Helping Skills

Reading journal articles related to bereavement/grief and loss have helped me to understand theories of grief and loss in relation to the practice context. For instance, during supervision sessions, I have been able to discuss and reflect on several grief and loss theories, social work theories, ethical theories which will need to be considered while working with bereaved clients. For instance, dual process model, continuing bonds, stress theories etc. have been studied. Hence, throughout this placement, I have been able to explore the theoretical foundations of bereavement work.

The loss of an adult child is devastating, just as is the death of a younger child. However, there are differences as to how both the parents react to such losses. In this case the paper focuses on the loss of an adult child and how the parent copes with the situation. The paper will give insight into the situation that precedes the demise of the child such as the trajectory of illnesses. A review on how the parents deal with the loss after it occurs will be discussed as well as the various issues the parent faces. The impact on the parent after the child’s loss will also feature. There will be a summary of the findings, then a section that will give the implications of the research and its importance to the field of psychology, and finally an as well as focusing on the bigger picture of loss with older parents who have lost their children.

The Joe family was introduced to counseling prior to the death of Mama Joe whose death resulted in conflict within the family. Prior to the death of Mama Joe, there were a rise in emotional stressors in the family such as financial stability, Family conflict, and coping skills. The initial problem presented in this family is the death of Mama Joe and individual conflicts within the family. Many of the problems seen in this family can be traced back to the death of Mama Joe, without her acting as the families functioning unit, there is a shift in the Joe family dynamic. Terri expresses financial strain from maintaining the family’s bills, there is also a noticeable conflict between Maxine and Terri, as well as infidelity between Cousin faith and Terri’s husband. After doing an initial assessment the best treatment in this family is first helping the family cope with the death of Big Mama. The impact of death within the family system is something that is not discussed, and inadequate attention has been given on the long-term effects of death within the surviving members. Froma Walsh assists professionals in understanding the complex issues that arises when families are faced with death in her book Living beyond Loss: Death in the family. Walsh breaks down family adaption into 4 major tasks which she uses to help strengthen the functioning unit. One task that can help the joe family is what Walsh describes as Shared acknowledgement of the reality of death This task states that, “Every family member must confront the reality of a death in the family. Acknowledgment of the loss is facilitated by clear information and open communication about the facts and circumstances of the death. Inability to accept the reality of death can lead family members to avoid contact with the rest of the family or to become angry with others who are moving forward in the grief process. Long-standing sibling conflicts and cutoffs can Often be traced back to the bedside of a dying parent or to the graveside.”{pg. 28} This accurately depicts the Joe family whose family dynamic shifted after the death of Mama Joe. Because of this shift the family lacked the ability to cope, which lead to isolation amongst family members, sibling

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.

In addition, the therapeutic value of working with grief in diverse groups is of particular interest to me based on the existential challenges in dealing with death, loss of relationships, career, or anyone or anything deemed to be of significance to individuals. Likewise, our society is frankly abysmal in recognizing and supporting those in need of support, therapy and long-term assistance in dealing with grief and loss. Additionally, group work can be a highly effective way to help grieving individuals expand their network of relationships thus helping them move forward in a health way (Corey el al.,

The Cokesbury United Methodist Church grief support group follows a thirteen-week curriculum from GriefShare, however, new members can join in at any time as each week has a “self-contained” lesson. The topic for the week I attendee focused on the “why” of losing a loved one. Through following this curriculum, the group seeks to equip members with “essentials to recover from the hurt of grief and loss.” (GriefShare, n.d.) The group focuses on helping members rebuild their lives after they experience tremendous loss and grief through facing the challenge together. (GriefShare, n.d.)

