By: Amanda Young. Grief is the physical, emotional, somatic, cognitive and spiritual response to actual or threatened loss of a person, thing or place.

GRIEF AND BEREAVEMENT

By Amanda Young

What is Grief

Grief is the physical emotional somatic cognitive and spiritual response to actual or threatened loss of a person thing or place to which we are emotionally attached We grieve because we are biologically willed to attach

(John Bowlby Father of Attachment Theory)

bull WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE OUR FEELINGS THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS

bull COME TO TERMS WITH OUR FEELINGS

bull EXPRESS HOW WE FEEL

bull OVER COME OUR LOSS ndash ADAPT TO CHANGE

bull -- WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT EVERYONE GRIEVES DIFFERENTLY AND WE NEVER STOP GRIEVING WE CAN ONLY EASE PAIN WITH TIME

The Purpose of grief work

THREE TYPES OF LOSSES

Someone close to

you

Body part

1 PHYSICAL

Ability

Country of origin

2 EMOTIONAL

Future goals

Feeling

3 SymbolicTrust in

Your supreme beingSafety World

Tasks of grieving

and mourning

Task 1 Acknowledge the reality

of the deathloss

Experience the pain of the loss

Task 2

Remembering the person or loss

Task 3

Adjust to new environment develop a new

self-identity

Task 4

Search for new meaning

-invest energy in new

relationships

Task 5

Support groups

Adult Grief Support Program East TorontoA self-support group sponsored by the Toronto East General Hospital and area funeral directors open to all residents of Toronto Telephone 416-926-0905 ∕ 416-496-6431

Adult Grief Support Program West TorontoA self-support group sponsored by the St Joseph Health Centre and area funeral directors open to all residents of Toronto Telephone 416-515-0197

Bereavement Support GroupProviding support to those who have lost a loved one to cancerWellspring Westerkirk House at Sunnybrook2075 Bayview Avenue Toronto ON M4N 3M5Telephone 416-480-4440Fax 416-480-4496Web httpwwwwellspringca

The Canadian Centre for Bereavement Educationand Grief Counselling Educates professionals who are working with the dying and the bereaved as well as providing counselling services and resourcesfor those who grieve80 Carlton St Suite 10 Toronto ON M4B 1L6Telephone 416-926-0905Seasons Centre for Grieving ChildrenTo provide support in a non-judgmental and non-discriminatory environment for any children teens and their families experiencing the emotional effects of the death of a loved one38 McDonald Street Barrie ON L4M 1P1Telephone 1-705-721-KIDS (5437)Fax 1-705-737-LOVE (5683)Email normagrievingchildrencomWeb wwwgrievingchildrencom

bullART THERAPY bull CREATING ART AND REFLECTING ON THE

PRODUCT THEY HAVE CREATED IT CAN SHOW THE EMOTIONS PLUS BE ABLE TO COPE WITH THE SYMPTOMS STRESS AND ANY ANGER

bullMUSIC THERAPY bull THROUGH MUSIC THE CHILD CAN RELATE TO

HOW THEY FEEL AND BE ABLE TO COPE WITH THE LOSS BY LISTENING TO MUSIC WRITING LYRICS MUSIC AND IMAGERY OR MUSIC PERFORMANCE

COUNSELLING

bull ALLOWS A PERSON TO ldquoMOVE ONrdquo ACCEPT AND ADJUST TO THEIR NEW LIFE HELPS PEOPLE COPE MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH THE DEATH

bullHOW IT HELPSbull OFFERS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE MOURNING PROCESS

WHAT THEY CAN DO AND THE PROCESS

bull EXPLORE IDEAS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY PREVENT YOU FROM MOVE ON SEEING OTHER SUGGESTIONS AND OTHER MOTIVATION TO MOVE ON FROM THE SITUATION

INTERPERSONAL THERAPY

bullFOCUSES ON THE PAST AND PRESENT SOCIAL ROLES AND INTERPERSONAL INTERACTIONS

bullHOW IT HELPS

bull IT REDUCES SYMPTOMATIC STRESS

bullRESOLVE THE SOCIAL AND INTERPERSONAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ONE SET AND CONTINUATION OF CURRENT SYMPTOMS

COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOUR THERAPY

bullHELPS INDIVIDUALS UNDERSTAND THE THOUGHT AND FEELINGS THAT INFLUENCE BEHAVIOUR

bullHOW IT HELPS

bull PEOPLE LEARN TO IDENTIFY AND CHANGE DESTRUCTIVE OR DISTURBING THOUGH PATTERN THAT HAVE A NEGATIVE INFLUENCE ON THEIR BEHAVIOUR