Grief Counseling Techniques

"They are still there, fresh and alive in our memories. They are so much a part of our lives that still it seems a bad dream that they are no more with us. Tears often flow, smiles have lost their naturalness and every breath seems a reminder of their presence. Questions about existence and meaning of life haunt the mind day and night. Life seems to be meaningless. Some voids, it seems, are never healed and we just move on, as if we have become immune to the pain".

Grief, an inevitable part of our lives, engulf our existence when someone very close to us depart from this mortal world, leaving us in utter despair and with various questions. Nevertheless, acceptance at some point of time is a necessity as life has to move forward, for some better days and better times. And who says, they are not there? Is it ever possible to forget our loved ones? Death can separate eternal bonding only physically. They are very much with us, in our heart, encouraging and motivating us. Here's a beautiful line from the movie Lord of the Rings:

"Gandalf: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path... One that we all must take. The gray rain curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass. And then you see it.

Pippin: What, Gandalf? See what?

Gandalf: White shores... And beyond. A far green country, under a swift sunrise."

Techniques Used in Grief Counseling

Death and dying is such a phenomenon that human beings, no matter how matured, are left dumbfounded. While time is the biggest healer and it does gradually lead to acceptance, many of us find it difficult to accept the loss of a near one especially if the death has occurred due to some tragic incident or accidents. In cases, where an individual is at a high risk of falling into depression or sadness that is bound to obstruct the natural flow of life, taking professional help is necessary.

After all, grief counseling activities are devised to help people in times of crisis. Family members, friends and closed ones can act as great supporters in such challenging phases of life. However, even if these things don't help, grief counseling can help you overcome grief and loneliness. Described below are some grief counseling techniques that can help you overcome a certain situation that has resulted due to different factors like loss of a person, failure in career or relationship and other factors.

Connect with the Spiritual Self
Grief is a natural human emotion that varies in intensity and with the gravity of the incident. The most debilitating grief is one that results due to death of a dear one. Not all can bounce back to natural life after death of a dear one and frankly, it's never an easy task. However, grief has to be dealt with positively because it can have negative implications on the life of a bereaved person. To manage grief, one can resort to spirituality, that is more of a lifestyle rather than a skill to deal with crisis. Every one of us have an inner self, our inner world were our core values, realizations and experiences and lives blossom. We all must have experienced soul moments in times of loneliness or at peaks of self-confidence. If managed skillfully, death can give the bereaved person deep insights about life. Meditation is by far the most effective way advised in counseling sessions to understand the nature of mind. Be it the Buddhist meditation technique of being aware of the present moment or meditation techniques of other philosophies, each one has a significant impact in making a person accept life the way it is. With the help of therapist and health workers, sessions of meditation can be conducted to help bereaved people. Meditation has various positive effects on our mind and body. Various types of meditation techniques teach us to be aware of our thought patterns and exercise control over our body and mind. Moreover, meditation enhances the feeling of well-being and gives a sense of spiritual satisfaction. Nothing much can be explained about meditation because its benefits can only be felt after practicing it.

Journal Your Thoughts
Behavioral psychologists have time and again expressed the immense importance of writing our thoughts in our journals or diaries. Writing what annoys us or makes us sad is like an emotional catharsis of our thoughts and it empties the mind, making it free from incessant thinking. Bereaved individuals must make it a habit to pen down their feelings in a journal as it helps to relax the mind, and even acts as a source of realization of various facets of life.

The bottom line in this grief counseling technique is to let yourself express your thoughts without any hesitation. Write all your insecurities, moments of loneliness and expectations from life and whatever you feel you need to express. This will help to heal your sorrows. Besides that you can choose to do various tasks that will slowly and gradually help you to pay a tribute to the deceased person, and at the same time you will feel better as you have expressed yourself to the best of your abilities. Writing a biography of the deceased person, constructing a memory book in remembrance of the deceased person, sculpting art forms and getting involved in various creative means of expression do help to channelize the energies of mind from the same topic that haunts the mind and heart, every time.

Seek Therapy
No support is stronger for a bereaved person than the support of family and friends. However, this basic support mechanism, if supplemented with professional expertise can make a world of difference in helping a person cope with grief. Bereavement counseling is preferred in cases of severe depression and extreme introvert behavior of the person. Professionals help the person with various grief counseling techniques that are in essence, meant to enhance the overall emotional and physical health of the individual.

Losing a loved one is heartbreaking. However, as we grow in this journey of life, we do realize that losses are not the end of life. In fact, loss is an inevitable part of our lives. We human beings are vulnerable to attachments in life. We get attached to jobs, careers and most deeply to human beings; those few people who touch the cords of our lives in a way no one can, especially if they are our loved ones. The moment we feel this connection has been lost, our hearts drown in pain and sadness.

Grieving, in essence, is a healthy process as it makes us more compassionate and is a sign that we are sentimental human beings. So, grieving is never a sign of weakness or poor self control, only thing is, we should ensure that grief doesn't stop us from living our life in a positive way. Grief counseling works wonders with the support and care of family and friends.