Explaining death to a toddler can be difficult. Children throughout their development require certain explanations about loss. Much of this is based on their understanding and comprehension of loss. Toddlers and their feelings still need addressed. They will notice the loss and need reassurance.
Teaching a toddler about death and loss is important Please also review our Child and Adolescent Grief Counseling Program
The article, “How To Explain Death To A Toddler, According To An Expert — Because It’s Just Part Of Life” by Jennifer Parris states,
“Forget about the birds and the bees. The talk that most parents dread having with their small children is the one about death. It’s an uncomfortable subject that many people don’t want to deal with, much less try to talk to a child about. I mean, how do you really explain death to a toddler? It’s a subject that none of us truly understands in the first place.”
Death can be difficult to discuss but it is important to address loss even with a toddler. Learning how to express death and explain it is important. Please also review our Child and Adolescent Grief Counseling Program
Meditation is an age old practice. It is associated with spirituality but also over all health. While originally spiritual in essence, in recent years it has become an alternative health practice in the West.
Meditation, especially Eastern Meditation, is still very spiritual even if Westerners only look for the health benefits
Meditation is not just a fad but is an excellent tool for better health, stress reduction, and a better mental outlook. For those who are spiritual, it is also an immensely useful tool in becoming closer with God. Eastern as well as Western religions utilize it. In this blog, we will look at the most prominent types of meditation, their uses and the health benefits associated. We will also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Certification.
Meditation as a spiritual tool is its oldest use. Meditation in the far East was used to become closer to God. Hinduism looks for reunification. The soul tries to reunify with Brahman. Through meditation, this reunification can occur sooner in life or lives. With this in mind, many of the techniques used for relaxation are focused on helping the mind escape the body.
In Christianity, meditation has a different use. Reunification with divinity is not the purpose but becoming closer to God. While it may appear the same there are fundamental differences in this. In the East, there is total union. There is no longer separation between beings but everything itself becomes being. In the West, the difference between Creator and creation is maintained. So union is quite different in these traditions.
Whichever religion one may be, spiritual meditation is a critical part of any faith. As a deeper form of prayer, it allows one to deeply communicate with the divine and become spiritually closer. This is essential in any religious and spiritual relationship. Individuals look to not only become better persons but also become closer with their God.
Since meditation has come to the West, many of the Eastern techniques have been utilized in secular settings. Christian Meditation has not become as secular, but only Eastern meditation. It is important to note this for individuals who wish to use Eastern meditation as a health option but also avoid any spiritual aspects that may contradict their faith. Caution is needed for these Christian Westerners who wish to meditation for health purposes.
Those not seeking any type of spiritual connection look for the mind and body benefits of meditation solely. Mindfulness Meditation is an Eastern use. It is very popular for executives and stressed individuals. This type of meditation looks to focus on all thoughts and words. This type of meditation has no judgement upon what thoughts enter. Another type of meditation is Transcendental Meditation. This meditation is more structured and scientifically studied. As the most popular form of meditation, it is used by those who are more serious about meditating. The structure is far more deep than mindfulness meditation. (1)
Other forms of meditation include mantra meditation where words are recited. Also focused meditation utilizes all five senses. Another type of meditation involves movement, such as yoga. Ultimately, all types of meditation were originally intended for spiritual ends but their health benefits can also be utilized.
Obviously the health benefits of meditation beyond the spiritual are multiple. Stress reduction is the biggest reason anyone utilizes meditation. From stressed parents to high end executives, individuals look to meditation to find relaxation and less stress. The results are more calm and less hormones from stress, such as cortisol, that can cause higher blood pressure and issues with the heart. In addition to this benefit, meditation also helps the immune system, reduces muscle aches, can ease inflammation, and help relax muscles for better movement. (2)
Meditation has numerous health benefits but primarily helps fight stress and stress related ailments
In addition to this, mentally meditation can help the mind with anxiety, depression, as well as other mental stresses. A calmer, clearer mind is beneficial for all health systems within the body. When meditation is combined with other alternative health practices, such as hypnotherapy or EFT, one can even see better results against other mental issues.
With so many benefits, many individuals are looking to learn how to meditate. They are individually practicing, or looking for groups to join. Meditation books, videos, and meditation classes are in larger demand. Individuals, as well as corporations are looking to train in meditation for the multitude of benefits. This is also true in the work place, where employers are even utilizing meditation instructors to train employees in mindfulness.
