years ago. She expressed that there really are not any rules, other than just respecting each individual. She tasks herself with keeping the meetings on track and has a democratic leadership style. GriefShare is a Christian based program consisting of 13 weekly session. Participants do not need to attend all 13 sessions, the sessions can also be done individually. A workbook is given to those that are participating in the program. GriefShare’s goal is to help those experiencing grief, work through the process and recognize the different aspects of grief that they may encounter.
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.
Grief groups will be led by two facilitators, at least one of which will be a trained therapist. All facilitators will undergo training at the center via a proprietary training program developed by the Executive Director. Facilitators will come from three sources:
The purpose of this paper is to examine the field of marriage and family counseling beginning with the history and development of the profession and its importance in the field of counseling. This paper will also evaluate five major themes relevant to Marriage and Family Therapy which include: roles of Marriage and Family Therapists; licensure requirements and examinations; methods of supervision; client advocacy; multiculturalism and diversity. The author will discuss significant aspects to the field of Marriage and Family Therapy such as MFT identity, function, and ethics of the profession. This paper will assess biblical values in relation to Marriage and Family Therapists and to the field
The American Counseling Association (ACA) is the most sizeable worldwide association for counseling professionals ("American Counseling Association.", n.d.). The American Counseling Association (ACA) is a nonprofit organization ("American Counseling Association.", n.d.). The American Counseling Association (ACA) is based out of Alexandria, VA ("American Counseling Association.", n.d.). It was founded in 1952, by the convergence of four different associations in Los Angeles, Ca ("American Counseling Association.", n.d.).
Losing a loved one can be a traumatic situation in anyone's life. The bereavement process can take a tremendous toll on a person. There are no gender, age, sex, color or religion specifics that dictate the length of grievance, it all depends on the individual. The loss of loved one brings grim magnitudes for the body and the emotional state of a person and can sometimes be so extreme that it can alter the health of a human being. Grief counseling eases the bereavement process by providing patients many methods that will assist in dealing with the pain throughout their life. In multiculturalism people deal with the loss of a loved one in many forms, what may seem barbaric for one culture is normal in another and what a counselor may suggest
Psychoeducational groups emphasize, “using education methods to acquire information and develop related meaning and skills.” (Brown, 1997, p.1) This grief support group works as a psychoeducational group, through focusing on education and knowledge for healing and growth. In this group, members value knowledge as it further brings growth through their grief journey. The facilitator educates the group with thirty-minute videos made by grief experts to support the members in learning proper coping skills and processing certain aspects of their grief. The group also characterizes a psychoeducational group through providing emotional support with discussion before and after each video. During this short discussion time the group worked together, to help apply the skills to their lives and process topics discusses in the video.
The loss of a loved one is a very crucial time where an individual can experience depression, somatic symptoms, grief, and sadness. What will be discussed throughout this paper is what the bereavement role is and its duration, as well as the definition of disenfranchised grief and who experiences this type of grief. I will also touch upon the four tasks of mourning and how each bereaved individual must accomplish all four tasks before mourning can be finalized. Lastly, with each of these topics, nursing implications will be outlined on how to care for bereaved individuals and their families.
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
This paper examines the implications of grief, bereavement and disenfranchised grief. Grief in response to a loss is a unique experience and is expressed distinctively by every individual. It is helpful to have models that outline the stages of grief that need to be experienced in order to achieve acceptance. However, their utility is limited by the reality that grief is immeasurably complex and individualized. Veterans and children are two groups at risk of developing disenfranchised grief. Therefore, it will be important for nurses to be able to identify those suffering with disenfranchised grief or other forms of maladaptive grief so appropriate intervention may be employed.
The type of group approach I would propose for this population is a support group. Support groups are an important part of the approach used in helping the bereaved suffering from grief and loss. An important goal of the support group is to use mutual aid to help participants understand and accept themselves as they are (Raby,R 2010). . Mutual aid is sometimes used in a support group to help participants share resources for mutual benefit. Understanding and acceptance are the first steps towards self-help in a group.
In the past few years, community agencies have increasingly used groups since various groups have become a common feature of today's society. Some of the most common groups in today's society include groups for women, men, parent education, children, HIV/AIDS support, and those for reducing substance abuse. Due to the increased use of groups by communities, there are various approaches that have emerged including group counseling and group psychotherapy. Group counseling is a designed preventive and remedial approach to meet the needs of specific population in the society like women, men, the elderly, adolescents, and children. On the contrary, group psychotherapy is a re-education process of the present and past through conscious and unconscious awareness.
Grief is defined as a type of emotional or mental suffering from a loss, sorrow, or regret (Dictionary.com, LLC, 2010). Grief affects people of all ages, races, and sexes around the world. Approximately, 36% of the world’s population does or has suffered from grief and only a mere 10% of these people will seek out help (Theravive, 2009). Once a person is suffering from grief it is important to receive treatment. All too often, people ignore grief resulting in deep depression, substance abuse, and other disorders (Theravive, 2009). Grief counseling is very common and can be very helpful to a person in need of assistance. Grief counseling provides the support, understanding, and
Support groups bring together people facing similar issues, whether that's illness, relationship problems or major life changes. Members of support groups often share experiences and advice. It can be helpful just getting to talk with other people who are in the same boat. While not everyone wants or needs support beyond that offered by family and friends, you may find it helpful to turn to others outside your immediate circle. A support group can help you cope better and feel less isolated as you make connections with others facing similar challenges. A support group shouldn't replace your standard medical care, but it can be a valuable resource to help you cope (Staff, 2013).
Worden, J. (2009). Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner. 4th ed. New York: