We understand Grief and Bereavement very well. Philip Down is our dedicated qualified practitioner on staff, who is a member of the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement, we are able to help you chart the troubled waters that come with the passing of someone close.
We invite anyone who feels attending an information session on the complexities of Grief and Bereavement would be of benefit to them, to come along. This event is aimed at anyone currently feeling the effects of Grief. Perhaps you have someone close who is struggling with feelings associated with grief. It is important to note that Grief and loss are not exclusive to the passing of someone close, the effects of grief and loss can be felt for many reasons including disability, sickness, unemployment or even losing a pet.
At our monthly sessions we will walk you through the different reactions to Grief & Bereavement. We understand that every person will process a significant loss differently, depending on age, background, culture, beliefs and relationship to who or what was lost.
Key aspects of the session
- You will learn how grief can involve many emotions including but certainly not limited to sadness, anger, guilt and regret, and often we are surprised by the emotions that are triggered and their severity or mildness. Support is provided in the form of information and practical advice.
- We explain why a sensitive and caring approach is the best way to help people understand the sometimes bouncing thoughts as they make sense of their loss.
- We will explain how there are different behavioral styles when it comes to grief. For example, “Instrumental” and “Intuitive”, we will provide an explanation of these and show that no one style of grieving is better than another.
- We can explain and help you navigate your experience by describing various models of grief that vary between individuals.
- We will discuss the process of recovery from grief, the importance of self-care and how that can vary and why.
- This information session will look at “Complicated Grief” which is something not everyone fully recovers from, and discuss coping strategies and support. We will help you identify the early symptoms, that may go on and interfere with a person’s functionality in everyday life.
- We will help you identify and explain the difference between depression and grief. They are different yet not mutually exclusive.
- Discover the importance and role of an individuals’ background and culture when it comes to grief and bereavement, and see why they cannot be underemphasized.
- You will leave with an appreciation of what “Disenfranchised Grief” is. We know that this can interfere with the bereavement process and can make the symptoms of grief more severe.
References used
Doka, K. (2002). Disenfranchised Grief. In K. J. Doka (Ed.), Living with Grief: Loss in Later Life (pp. 159-168). Washington, D.C.: The Hospice Foundation of America.
Gilbert, K. (2007, August 26). HPER F460/F450: Ambiguous Loss and Disenfranchised Grief, unit 9 notes. Retrieved from http://www.indiana.edu/~famlygrf/units/ambiguous.html
Gire, J. (2014). How Death Imitates Life: Cultural Influences on Conceptions of Death and Dying. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 6(2). Retrieved from https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1120&context=orpc
Is broken heart syndrome real? (2017, December 12). American Heart Association. Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/Cardiomyopathy/Is-Broken-Heart-Syndrome-Real_UCM_448547_Article.jsp#.Ww3GkUgvyM8
Kersting, K. (2004, November). A New Approach to Complicated Grief. Monitor on Psychology, 35(10). Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/nov04/grief.aspx
Klass, D., Silverman, P. R., & Nickman, S. L. (1996). Continuing bonds: New understandings of grief. Philadelphia, PA: Taylor & Francis.
Major Depressive Disorder and the “Bereavement Exclusion”. (n.d.) American Psychiatric Association. Retrieved from http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/Bereavement%20Exclusion%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
Wakefield, J. C. (2013). DSM-5 grief scorecard: Assessment and outcomes of proposals to pathologize grief. World Psychiatry. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3683270
Why we need to take pet loss seriously. (2018, May 22). Scientific American. Retrieved from Dishttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-we-need-to-take-pet-loss-seriously