During mass social grief, it is important for leaders to show leadership in grief. This involves in addressing the loss, looking for ways to help others cope with the loss and offering ways to adjust to the loss. Leadership in corporations, government even to the smallest unite of the family, needs good leadership from individuals in time of grief and loss to reassure, help and inspire.
Crisis and grief define leaders. Leadership in grief helps others find purpose and reassurance to rise above it without ignoring the problem. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification
The article, “Grief leadership in time of crisis” by Jitender Girdhar looks at how leaders during crisis and grief can take a leadership role in helping others through it. The article states,
“Grief leadership is about leading people, whether or not they’re your friends, employees, or a nation, through experiences of sadness, trouble, and grief. Grief leadership is, essentially, resilient people leadership.”
In times of crisis and pandemics, leadership is needed. Not only to lead but to also assure and help cope with the loss. A leader needs to not ignore the issue but embrace it. Acknowledging the issue but reassuring the multitude of victory is essential
Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.
While the Five Stages of Grief are an excellent look at how individuals deal with death and loss, they may not apply to every individual. In fact, individuals grieve through different stages and face grief different ways. This is not to discredit the stages proposed by Kubler Ross but more so to address to grief counselors, that it is not always the way.
Grief is not always tucked away into neat steps and processes. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification and see if it meets your goals
The article, “Five Things You Should Know About the ‘Five Stages of Grief’” by Eleanor Haley from the site “Whats Your Grief” reviews how one should understand the stages. She states,
“The five stages of grief are not absolute truth. Like all theory, it’s based on a hypothesis (an educated guess). There is a bit of research to support the theory, but there is also a bit of research to contradict the theory. In reality, other grief models may fit your experience exponentially better than the ‘Kubler-Ross Model’.”
While Kubler Ross theory and stages are valuable, one must understand they are not always linear as well as many steps are repeated. One should not dismiss it in grief and loss but one should also be free to wander from it when needed. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification and see if it meets your needs and goals.
Making sense of suicide is difficult. Loved ones who lose family to suicide suffer immensely in the days and months and years after. Questions swirl around their minds. What could one have done better, or why did one say this or that, or why was one not paying attention to the signs.
Processing the loss of a loved one to suicide is a very difficult process. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification
Regret, guilt and intense grief can follow. The very fact that suicide is a taboo subject can also intensify the grieving process. Suicide grief hence has all the prerequisites and ingredients for a possible complication emotionally for the family.
The article, “Making sense of suicide grief” by Susan Quenelle looks deeper at suicide grief for family members trying to make sense out of the senselessness. She states,
“September is National Suicide Prevention Month. This designation helps to serve as a reminder to all of us of the many people who struggle with emotional issues on an ongoing basis. But another related area of concern is those who are left behind after someone has committed suicide.”
Those left behind suffer the most and it is important to help them understand their grief. To read the entire article, please click here
To learn more skills to help others through the process of losing a loved one to suicide, then please review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification
Death of a loved one is difficult by itself. It takes time to recover from the loss and re-adjust to the life without them. While we re-adjust, some say we never truly recover completely and that is fine. However, when we lose someone and the death is complicated because of the nature of the death or how we ended it with a particular person, then complications can emerge in our recovery process.
Looking back the death of a loved one can be painful. Sometimes it can bring back certain things about the death or how we reacted to it. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification
Sometimes one may regret how they handled the death of a loved one. Maybe the last words were not pleasant, or the one felt conflicted during the person’s illness. Other times, one may regret not discussing or doing this or that with the person. In other cases, the nature of the death itself can cause extreme distress. Many deaths via suicide or through a particular disease can become disenfranchised. Individuals suffer far greater in these types of sudden and unnatural deaths. They raise questions and cause embarrassment in some cases.
These types of complications can lead to an array of issues for the recovery process and turn simple grieving into a complicated form of grief that may not reside on its own.
The article, “Struggling with How a Loved One Died” from “Whats Your Grief” looks at how one can overcome these conditions of a death of a loved one. The article states,
“It’s very important to note, revisiting events like these can bring up many distressing thoughts and emotions. When thinking about the death, some people may actually re-experience intense emotions like panic, terror, and fear. In an effort to not feel this way, the person may actively avoid anything that could bring up these memories which, in the long run, may cause them to cut themselves off from important people and places and to possibly live in a state of hyperarousal.”
To look back at a loved one’s death is natural. There is nothing wrong with it, but when the death is more complicated or we regret how the process played out, then we may feel stronger emotions that can haunt us. It is important to face those emotions and deal with them.
If you would like to become a certified Grief Counselor then please review the American Academy of Grief’s Grief Counseling Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.
With covid, life is upside down in all facets. Providing grief support like any health or mental issue has turned to telecommunication. Remote care and counseling or over the phone guidance has become a new norm. Schools also are facing issues as debates begin on re-openings. Many have grief issues with covid and other anxieties.
Grief Counseling at schools will face new challenges as they open for the school year during covid. Please also review our Grief Counseling Certification
The article, “Providing Remote Grief Support to Students and School Communities” from “Whats Your Grief” takes an indepth look at the challenges of providing grief counseling to schools and students via remote. The article states,
“It stands to reason, a higher number of children will be carrying the burden of loss when they return to school this year, whether they are grieving the death of a loved one, or a non-death loss. While at the same time, there are new and significant barriers to receiving the types of support teachers, parents, counselors, and community members are accustomed to providing.”