Certified Meditation Instructors are excellent candidates to help meet these needs. Meditation Instructors can offer classes, advice and training to firms, corporations, as well as individuals. They can offer small classes or large classes. Individuals with an interest in meditation and various backgrounds in healthcare, or education in healthcare and meditation are great candidates to become certified meditation instructors. Life coaches, trainers, nurses, massage therapists, spiritual gurus or those with education in the subject can all take advantage of the interest in meditation. They can then utilize their skills helping the general public benefit from the mental and physical aspects of meditation. Again, the biggest movement towards meditation is the secular crowd looking for mental and physical health benefits.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals offers a certification for Meditation Instructors. The Meditation Instructor Certification is an online, self paced program designed for working professionals. The program entails online courses that educate the individual in the basics of meditation. After completing the required meditation courses, the individual can then apply for a four year certification. The certification can be renewed every four years. During the four year spans, the meditation instructor must display five hundred hours of work within the field of meditation, as well as fifty hours of continuing education.
Learn how to become a certified Meditation Instructor. You can then help others learn the value of meditation in their daily lives
The courses again are online and self paced. After the completion of each course, one receives a certificate of completion. The American Institute of Health Care Professional has offered this certification for over Fifteen years and has successfully certified individuals throughout the country in many different career settings. If you are interested or would like to become a certified Meditation Instructor, then please review the Meditation Program and see if it meets your professional and academic goals.
In the meantime, meditation continues to become a growing field. Individuals from every aspect of private and professional life are utilizing its benefits. With such a growing marker, qualified professionals can offer their services and benefit in this business field.
Many men suffer from alcoholism and mental illness but find no help. This is partly due to attitudes towards men and how mental illness is approached. Men need as much help as women when it comes to mental issues and require the same help. Men just need to ask for it.
Many men do not seek the help they need to get well. Please also review our Substance Abuse Practitioner Program and see if it matches your goals
The article, “Why Many Men Have a Harder Time Seeking Treatment for Mental Illness” from Healthline states,
“I think part of it may be this macho thing,” Dr. Raymond Hobbs, a physician consultant at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, told Healthline. “A lot of guys don’t want to admit they have this problem. They still see depression as a sign of weakness.”
Stress in the corporate world can cause hypertension and possible heart attack. It is important to monitor stress and keep it down while working and managing a company. Stress Management helps keep the anxiety and stress down.
Stress in the corporate world can be a health risk. Please also review our Stress Management Consulting Certification
The article, “Stress and hypertension in corporate world” by the Elets News Network states,
“Stress is a serious growing concern in the corporate world. In this fast moving world, where everything is time bound, employees are usually under a lot of stress to complete tasks. This lack of balance between workplace demands and job control is the root cause of chronic and acute stress. This is also considered one of the frequent factors in the etiology of hypertension in today’s challenging world.”
Stress does not have to control your life. Learn more about controlling stress through better stress management techniques. Please also review our Stress Management Consulting Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.
Stress is not a natural state of the body but a reactionary one. Stress hormones are produced during the fight or flight moment when a person faces intense moments. The moment can be a life threatening one or a moment that requires more attention. The body is designed to handle these situations in short term reactions.
Chronic stress can cause numerous health issues
Stress though over a long period of time can cause health issues. While it is good to produce these hormones in emergency situations, it is counter productive over a long period of time. Due to this, stress is very unhealthy for the body over long periods of time.
Stress can cause headaches, depression, insomnia, weakened immune system, higher blood sugar, higher risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, and for women, missed periods. Chronic stress symptoms include anxiety, depression, irritability, insomnia and depression. (1)
In the central nervous system, stress produces hormones adrenaline and cortisol. These help speed up the heart beat to deal with danger. This is the reason we call it the fight or flight response. While this is good in the short term, it causes long term issues on the heart and blood pressure.
The digestive system during stress also reacts. It increases one’s glucose to boost energy during stress. While this is temporarily good, it can have long term problems, leading to diabetes two.
The respiratory and cardiovascular systems also play a role during stress. Due to cortisol, it allows your heart to beat faster but also for your blood to absorb more oxygen. This is not good for those suffering from asthma. It is also not good for the long term, leading to higher blood pressure and chance of stroke.
