Grief Counseling Certification Blog on Near Death Experience

Posted on February 23, 2022 by Dominick Flarey

Near Death Experience or NDE are mysterious and empirically unexplainable experiences individuals near death can experience. It is still a mystery as to if NDE is a proof for a metaphysical afterlife or a lack of current understanding of the brain and its unknown processes when responding to possible death. For now, they are accepted as something that is unexplainable and not to be connected with psychosis or any type of mental pathology but a legitimate experience some individuals face when dealing with death.

Near Death Experience or NDE has certain qualities associated with it that differentiate it from other mental states such as dreams or hallucinations. It NDE, there is an out of body experience that occurs, or a autoscopic episode. This episode is when one is unconscious and the trajectory if not corrected will lead to physical death. During this unconscious state, one can experience lucid visions outside one body. To qualify as an NDE, a 16 question survey must score at least a 7 in value.

Are Near Death Experiences metaphysical and spiritual episodes or some unknown yet reaction of the brain to death? Please also review AIHCP’s Pastoral Thanatology Program as well as AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification

Among the many questions include the level of consciousness one felt during the episode. Was the experience equal or greater than normal conscious behavior. This is a key element in differentiating from a dream state or a hallucination. During these states, individuals under anesthesia are able to comprehend things around their unconscious body that the brain should not be able to sense. This type of mental ability questions whether the soul is experiencing a metaphysical experience or if there is some unknown power of the brain yet known to science. Many who experience NDE are able to relate things regarding those around them while they were unconscious that the brain should not be able to observe or sense. In fact, the senses are even more acute and sharp during NDE. Blind individuals are able to see things in some studies, as well as individuals who can see but see more so in deeper colors and understanding than any mere human eyes. In other cases, NDE patients also understood the thoughts of others around them.

Science looks to explain some of these feelings and sensations when the body is in crisis. Russel Noyes, a famous psychiatrist, who researched NDE, pointed out that the body when in crisis experiences various adaptations. There is a sharp mystical awakening to more vivid images, as well as a depersonalization with emotion and a detachment. Also, there is a hyper-alertness with sharper vision and hearing that helps the person survive. Could these abilities be amplified near death?

Most who experience NDE, which is around 1/3rd who have close clashes with death, firmly believe it was a real experience. They return in many cases more peaceful and guided. They look to implement life changes and have less death anxiety itself. The experiences are also multi-cultural and do not differ between Western and Eastern religious codes. Even children with little predisposed religious ideals, experience the same and often beyond their natural understanding. Individuals who are not religious also share similar experiences.

During these religious experiences, many experience a calm and bright light, and in some cases see lost loved ones but others can experience nothingness or more frightful visions. Some see torture and hellish images. They experience upon their return a call for conversion or a scared traumatic response. Others try to explain it away.

Grief Counselors, or more so licensed professional counselors are needed to help individuals discuss and resolve their NDE experience. It is important that the counselor understand that it is not a pathology but to be on the look out for pathological reactions to the experience. Counselors also must be open to the individuals interpretation. Since there is no rational explanation, it may very well be metaphysical or also tied to unexplainable brain functioning that is firing off an array of visions that science cannot understand. It is critical to listen and accept the story of the individual with an NDR and how it relates to that particular individual.

Gaining the trust is key. Individuals, may think they are crazy, or noone will believe their story. It is important to reassure the patient that this is phenomenon is a real experience although unexplainable by science and that their visions are not crazy or pathological. It is essential to help the individual integrate the experience into their life story. Unless pathological reactions occur when extreme anxiety or dangerous new behaviors arise, the person should be encouraged to share and incorporate the experience into their life in a healthy way. There is no treatment since it is not a pathology itself and there is no true medication because the incident is beyond comprehension.

Near Death Experience is a universal experience across cultures. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification

Those of belief may accept the experience as a religious experience. This is not pathological but acceptable. The reality is it may very well be a metaphysical experience beyond the scope of science and to marginalize it and categorize it against the will of the patient is counter productive. It is best to co-exist with the experience from wherever it came and allow it produce the healthy changes one needs in one life. Ultimately, there may be an explanation or it may be metaphysical, or it may be a mixture of both, but since they are universal and non pathological, it would be prudent to merely care more about how one reacts to the experience in counseling than to define it for the patient. How the patient defines it is the patient’s choice.

Death and dying is a mystery. It is the final chapter of observable existence. NDE is merely another element of it and how we see death beyond the grave and the many spiritual questions that burn within our mind and how our body reacts to death itself.

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.

Please also review AIHCP’s Pastoral Thanatology Program

“Near-Death Experiences Evidence for Their Reality” by Dr Jeffrey Long, MD

“Near-Death Experiences and Psychotherapy” by Dr Linda Griffith, MD

“Death Society and Human Experience” by David Kastenbaum, PHD

Grief Counseling Certification Video on Sojourning with the Bereaved

Posted on February 15, 2022 by Dominick Flarey

Helping comfort those through grief is the primary role of the grief counselor. Walking with one through grief though is even deeper. It is in many ways a type of ministry where one helps the individual understand their grief but also show the empathy needed to help one emotionally deal with it. It is a partaking and sharing.

Please review the video below

Grief Counseling Certification Video on Prolonged Grief or Depression?

Posted on February 15, 2022December 17, 2024 by Dominick Flarey

Grief can become complicated when things go wrong in life. Prolonged grief and depression are very similar and can sometimes be misdiagnosed. Learning to cope with grief and find the counseling one needs can help individuals overcome grief in a healthy way.

Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification Program 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 Certification on Grief and School Shootings

Posted on February 10, 2022 by Dominick Flarey

School shootings are a parent’s and community’s worst nightmare. Unfortunately, the wave of these national tragedies continue to rise and answers are still yet to be found on how to stop the senseless killing of children and teachers in schools due to mentally unstable individuals with guns.

The facts are alarming. The “Sandy Hook Promise” organization lists a variety of horrific gun and children related facts. Overall, each day 8 children die from gun violence and are the leading cause of death for children and teens. Unfortunately, despite the alarming number of school shootings, many could be avoided. In 4 out of every 5 shootings, at least one person knew beforehand or could have prevented it through proper vigilance and acknowledgement of the warning signs. Many of the attackers showed signs in the weeks before the attack with as many as 75 percent of individuals noticing the alarming and threatening behaviors. Finally, 68 percent of the time, most of the firearms were taken from the home due to improper storage of the weapon or parents did not believe the child knew where the gun was stored.

School shootings are a national pandemic that causes intense grief to parents, families, students, teachers and communities

This leads to two alarming trends. First mental health and second gun safety and laws. Better mental health care is required for youth as well as facilities to care for those exhibiting abuse, drug use as well as bullying. Secondly, better gun control laws without restricting freedoms need to be in place to protect children and schools. Yet, with political tug of war in Washington, little traction has been made, much less real solutions due to extremes that cannot reach common sense solutions.

The frightening reality is that shootings occur, children die and families deal with immense grief. Grief Counseling and trained grief counselors has risen due to these traumatic events. Families and victims need counseling from professional counselors, as well as certified grief counselors who can help with the local school district in helping teachers, staff, families and students with their grief and its processing.

In understanding a school shooting and its impact, it needs to be clearly classified as a traumatic event. PTSD is definitely a possible short term and long term lingering effect on many students and staff. This is especially made worst, since it was a human caused evil that baffles all logic and sense. Individuals are left with survival guilt, death imprint and imaging that is difficult to be associated into the mind due to the extreme graphic visuals.

Traumatic events can trigger PTSD and complicated grief such as depression. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Training

In counseling, all of these issues will be difficult to address and many may seek avoidance but the incident will continue to haunt. Until the loss and trauma is discussed in a healthy way, then and only then can grief healing take place. Following this though is the grieving process itself which can lead to complicated grief itself and depression due to the horrific nature.

Parents losing children, classmates losing friends, teachers losing students and communities being scattered suffer both individual and collective grief at various levels. All parties need help in processing the loss and caring for each other in healing and preventing anyone from being left behind. Support groups, individual counseling and helping others adjust to life after such a horrific event are parts of dealing with the crisis and part of the process of grief counseling.

Memorials, remembrance, social action and community outreach can help some heal, but the scars will always remain visible and apparent. Sandy Hook is only one sad reminder of these events in recent American history and continue to haunt so many more.

As grief counselors, it is not the purpose necessarily to find answers because there are no true answers to complete evil and trauma. Instead, it is the purpose to help others overcome trauma and find some balance in life. To try to help the loss find a place in the narrative of a person’s life and where that person will go in the future. Such tragic grief and loss usually does not end well though and it should not because it is so horrific, evil and traumatic. Love has been uprooted and painful loss inserted. It is a life long practice to learn to cope with the loss that will forever haunt everyone involved in such needless chaos.

Learning to help those through such difficult events is a process for qualified professionals. Grief even traumatic grief is unique and every student or teacher will react and recover within their own paradigms. Some may be prone to PTSD, while others will deal with naturally grieving and process it. Others may be extremely guilty and have more vivid death imprints. Others will be traumatized more due to relationships that were deeper. This involves a long process of vetting, questions and determinations to see who is highest risk to PTSD and complicated grief reactions.

If you would like to learn more about Grief Counseling or would like to become a certified Grief Counselor then please 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 Certification Video on Wellness and Grief

Posted on February 1, 2022December 17, 2024 by Dominick Flarey

Well being is the balance of mind, body and spirit. It involves how we interact socially and find that perfect balance in life. It equates with happiness. However, when that balance is tipped through grief and depression, the balance can be lost and we may have trouble finding that balance again as we incorporate the new loss into our life

Grief Counseling Certification Video on Social Media and Grief

Posted on January 25, 2022December 17, 2024 by Dominick Flarey

Grief and how it is expressed has greatly changed with the dawn of the internet. Stories can be quickly shared and individuals may look to the internet or social media to find outlets for their grief or find comfort and solace. Sometimes this is a good thing and in other cases it can open the person to ridicule.

Grief Counseling Certification Article on Depression and Eating Disorders

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Dominick Flarey

Eating disorders and how we process stress and emotion are very interconnection. A bad mood can easily derail well intentioned plans. So depression and eating disorders can also go hand and hand and cause multiple issues for the person in how they use eating as a coping device for their depression.

Depression and eating orders are linked. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification and see if it meets your professional goals

The article, “Can Depression Lead to Eating Disorders?” by Hilary Lebow looks closer how eating disorders can become issues when used as a way to cope with depression. She states,

“Managing depression and eating disorder symptoms can feel like a journey, but you are not alone and treatment for both conditions is possible. It’s common for depression and eating disorders to co-occur. Many doctors, therapists, and dietitians are trained in handling these conditions together. If you are experiencing symptoms of depression and eating disorders, talking with your doctor or therapist could be your gateway to treatment. Try to be easy with yourself. Healing is possible and available.”

Whether eating not at all or eating too much, disorders can manifest from depression. To read the entire article, please click here

Grief Counseling Certification Article on Sudden Loss

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Dominick Flarey

A sudden loss can be tragic and devastating. It can upheave one’s life and make one search for existential answers of how and why. It can be so catastrophic that it can push one into a deep trauma and depression over the sudden loss. Grief in these cases have a chance of becoming prolonged and becoming possibly depressive in nature.

A sudden loss can send a person into a whirlwind of emotion and worries. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification

The article, “How to Help a Loved One Through Sudden Loss” by Julie Halpert looks into how to help someone who experiences a sudden loss. She states,

“With a sudden loss, the bereaved find themselves immediately inundated with new and mounting responsibilities. Helping ease that burden can be invaluable. Dr. Cormier suggested leading with language like: “I’d love to help. Does anything occur to you that may be useful?” If they don’t provide suggestions, you can be specific: Ask if you can bring dinner, mow the lawn or pick up groceries. You can also provide a welcome distraction, offering to go for a walk with the bereaved or take them out to dinner.”

To read the entire article, please click here

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

Grief Counseling Certification Video on Depression and Bi Polar Disorder

Posted on January 20, 2022December 17, 2024 by Dominick Flarey

Two types of depression that exist are Clinical Depression and Bi Polar Disorder. Clinical Depression is a constant state of emotional sadness with in most cases no true cause. Bi Polar is a swing of moods with certain manic episodes throughout the year where one is not depressed but very active, followed by a depressed state. Licensed therapists are needed to treat both.

If you would like to learn more about AIHCP and its Grief Counseling Certification, then please review the program 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 as a grief counselor.