Grief Counseling Blog

Other resources:

Grief Counseling Certification Article on Grief and Closure

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

On multiple occasions, individuals seek to rush through the grieving process hoping to eradicate the pain and emotion.  They look to reach the finish line of a incorrect timeline set by others.  They feel grief has an expiration time and must be resolved.  In many ways, they view grief as a pathological parasite that is preventing them from healing.  While grief is an adapting period to loss and pain, there is no set time table for complete.  In reality, noone truly recovers from grief or loss, if one did, then the loss would have little value.

Closure to a loss is something that is not a prerequisite to moving on. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification

 

Recovery from grief is a myth.  Adjustment is the only reality.  There is healthy adjustment and pathological un-adjustment, but ultimately, grief remains part of the human condition.  Hence if one does not achieve closure to loss, that is fine.  It is OK to not to find the perfect closure to a loss.  In fact, it is quite normal not find closure to something we lost.  It is the price of love not to be OK with losing someone special but we learn to adjust and manage that loss.

The article, “Closure Isn’t a Thing in Grief and That’s Okay” from Whats Your Grief  presents an excellent review regarding grief and closure.  The article states,

“There are a handful of reasons why people expect closure in grief. For much of our history, grief theory models have given people the impression that grief follows a set of stages or tasks. So, many people think grief is a finite process with a beginning and an end.”

To read the entire article, please click here

With so many tasks, or steps, it is easy to misunderstand the science of grief.  It is easy to think their is an end, but these tasks and steps are only guidelines presented that are truly not a system that all follow or must follow but merely are a collection of ideas regarding grief and how individuals face grief.  Grief is messy and it bounces all over.  These guidelines are merely guidelines to outline how one can find a healthy adaptation not necessarily an elimination of all emotion over the loss.

Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification and see if it matches your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Grief Counseling.

 

Grief Counseling Training Article on Major Depressive Disorder

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Depression is not merely sadness but is a complication of grief itself.  It is even beyond loss gone wrong and failure to adjust but can be random and without loss to identify.  Depression can cause extreme and intense sadness over an extended period of time with a multitude of symptoms.  Hopelessness, loss of interest in life, intense sadness, loss of appetite, lack of sleep, inability to communicate, decreased energy, irritability and thoughts of suicide are all symptoms of depression.

Major Depressive Order is something Grief Counselors must identify in a patient. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Training

Depression is not something a certified grief counselor who is not licensed in counseling can deal with alone.  If not licensed, and a grief counselor, it is essential to identify the depression and refer the patient to a licensed professional counselor who can provide the therapy and if necessary medications needed for the patient.

The article, “What Is Major Depressive Disorder?” by Jen Sinrich looks at the different types of depression that exist and symptoms to look out for in patients.  She states,

“This serious condition is far more than a bout of the blues. Depression is a persistent condition that diminishes a person’s ability to function in their day-to-day life and can manifest with physical symptoms as well, including chronic pain or gastrointestinal problems.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Training Program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Grief Counseling

Grief Counseling Certification Article on Employees and Mental Disorder

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

During the pandemic, many employees working remotely or even in shop are facing a multitude of changes and challenges.  Depression, anxiety and other mental disorders are may widespread than in the past.  Employers can play a huge role in identifying the symptoms and helping their employees.

Are your employees exhibiting depression or anxiety during the pandemic? Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification

 

The article, “How to spot depression and anxiety in the remote workplace and help your employees” by Erin Hartley takes a closer look at employees and depression and how employers can help.  The article states,

“While 2021 will still be a challenging year for many as the pandemic continues, and remote work will remain the norm, companies can and should take a proactive approach to spotting anxiety and depression among their employees and take measured steps to get them the help they need.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification and see if it meets your professional and academic goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Grief Counseling.

 

Grief Counseling Training Article on Losing a Mother

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Losing a mother is one of the greatest losses anyone can imagine.  Either parent is difficult for any well adjusted person.  The loss of a parent is painful regardless of circumstances.  Some may lose a parent earlier in life, or tragically and this all leads to possible complications in the grieving cycle, but whether one loses a parent suddenly or one is prepared, the loss is still immense and leaves a hole in one’s heart.  There is no recovery only adjustment.