The muscular system is also affected during stress. The muscles tighten up during stress. This can lead to headaches and other muscles spasms. In addition to this, the sexual organs are also affected negatively during stress. In men it lowers testosterone and in women it affects menstrual cycles.
The immune system is also negatively effected by stress. Stress overtime weakens the immune system which leads to many becoming sick when over stressed over a long period of time.
Ultimately, stress hormones are essential to our survival, but chronic stress is unhealthy. The temporary adjustments to stress are good but overtime they are destructive to numerous systems of the body. This is why stress management is so pivotal to good health. Stress Management helps individuals cope with stress hence reducing long term health issues. (2)
It is pivotal for good health to identify stress. Somethings in life are worth worrying about short term and need our attention but many things need to be controlled. Stress Management helps an individual identify whats important and how to cope properly. Stress Management also helps one to identify what is not important.
Stress over time can over whelm at home or work
Some critical stress management techniques can help one reduce stress and become more healthy. Of course the first step in stress management is overall mental view of life. How one reacts to anger and anxiety determine how we cope. Issues from work or home can build up if not properly dealt with from a mental standpoint. A healthy mindset is key to good stress management.
Stress Management hence is closely tied to Anger Management. Identifying triggers that are not essentially stress worthy is important. If triggers can be spotted, then an individual can avoid them or minimize them.
In addition to targeting potential triggers, individuals need to also know how to relax. Relaxation is a key element to stress management. Reducing frustration, mental worry and physical symptoms are important steps to long term health. Many individuals utilize meditation, yoga, or other spiritual practices to reduce stress. Massages and other physical therapies also help. Over working can be a negative thing at times, and individuals sometimes need a vacation, or simply a nice long nap. It is critical to be able to let off steam. Some utilize hobbies, or sports or the gym, to do this, but if one does not have the ability to reduce stress, it will overtake one’s life.
After noting triggers and having ways to reduce stress, individuals need to know how to limit stress around them as well. Rules at home or work that generate a certain type of order can help. Disorder is a big contributor to stress. Organization at home and work can play a large role.
While some find more stress at home, others find more stress at work. Working with difficult people, deadlines and heavy work load can all contribute to that. Some things cannot be avoided and need coped with but other things can be minimized. Again through good communication and organization, stress can be reduced anywhere.
Stress appears in anything in life. This is a reality. As living organisms, we are open to stressful situations by the very definition of living itself. One can learn to deal with legitimate stress appropriately or allow it to overtake one’s life. As we saw, chronic stress has way too many negative impacts on the body to be ignored. It is hence very important to face and reduce in one’s life. Stress Management is the key to spotting stress and coping with it. Stress Management also offers a variety of ways to escape stress and reduce anxiety levels.
Since stress is such a big reality in life, stress management is sought after by millions of people. Individually people seek stress management consultants for aid. Large corporations also look for stress management consultants. Employers have discovered that a less stressful work environment is conducive to higher employee productivity.
Stress Management Consulting is in very high demand because of these needs. Many healthcare and behavioral health professionals look to give stress management consulting to individuals and large corporate firms. The American Institute of Health Care Professionals offers a Stress Management Consulting Training Program to qualified professionals seeking certification.
Stress Management Consulting helps teach others how to manage stress and cope with it through healthy strategies
The program is entirely online and independent study. It is working professional friendly in that it allows professionals to work on the online courses leading to certification at their own pace. The program is completely online and the exam for each course is open book. One can utilize an instructor as much or as little as needed. Some of the courses also have approvals for certain professionals seeking CE hours.
The certification in Stress Management Consulting is a four year certification and be renewed.
If you are interested in learning more about the Stress Management Consulting Certification offered by AIHCP, then please review the program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.
Stress and anxiety are serious conditions for many people. Learning how to control anxiety is a key stress management skill. Those who can master control can alleviate anxiety and better be able to function in society.
