2 peer Responses Grief Counseling

 

1.Everyone experiences death and dying, and some deal with it in a healthy, safe way. Others cannot face the loss, which results in mental health issues and drug use. Mourning as a concept means severe and prolonged pain after a loss (Kanel,(2018). Freud was one of the first theoreticians to bring about a scientific clarity of loss, melancholia, and mourning; he argued that mourning is not only an occurrence of death but can be, in other instances, of loss (Ozel,(2020) Mourning is a complex process because there are so many obstacles one has to face to be able to handle the loss of a loved one, including the quality of the relationship with the deceased, religious and cultural beliefs related to mourning, mental health history, support systems, perception of death, presence of past losses, factors such as the way of death and socioeconomic status (Ozel,(2020) and the helpless feeling of guilt if one did not get the chance to say goodbye to the loved one.  

In Worden’s theory of four stages of mourning, his first theory is that Accepting a person’s loss is significant in that this is the adjustment phase of heading toward a healthy grieving process. The person must understand that their loved one will no longer answer the phone, call on the holidays, or be there for support when the client feels overwhelmed. These losses are incredibly hard to manage, wondering who they are going to confide in and how they are going to handle holidays and birthdays without the person.  Replacing a person is never easy, or is it meant to happen. However, as one moves on in the direction of healing, it is better for the counselor to move forward with patience and then find new meaningful relationships that can help with the dying loved one. (Kanel,(2018) Mourning seems never-ending, but within a few months, one may have passed the significant process of acceptance and understanding, leading to a better outcome of healing and acceptance. Depending on the age of the loss is significant in the healing stages. Lossing A  

The mourning process also causes physical pain in the stomach and chest and has the capability of incapacitating a person mentally. It can cause sleep disturbance and other side effects (Kanel,(2018). This is why mourning a person is complex and difficult to pass, even with a counselor’s help. Counselors should also think about ways that this individual is mourning and not push the stages in order or as recognized in the literature. Mourning is not literature-based and does not show in every person the same presentation. The focus of the care provided by health workers or mental health workers to the individual confronted with loss is to establish healing and complementary communication. These supportive services include problem-solving, role modeling, encouragement, teaching, and counseling (Ozel,(2020) 

A counselor can help the process of mourning by being a listening ear and offering friendly suggestions. As a counselor, the primary process to understand is that patience with a client is necessary for rapid recovery, not pushing a client to open up but still being persuasive in having the client heal and move on from the tragedy. The stages of grief are subjective depending on the way one has died, and they are tailored to each individual dying. The stages can come in various ways and may not be in order, or some stages may have been passed or discs included in the grieving process.   

Can the mourning process affect an investigator when the person has just committed a violent act toward a loved one, such as murder? 

2.  

Mourning is one of the hardest things a person can go through because it’s deeply personal and unpredictable. Losing someone we love changes our world, forcing us to adjust to life without them while managing overwhelming emotions. Grief isn’t just emotional, it can also affect someone physically, mentally, and socially. What makes it even more difficult is that there’s no set timeline or clear path to follow. Some days may feel manageable, while others bring waves of sadness out of nowhere (Kanel, 2015).

As a crisis counselor, the best way to support someone through grief is by being present, listening, and validating their feelings. Encouraging them to talk, helping them find healthy ways to cope, and connecting them with resources like support groups or therapy can make a difference. Everyone grieves in their own way, so it’s important to meet them where they are and remind them that there’s no “right” way to mourn (Kanel, 2015).

Grief doesn’t follow a neat set of stages, and not everyone experiences each one. Some people may skip certain stages, cycle through them multiple times, or process their loss in a completely different way. The key isn’t checking off stages like a to-do list it’s finding ways to move forward while still honoring the loss. Healing looks different for everyone, and what matters most is that a person finds support and meaning in their own time (Kanel, 2015).

Question for the class: What are some meaningful ways we can support someone who is grieving beyond just offering words of comfort?