Grief is often accompanied by feelings of anger, intense sadness, difficulty in engaging in happy memories, and obsession with the departed or with the situations surrounding the death of a loved one (Minuchin & Fishman, 2009). This is shown in the video “A Family Disrupted: Dealing with the Death of a Sibling”, when Lois cries uncontrollably and acts completely shocked and disconnected. The video also shows the effects of grief with Jerry, who feels angry and isolated, and often wishes to be alone. When an individual is grieving and cannot overcome the grief, it is important to seek a qualified therapist for help. Therapists will effectively tailor various therapeutic models to address the special needs of individuals or family members who are struggling with grief (Worden, 2010). To help the people who are grieving in this video, models like solution focused therapy are used.

A unique experience that I had at Norton Women’s and Children’s Hospital was that we also covered labor and delivery and the mother-baby unit. Most of our programming and interventions on these units involved bereavement and grief support, sibling education/support, and memory/legacy making. From my coursework and volunteer experiences at the University of Charleston, South Carolina, I had a solid foundational background with grief and bereavement through our child life courses, our death and dying course, our experiences with Shannon’s Hope, and our experiences with Rainbows. A family is forever changed when there is a loss of a family member, specifically a child (Pearson, 2005). A parents reaction to the death of a child greatly differs

The author presents a qualitative assimilation model, which addresses the different stages of grief that one may encounter as they begin to recognize and compartmentalize the change in their environment and emotional state. The model provides the counselor with an understanding of the perceived necessity for a multidimensional individualistic approach to the healing process of those adapting to traumatic life events, such as death. The author attempts to present an individualistic counseling model for assisting clients dealing with turmoil and loss. The assimilation model incorporates strategic counseling technique unique to the client 's situation. The model describes eight developmental levels of grief the human psyche endures as it attempts to derive a meaning out of perceived events. As

Cynthia Johnson is a 26-year-old single woman from Birmingham, Alabama. Being young herself, she takes care of her 5 children from non-marriages with different fathers. Not having a high school or college education, it is hard to obtain a proper job to take care of her children. At an early age, she became all too familiar with the idea of grief. Because of this reoccurring history of grief, Cynthia suffers with severe depression, has a history of substance abuse, and an overall unhealthy lifestyle.

This group is being developed to help Christians between the ages of 18 and 60, to identify, understand and work through the different facets of grief, in their own lives.Whether it is the loss of a loved one, a relationship, employment, or reputation, grief is real to those experiencing it. The focus is to help people attending the group sessions to deal with the various stages of grief, and to learn how to move forward into the next phase of their life. Grief is a very active emotion, that can cause responses ranging from annoyance to suicide, in extreme cases. It is often overlooked for its intensity in many cases, as it is not fully understood, even in the 21st Century.

Most parent’s greatest fear is the death of a child. The experience each parent or caregiver will be based on the meanings they create through their interactions within their individual experience. Whether it is a something expected or unexpected, each parent or caregiver be offered services through the health care settings or social environments/resources in the community and whether or not these interactions or services meet their needs could affect the bereavement process for the parents or caregivers.

This writer selected this topic on grief because of the traumatic experience of the loss of someone that was the matriarch of the family. Words cannot explain nor can counseling to overcome the experience call grief compare to the sadness and despair that’s felt from this loss. If this writer could have understood how grief

Grief is experienced as the emotional, physical, cognitive, and behavioral responses to loss. These elements, like a fog rolling in, cover what may be right in front of your eyes. I have studied this the grief matrix for years. I am an expert in at leading people through the maze of grief. It is one of my specialties. Authors, like Amy Hemple, write about the language of grief. With help from their her detailed prose, I have honed my skills. I have worked with doctors, psychologists, and clinical social workers, though psychiatrists are often the most receptive to my methods. my favorites Today, I will begin working with Dr. Brouillard, the psychiatrist who helped my neighbor, Jack, after his home was burglarized a few weeks ago. Dr. Brouillard consults at the local police precinct where Jack filed the police report. Like repeatedly playing the same video game over and over until I’ve mastered each possible storyline, each every time I work with a professional, my craft gets better and better.

Kathya Vasquez Mendoza ,Booth 6: Therapeutic Response to Clients Experiencing Loss, Grief, Dying, and Death