How well we deal with stress and anxiety is key to mental health. Please also review our Stress Management Consulting Program
In looking at anxiety, the article “Getting Caught In The Rain Taught Me These 4 Important Lessons About Dealing With Anxiety” by Joann Toporowski looks at some important lessons when dealing with anxiety. The article states,
“Anxiety is no one’s friend and we all want to know how to deal with anxiety and stress when they threaten to ruin our day. The symptoms of anxiety disorders are not always obvious but with the proper stress management techniques, you can make it through. ”
Employers are faced with issues of employees. The issues can come to work but many of them can be dealt with efficiently. Stress, anxiety and grief can all be met with a kind hand, but also the issue of substance abuse. As long as substance abuse is not affecting the workplace, how can an employer help an employee suffering from this and maintain productivity?
Its beneficial for employers to help employees with substance abuse issues. Please also review our Substance Abuse Practitioner Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals
The article, “Taking On Substance Use Disorder As An Employer — Getting It Right” by Gary Gottlieb states,
“Nearly one in ten full-time workers in the U.S. has a substance abuse problem, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that 7.9 million individuals in the U.S. are dealing with a dual diagnosis: experiencing substance use disorder along with another mental health condition like anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder. Substance use can involve alcohol, prescription or illicit drugs.”
Substance abuse is a serious issue. Please also review our Substance Abuse Practitioner Program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.
Christian life is powered through the graces of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was promised to the apostles after Christ ascended into heaven. The Holy Spirit first manifested after Christ’s departure on Pentecost where he appeared like tongues of fire upon the them.
The Holy Spirit is the source of all Christian Life. The grace of the Holy Spirit feeds souls the supernatural food they need in this world
The apostles spoke in tongues and performed many miracles on Pentecost. They also spiritually themselves were revitalized. The gifts of the Spirit manifested upon them and gave them the courage and bravery to preach the Gospel. Pentecost was the first time Confirmation was experienced in the church. Through the reception of the Spirit, the apostles became soldiers for Christ.
The amazing power of the Holy Spirit is still experienced today in the Church. Believers who receive the Spirit are able to develop their particular talents for the betterment of the Church. These graces are open to the believer after Baptism. Through the blood of Christ, the Holy Spirit’s ability to communicate grace to baptized souls is once again realized. While confirmation is a reception of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit is communicating grace to believers well before.
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit help Christians develop a healthy Christian life and can also help Christian Counselors guide others
The Holy Spirit is able to communicate life giving grace to the soul once Baptism occurs. This new life is referred to as sanctifying grace. Yet through Confirmation, new graces are received. Various sacramental graces are also given to the soul by the Holy Spirit throughout the course of one’s spiritual life, as well as multiple spiritual gifts.
These freely given gifts which are never earned but given to us through Christ’s death help individuals. This actual grace helps individuals to choose good and do good. So the Holy Spirit gives to the believer numerous types of grace. Sanctifying grace to give life, sacramental grace to help us grow and actual grace to help us with everyday situations.
These graces help promote virtue within the life of the soul. Some virtues are supernaturally given, while other virtues are moral virtues that are elevated through grace. Faith, hope and love are the three theological virtues which allow the Christian soul to first experience the life of God. Faith helps one believe, while hope helps one have the certainty that the graces needed for salvation will be given. Charity or love is the greatest of the three virtues. Love allows us to experience the love of God himself and share it with our neighbor. Love lasts forever, even unto eternity. (1)
The Holy Spirit also gives to the soul a variety of other virtues. The moral virtues help the soul deal with moral problems of everyday life. Prudence helps the soul make wise decisions. Fortitude helps the soul deal with spiritual adversity. Temperance helps the soul regulate the passions of the body. Finally, Justice helps the soul to treat all others fairly.
The Holy Spirit also gives a variety of gifts to souls. The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit help the soul guide itself and others to God. Wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fear of the Lord, fortitude and piety all help Christian better help others. (2)
It is of interest to note that counsel is one of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Christian Counselors can play a pivotal role with their gift in helping others cultivate the gifts of the spirit. With guidance and wisdom, a Christian Counselor can help others overcome doubt and fear and become better Christians.
Cultivating and forming spiritual life is based on the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit fuels the Christian life. Through prayer, meditation and the sacraments, one can better cultivate the Christian virtues. Christian Counselors can play the role as Christian Mentors in this way. Spiritual advisers or Christian Mentors can help younger and developing Christians develop their spiritual talents.
