What Can Grief Counseling Do?

Grief is an experience where counseling may be needed.  Grief counseling is usually needed by a person who just lost someone he loves.  The loss of a relationship can also be a reason for needing this type of counseling because the patient may have the same emotions.  The patient should understand that what he feels is a normal reaction.  It doesn’t matter how he lost someone he loves.  The bottom line is that grief is felt by anyone who loses someone he loves.

It is necessary for a therapist to make an evaluation of the person who needs counseling.  Unless a therapist knows the history of the patient, the goals for treatment can’t be determined.  The purpose of this counseling is for the patient to understand the grieving process.  The counseling should help the patient understand that to lose someone may hurt, but this is a stage in life where one needs to learn how to adjust to the loss.  Acceptance that he can’t spend time with someone who just passed away is the first thing which counseling should make a patient understand and do. 

After realizing that the loss is permanent, the patient should understand that what he feels is all temporary and that he needs to return to a life normal from a third party’s perspective.  Counseling is not going to suggest that whatever memory about feelings, thoughts and experiences should be forgotten.  But these should be directed to support a positive way of living.  The patient must adjust to the developed strategies as a result of the grief counseling.  The patient who becomes adjusted to the strategies will be able to take care of himself again.

Recovery from grief varies on the patient.  For some, there may be a need to develop a program for skills.  The skills should help the patient cope up and be able to do things the way he used to.   For most patients, the reason why they are grieving so much is because he did not have the opportunity to say good- bye.  This is more felt when the cause of death is an accident.

The aim of counseling is obtain normal results.  The success of counseling should manifest that the patient is able to live his normal life again.  He can once again function effectively at work, sleep restfully and start playing his sports.  He may still not be able to the things which he is used to doing with the dear person who passed away.  This is normal.  It may take time to be able to do these things alone.

In some instances, grief counseling may not be effective immediately.  For this case, support from family and friends may be required.  The counselor may talk to these people for help.  The professional guidance and the use of psychological methods can only do as much for the patient.  Their participation may have a positive impact.  After all, these are the people whom the patients will spend time when counseling is over.