Losing a parent, mother or father both are some of the most intense pains in life. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Training

 

The article, “Finding Freedom From Grief” by Olivia Scott looks at the pains of losing a parent and how it s a critical journey for everyone in their development when the eventual day occurs.  She states,

“Losing your mother leaves a void in your heart and life which is never filled. No matter your age at the time of her death. I know this, because I lost my mother in 2002. I was 28.”

She goes on to continue with her story and the pain she faced and the lessons she learned as she grieved her mother.  It brought to her many conclusions about life but also about life after your mother is gone.  The horrible feelings of being “motherless” and also new ideas of being a mother and not being there for one’s daughter.  To read the entire article, please click here

Grief and loss are hard adjustments when losing a mother.  As the article points out, treasure the moments you have with your mother and parents while they are alive.  Do not take any time for granted and enjoy their presence and guidance.  There will come a time, we must all face, when we no longer have them in this life and that thought is terrible enough.

Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Training and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four certification in Grief Counseling

 

 

Grief Counseling Certification Article on Recovery from Grief?

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Grief is not something that is patched up with a bandaide and left to heal.  It is not something that one recovers from ever.  Anyone who says one can recover from grief is misleading you.  Freud taught that grief is something that must be removed from the person.  The person must recover and move on from it, as if grief was a disease or pathology.  Grief however is far from a pathology but part of our human condition.  It is a result of loving someone so much that the loss creates a void forever.

Grief is something we learn to cope with throughout life. It will never go away, nor should we wish it go away for it is the price of love

 

Grief is not about recovery but is about adaptation and coping.  As time goes, one is able to adapt to the loss and remember the beloved with warmness, and even live with happiness, but the wound is forever present at different intensities at certain times.  This is not something one wishes to remove but something that one embraces as the price of love.  Love and grief coincide in this fallen world and if we never loved, then we would never grieve.

So there is no magic pill or recovery for grief.  It is hard work, adaptation, coping and remembering with fondness the love that existed and still exists in one’s heart.  This is not what many want to hear but it is what they need to hear.  Grief Counseling is not about healing grief but is about helping others learn to live with grief.

The article, “We Don’t Recover From Grief, and that’s Okay” from “Whats Your Grief” is an excellent reminder of how we never truly recover from grief.  The article states,

“But the grief, it’s always there, like an old injury that aches when it rains.  And though this prospect may be scary in the early days of grief, I think in time you’ll find that you wouldn’t have it any other way. Grief is an expression of love – these things grow from the same seed.  Grief becomes a part of how we love a person despite their physical absence; it helps connect us to memories of the past; it bonds us with others through our shared humanity, and it helps provide perspective on our immense capacity for finding strength and wisdom in the most difficult of times.”

To read the entire article, please click here

We learn to accept losses and move forward with them. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification

 

Please also review the American of Academy of Grief’s Grief Counseling Certification and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year grief counseling certification

 

Grief Counseling Certification Article on Loss and Memories

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

When something or someone is gone, the mind remembers the loss.  The greater the loss, the greater the pain and the longer period to adjust.  Constant reminders exist throughout our life that do not allow us to forget the loss or person.  While this is good, while grieving, it is also painful.

Memories and little things can trigger grief. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification

 

Sometimes, its a place, a scent, an object, a day, or an event.  They can all trigger in the mind, memories, both good and bad.  Sometimes, our subconscious will dwell on the person in dreams.  Ultimately, someone so interwoven with you, will never be forgotten nor should be forgotten.  The things that remind us of our loved one are memories of the love shared and remind us how we miss them and how much they mean to us.  They also show us the desire to see them again one day in another world.

The article, “Grief: Coping with reminders after a loss” from the Mayo Clinic looks at these reminders.  The article states,

“Certain reminders of your loved one might be inevitable, such as a visit to the loved one’s grave, the anniversary of the person’s death, holidays, birthdays or new events you know he or she would have enjoyed. Even memorial celebrations for others can trigger the pain of your own loss. Reminders can also be tied to sights, sounds and smells — and they can be unexpected. You might suddenly be flooded with emotions when you drive by the restaurant your partner loved or when you hear your child’s favorite song.”

To read the entire article, click here

Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Grief Counseling.