Christian Counselors can also play a role with the Holy Spirit through guidance. Spiritual formation is not just about developing one’s spiritual gifts but it also about spiritual growth in God. Christians need to understand the inner calls of God. The consolations and desolations of Christian life with its numerous peaks and valleys are experiences that many need help navigating. Learning to spiritually discern good and evil and true vocation are key elements of spiritual growth. Again, a Christian Counselor, pastor, mentor, or spiritual adviser can play a big role in helping and aiding others in determining their spiritual path.
The Holy Spirit is the ultimate guide in this path. Through the grace of the Holy Spirit, one is able to overcome all things. It is impossible without the guidance and grace of the Holy Spirit to achieve salvation. This is key in understanding. Christ’s death on the cross opened the gates of Heaven and its many graces, but we need to be open to these free gifts. Pentecost was the first outpouring of the Spirit, but it continues to this day.
Christian Counselors can mentor others and guide them spiritually in their lives.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals offers a certification for those in ministry. The Spiritual Christian Counseling program is a faith based program that helps train ministers and Christian mentors in counseling from a Christian perspective. The program is online and open to qualified to professionals. The courses are all independent study, online and open enrollment. One then has the freedom to work at his or her own pace. This is great for working professionals who need time to continue in their ministry but also wish to progress in spiritual academics.
After completing the seven required courses, one can then apply for a four year certification in Spiritual Christian Counseling. One can renew every four years with five hundred hours of clinical experience and fifty hours of continuing education.
Christian Counseling is a calling and vocation. This calling and the spiritual talents that come with it can be further developed with the certification program in Christian Counseling at AIHCP. If you are interested in learning more or would like to become a certified Christian Counselor then please review the program and see if it matches your academic and professional needs and goals.
In the meantime, the Holy Spirit is the essential element in all spiritual formation. It starts and ends with the grace of the Holy Spirit who constantly feeds souls the necessary graces to work towards Christian perfection and salvation. God the Father is our creator, Jesus Christ, the Logos, is our Redeemer and the Holy Spirit, is the sanctifier
Let us all praise and worship our Triune God, who also found in the Third Person, known as the Holy Spirit.
Malpractice suites are a large reality in Healthcare. When a person enters into a healthcare facility, they hope for the best. Everyone wishes and hopes for a successful procedure and receive optimum care. Physicians and other healthcare providers also hope to treat a patient successfully without error.
Malpractice is an unfortunate reality in healthcare. Legal Nurse Consultants can help find justice for patients
Error does happen and is a reality in the healthcare world. Physicians, surgeons and nurses can all make mistakes. While some healthcare professionals may be innocent, many are liable for the errors they make with a patient. These errors are later legally fought in court with opposing attorneys whose expertise is in healthcare and malpractice law. Legal Nurse Consultants play a large role in aiding legal teams in determining error.
So what is malpractice? According to the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys there are a variety of errors that constitute malpractice. Some of the errors include failure to comply with standards within the practice or the nature of the injury. Was the injury caused by negligence and was it significant enough? (1)
Here are a few examples of errors; Failure to diagnose or to even misdiagnose, misread lab results, unnecessary surgery, surgical errors, improper medication or dosing, poor after care, premature discharge of patient, reporting improper patient information, improper testing, and failure to recognize symptoms. (2)
These types of errors lead to multiple malpractice cases in the United States. Legal Nurse Consultants play key roles in determining if procedure deviating from standards. Nurses themselves can be become subjects of inquiry if they fail to properly report and observe the patient. It is critical for nurses to report and chart information regarding patient care. When nurses deviate from these safe and proper practices, they can fall under suspicion if a malpractice case does occur. Nurses can make errors but many times they can protect themselves from liability by simply properly charting.
Healthcare professionals can make errors. If something deviates from standard of care, professionals can face legal consequences
In essence, medical malpractice revolves around the concept of a breach of contract and a failure to comply within a certain standard of care. The history of malpractice goes back to the very beginning of America’s conception. In the case, a man sued due to his wife’s death during a surgery. He was awarded 40 pounds. (3) Today medical malpractice is a a common theme unfortunately in healthcare.
Today in the United States, 225,000 people die from some type of malpractice. A 2002 review showed that 195,000 deaths in hospitals were completely preventable. Another statistic showed that 12,000 deaths occurred due to unnecessary surgeries. (4)
These alarming statistics show the need for individuals to find the help they need. Unfortunately, only 2 percent of those injured due to malpractice ever file a claim. (5) While some cases may not be the healthcare providers error, there are so many cases where patients suffer due to medical error. Attorneys and Legal nurse consultants can play big roles in bringing justice to these patients.
The malpractice firms are able to determine if standards were met and if the patient was wrongfully injured. When this standard of care is not met, an investigation ensures. After determining if there is plausible case that the patient was wrongly injured, an attorney begins to access the financial reward of the case. In these types of cases, the age of the patient, the extent of injury, and the loss of earning are all calculated.
Legal nurse consultants help attorneys in determining the standards of care and if they were met in accessing negligence. Legal Nurse Consultants help in a variety of ways. They can investigate the case, review records and help come to a conclusion if proper care was received. Legal Nurse Consultants can also play a pivotal role in expert testimony of cases. Legal Nurse Consultants are heavily relied upon my numerous malpractice firms.
Legal Nurse Consultants can play a pivotal role in helping patients find justice. They are able to aid malpractice firms in identifying standards, analyzing reports and offering expert testimony
Nurses looking to diversify their career can become Legal nurse consultants. The statistics for malpractice dictate a huge need for qualified professionals. Nurses can take their medical and procedure knowledge to the court room. This requires some training on the part of the nurse. A good Legal Nurse Consulting Program can transfer a nurse into a legal aide to multiple firms dealing with malpractice cases.
Nurse can fit that need and find a alternate and side career in helping patients find justice. Nurses can also help defend healthcare providers who have been falsely accused.
The American College of Legal Nursing can offer the training and knowledge and needed to make the jump from the hospital floor to the court room. The American College of Legal Nursing offers online courses for nurses. The courses are independent study. The courses are also open enrollment. Each course has an instructor to help aid the student through the certification process. The student can utilize the instructor as much or as little as needed. The student can proceed as quickly as he or she wishes. This enables working professionals the flexibility needed to focus on their careers while they also study through the program.
The four online and independent study courses are designed to help the student understand the basics of legal nurse consulting. The program helps prepare the student to become an efficient and successful Legal Nurse Consultant. The final course culminates the information learned and helps prepare the student for reading and preparing briefs. After completing the four courses, a student can apply for a four year certification. The certification can be renewed after four years. The student is required during that time to accumulate 500 hours of clinical and practical work, as well as 50 hours of continuing education.
The College of Legal Nurse Consulting only accepts nurses into the program. It looks to help nurses make the transition into a successful legal nursing career. Nurses can play a pivotal role in this vital need and their knowledge of floor procedure are valuable assets to any malpractice firm. With a certification from the American College of Legal Nursing, a nurse can confidentially present their skill set to malpractice firms.
Please review our online program in Legal Nurse Consulting and see if it meets your academic and professional goals and needs.
If you are interested in becoming a Legal Nurse Consultant and possess the knowledge and desire to enter into this field, then please review the program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals. You could then soon enter into an exciting career of Legal Nurse Consulting.
Grief or loss has no bounds because loss can be anything. While most loss is something dear to oneself, there can be a wide variety of losses than fall outside of standards of what some would could consider regular. Some of these losses are referred to as disenfranchised losses because they fall out of the usual and normative categories.
Society tends to determine what constitutes loss, but grief does not work that way.
Understanding that loss is not only objective but also subjective is key. Grief Counselors cannot label some things or losses as normal and others as not abnormal or not important. Yes, there must be a line somewhere but if Grief Counseling only acknowledges normal losses then grief counseling ceases to serve all.
What we consider main stream loss is loss of someone dear. We tend to as a society rank things and classify them. Human society also ranks and classifies losses. Obviously the loss of a parent, or child, or spouse is considered the most devastating types of losses one can endure. We tend to rank siblings and grandparents next, with aunts, uncles, cousins and friends thereafter. Yet this type of ranking can sometimes be wrong. For some, a parent relationship may exist with a grandparent or aunt or uncle. For others, a dear friend may be closer than a distant sibling.
So it is very naive to always assume a ranking of loss. In some cases, unique relationships exist. Unique relationships can go well beyond human bonds as well. One of the most disenfranchised type of loss is pet loss. Individuals assume since the loss is not a family member or human friend that the loss of a dog, cat, horse or even a hamster or rabbit is meaningless. Again, some individuals create bonds that are very intense. These bonds need respected. In the case of a family pet, it can be very traumatizing and hence a serious loss. As a society, and as certified Grief Counselors, we need to recognize this reality.
Is there a line that needs drawn? Can a loss become to insanely abnormal? This is hard to say. It is true that complicated grief and abnormal reactions can occur but the grief counselor must be very careful in diagnosing what is a normal loss or a complicated grief reaction. If someone’s plant dies, goldfish, then how far can we begin to see a disproportionate grief reaction to the value. Again this is difficult because bonds are what determine grief. Abnormal bonds are subjective but where is the line drawn? From human to dog, or dog to goldfish? This is indeed difficult. People may form abnormal bonds and that needs addressed but one must be careful in assessing what is normal and not normal. There definitely is a line but it is not as universal as some may think.
Pet loss is an example of Disenfranchised Grief
Beyond the hierarchy of losses which unfortunately can determine what is a “real loss” and what is not, one can find many other types of disenfranchised losses. Disenfranchised loss views can easily dismiss many who are forgotten in the mourning cycle. For instance, how many times if the father neglected when a miscarriage occurs? How many times, is a step father or step mother neglected if a step child dies? How many times are cousins, or others discounted, beyond siblings during a loss of a brother or a sister. One cannot dismiss the grief of other people in the life of a person just because they do not fit neatly as son, daughter, brother, sister, or mother and father. There are numerous other relationships that can be over looked,
Relationships that are not mainstream can also sometimes see disenfranchisement. Like a boyfriend who may grieve a loss of a girlfriend but not be seen as important to the family, there are numerous same sex relationships, where other partners are neglected in the pain and grief they feel over the loss of their significant other.
In addition to this, certain types of deaths may be seen with stigma. Stigma can also affect disenfranchisement. Suicide is a common example. In these cases, the family needed support, is sometimes neglected because of the delicacy of the subject.
Other types of losses, such as miscarriage, are also commonly downplayed or dismissed. Even the pain suffered by couples who cannot conceive.
In addition, many losses are also downplayed or dismissed that fail to meet the criteria of death. A loss of a job, relationship, or the loss of a body part can all be downplayed. These losses are still very painful and while they may not entail the ultimate loss of death, they still nonetheless carry grief with them. For many the loss of a fiance or the pains of a divorce are equal to death. The end of something and the loss of that person is final.
Grief Counselors need to be aware and alert to all types of losses and not quick to dismiss to a social hierarchy of reaction. Every loss needs to be acknowledged and understood in relationship to the griever. Unique grieving situations can arise beyond the mainstream. This is not to say, grief counselors should not dismiss unhealthy grief reactions or abnormal bonds, but it does say grief counselors should keep an open mind about different types of losses. Disenfranchised grievers can be minimized by merely acknowledging loss.
In doing so, grief counselors must dismiss comparative statements and instead address the loss. Statements that start with ” at least it was not this or that” or “it could have been worse” or “this is not that big of a deal” need to be removed from every grief counselors treatment. Grief Counselors need to acknowledge the loss and understand how that loss affects the individual. Whether it is the loss of a rabbit, or a teenage breakup, the loss must be understood for what it is. Only the griever can later access the value of the loss in comparison to other things. In some cases, they may very well consider that loss to still be a significant loss. An elderly woman may consider the loss of her cat to be very devastating even though many others would dismiss it.
The purpose of the Grief Counselor is not dismiss any loss but to help clients understand their loss, adapt to it and evaluate it on their own terms. Return to healthy adaptation of the client is the mission of the grief counselor, not loss judgement.
Loss judgement is the key term to remember with disenfranchised grief. Grief counselors cannot judge loss but only acknowledge and help others deal with it. When loss is not acknowledged, the griever suffers more intensely.
Please review our Grief Counselor Certification Program and see if it meets your professional and academic goals
Disenfranchised grief will continue to exist because society has its own standard on what loss is. People have their own ideas and fail to show empathy. While this is a reality, it should not be a reality in Grief Counseling. If you would like to become a certified Grief Counselor then please review the American Academy of Grief Counseling’s program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.