Atypical depression can cause a over sleeping. Atypical depression is an ongoing depression, where a person may not even realize they are depressed because an event or surprise can temporarily lull them out of it, but it still nonetheless persists. Many who experience this type of depression will over sleep.
Oversleeping can be a sign of depression. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification and see if it matches your academic and professional goals
Oversleeping is a symptom of depression because it is a way one tries to cope with the sadness. One will feel they have nothing to look forward to so they turn to sleep as a way to escape reality.
The article, “What You Should Know About the Relationship Between Oversleeping and Depression” from Cleveland Clinic’s Health Essentials looks at the correlation between oversleeping and depression. The article states,
“While oversleeping can be a symptom of atypical depression, there are different factors that also contribute to it. “When someone is depressed, it can be because they sleep as a form of escape,” says Dr. Drerup. “They may be thinking, ‘I don’t have anything to look forward to so why do I even start the day?’’
To learn more, please review the entire article and click here
Please also review the American Academy of Grief’s, Grief Counseling Certification. The program is offered to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Grief Counseling. The program is online and independent study. Please review the program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.
The classic four tasks of mourning of Worden are critical to the understanding of the process of grief. It involves the initial shock of acceptance, dealing with the grief, adjusting to it and forming a connection with the deceased that still permits one to form new relationships and live life. It is very similar to Kubler Ross ideals as well.
The four stages of the grief process are key to dealing with loss. Worden’s Four Tasks of grieving capture the whole scope of the process. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification
Unlike past grief theories which saw grief itself as an issue and pathology that needed removed, Worden’s tasks see grief as an instrumental part of dealing with loss. He sees grief as natural and something that must be dealt with and understood. Ultimately the price of grief is love. When we love, we form bonds. When those bonds are utterly torn apart, we experience loss. The pain associated with loss is grief. It is perfectly natural and hence, the stronger the bond, the stronger the grief.
It is important to deal with our grief. We cannot avoid the tasks of grieving or we will never recover a balance in life. A balance that permits one to acknowledge the loss, grieve it and miss, but also cherish it and live life. If one is grieving, it is essentially to review these tasks and ensure that one is properly dealing with one’s grief and working through it.
“What’s Your Grief” presented an excellent article on the topic. Entitled, “Worden’s Four Tasks of Mourning” by Litsa Williams discusses the four tasks in greater detail. The article states,
“As we mentioned in that post, Kubler-Ross’s Five Stage model really put grief theory on the map by opening up the conversation about the dying process, death, and grief. Over the years other theories have emerged, many of which have transitioned from the concept of “stages” to the concept of “tasks”.
These tasks are best formulated by Worden. The article is quick to point out that this is a fluid process and any strict adherence can allude the subjective nature of grief of the particular individual. To read the entire article, please click here
For more knowledge and study on the science of grief and for those seeking certification as a Grief Counselor, then please review the American Academy of Grief Counseling and its Grief Counseling Certification. The program is online and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification.
It is not only hard to know what to say or not say to someone grieving a loss but it can also be difficult to know what type of gift or card to give them. Showing you care is one of the most important ways you can show sympathy and sometimes a gift speaks volumes to someone grieving.
What is the best way to type of gift to help someone who is grieving? Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification
The article, “30 gifts for someone dealing with grief” by Dana Holmes looks at different gifts you can give someone who is grieving. She states,
“Current circumstances make losing a loved one even more complicated and isolating than usual. Those dealing with loss right now have the added burdens of not being able to say a proper goodbye at the hospital or to honor the deceased at an in-person memorial. We also can’t support those most directly affected by the loss in ways we might want to — with a hug or a visit. So what should we do or give to help them cope?”
Helping others through grief is the duty of any friend or family member and the gifts listed can help others. To read the entire article and list, please click here
Please also review the American Academy of Grief Counseling’s Grief Counseling Certification to see if it matches your academic and professional goals.
Such comments as “you are so strong” during grief can have well intentions but pose problems to the griever. It creates an atmosphere where strength in grief is looking strong or tough or hiding it, or that one must be strong despite grief. These ideals are not what it means to be truly strong in grief.
What does it truly mean to be strong in grief? Please also review our Grief Counseling Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals
Whats Your Grief Article, “What Does it Mean to Be Strong in Grief?” does an excellent job of pointing out the true strength in grief. The article reads,
“Strength in grief is acknowledging, feeling, and expressing emotion. To help people understand how broadly strength in grief can be defined, we want to ask you – what does strength in grief look and feel like to you?”
Strength in grief is accepting grief. It is doing the little things. It is being scared, vulnerable and sad but going through the process. It is important as grief counselors to realize that when helping others face the grief process. Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification
Grief flows into every aspect of life and the work place is no exception. It is important for employers to be able to identify grieving employees and help them. This sometimes involves time off but also an open ear to listen to any issues the employee may be experiencing. This is important for productivity and smoothness within the business but it also is the basics of a good human being. We need to see employees as people and respect their emotions. It is critical to good business but goes well beyond it.
How can employers help grieving employees? Please also review AIHCP’s Grief Counseling Certification
The article, “How To Support Employees Experiencing Grief And Loss” by Stephanie Sarkis looks at how employers can help employees grieve and have the time they need to fix issues of loss at home. She states,
“You may have employees that have lost loved ones. Compounding the grief, many were not able to attend a funeral or memorial service due to social distancing guidelines. Many people who died of Covid-19 died alone, or with medical staff holding up a phone or tablet so a patient could see their family and friends one last time.”
Please also review our Grief Counseling Certification. The certification is for qualified professionals who are looking for professional credentials to help in the area of loss and bereavement. Plese review the program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.