 

Grief Counseling Training Article on Breakups

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

One type of grief and loss that is dismissed by many are breakups.  Many people shout “get over it” or “you barely knew her or him” or even, “it is time to meet someone now”.  These types of losses can be disenfranchised for many.  With so many breakups throughout the country, people are constantly grieving the loss of a boyfriend or girlfriend.  It is a difficult adaptation for those in more serious relationships but even the smallest relationship can leave one upset for weeks

Grieving a breakup can be difficult for many people. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Training

 

The article, “Grief After a Breakup: Three Things You Should Know” from Whats Your Grief  reviews some ways to better cope and what to expect.  The article states,

“Breaking up is really hard to do. Most of us know what it’s like to suffer a broken heart. Many of us know how complicated it is to separate two lives intricately intertwined. Being that we’ve all probably experienced some form of breakup grief, we know stressful, ongoing, and overwhelming this experience of loss can be.”

To review the entire article, please click here

Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Training program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and is open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Grief Counseling.

Grief Counseling Training Program Article on Employee Bereavement

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Employees are not machines.  They experience loss and grief.  When loss and grief occurs, it can transfer over to the workplace.  Production and other aspects of work are affected when employees grieve but employers and corporations owe more to their employees than a pay check but a true investment into their overall well being.  In doing so, employers should take an active interest in their employees when they lose someone.  This is why bereavement policies are so key.

A grieving employee needs help from coworkers and employers. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Training Program

The article, “4 Ways To Support Yo

ur Employees Who Are Working Whilst Grieving” by Sheree Atcheson looks at how employers can better help bereaved employees.  She states,

“If you are in a management or leadership position, I am confident that you will have had to deal with at least one person grieving whilst working in your entire career. 2020 has likely increased this number substantially, depending on where you are based and what the death tolls of the pandemic look like in your region.”

To read the entire article and review the 4 ways to support an employee, please click here

Employers can play a critical role in helping their employees adjust to loss by making the workplace less daunting and being flexible the first week.  This kind act not only is humane but also mutually beneficial for the professional output.

Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Training Program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Grief Counseling

 

 

Grief Counseling Certification Program Article on Grief and Adaptation

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Grieving is a process that no one every recovers from.  There is no recovery from grief.  The grieving process hence itself is not a recovery from grief but an adaptation to life without it.  One cannot adjust magically but must deal with the process one day at a time.  There are no shortcuts.

Grief is a process of adaptation not recovery. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification Program

 

The article, “Make Space for Grief After a Year of Loss” by Gianpiero Petriglieri states,

“Grief is the personal experience of loss. Mourning is the process through which, with help from others, we learn to face loss, muddle through it, and slowly return to life. ”

To read the entire article, please click here

Grieving is a long process indeed.  One needs to accept the reality and work through it one day at a time.  There is no true time table because there truly is no recovery.  Grief instead is a series of adaptations that teach us how to learn to live with the loss.  It does become less painful in time, but the pain can always be found if one searches deep enough and that is ok.  In fact, the price of love is grief because if the loss meant nothing, we would recover.

To learn more about grief counseling or if you would like to become certified in grief counseling, then please review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification Program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and allows qualified professionals to earn a four year certification in Grief Counseling.

Grief Counseling Certification Article on Grief and the First Year

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

When dealing with grief, it takes time but it brings about change.  Change comes gradual though and it can take time.  One cannot rush the changes grief brings about in a person as the person learns to exist without the loved one and form new relationships with others.

Learning to to live with grief and adjust to the new normal takes time and is a long process. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification

 

The article, “In the first year of grief, walk the perimeter” by Michael Chancellor, the first year of grief is examined.  He states,

“I often tell my clients it takes a year to get a sense of the loss we have experienced. I compare it to a person who has purchased a piece of land and walked out the perimeter before he agreed to the purchase. He does that to become familiar with the land he is planning to purchase.  Grief is like that. It takes a year to walk out the perimeter of our loss. What happens in a year that is so important?”

To read the entire article, please click here

Grief is a life long journey.  There is truly no recovery but adaptation to the loss.  A new balance of accepting the loss and living with the new.

Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification to learn more about the nature of grief and also to help others learn to cope with it and make a healthy transition.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals.