Mourning therapy: psychological help to face the goodbye
Mourning therapy refers to the form of psychotherapy which has the objective of helping an individual to face and overcome a loss, mainly of a loved one, in a healthy way.
Since the death of someone we love it is one of the most devastating experiences that we can suffer, and it is one of the biggest challenges that a person faces throughout their life, there are many men and women who need the help of professionals in psychology specialized in this field.
Overcoming the death of a loved one is a slow process
Statistics show that each year, in Spain, around one and a half million individuals experience the loss of a loved one. This painful process, which can lead someone to an existential crisis, requires a more or less long time to recover the emotional balance again.
Although many people face suffering and complete the process, approximately between 10% and 20% can experience what is known as complicated or pathological grief : after six months since the death, the individual can not overcome the grieving process. This disturbs the normal functioning of his life and behavioral, cognitive and affective disorders appear.
The typical feelings experienced by bereaved individuals , and treated by psychologists and psychotherapists specialized in this type of therapy, include sadness, anxiety, anger, loneliness, guilt, isolation or confusion. Likewise, the cognitive, affective and behavioral changes also include feelings of disorganization and fatigue, concentration problems, sleep problems, changes in appetite, nightmares or constant thoughts about the deceased.
The goal of grief therapy
The purpose of grief therapy is to help restore the emotional balance of patients through the process of psychological counseling in which the feelings, thoughts and memories associated with the loss of a loved one are worked . Although grief may also occur for other types of loss (such as loss of life goals, ideals, and relationships), this therapy is usually directed toward a positive adjustment after the death of a loved one.
Mourning therapy allows the patient to understand and recognize the normal aspects of the grieving process, helps him cope with the pain associated with the loss, feel supported in such a delicate moment and important changes in his life and to develop strategies to overcome this situation in a healthy way.
In other words, bereavement therapy provides the subject with emotional expression about the loss, the acceptance of this traumatic event , the adaptation to life after such a painful situation and helps him cope with the changes within oneself and the surrounding environment after what happened.
Why psychological help is so important
To some extent it is normal that, after the death of a loved one, people suffer a huge sense of emptiness, pain and confusion. However, when these negative reactions last a long time it can become pathological .
In addition, there are certain circumstances in which complications can occur that make the grieving process not normal. These circumstances may involve the loss of a child, or the loss of a loved one due to an accident or homicide, for example.
In these cases, more extreme responses to the loss can be observed, depending on the individual's ability to cope with the situation, their personal resistance and the support system available to them.
Each person experiences grief differently. While some fit this situation and manage to overcome it after a few months, others may feel so unable to move forward that they require the help of a specialist to return to normal and restore balance in their daily routine.
How a psychotherapist can specialize in grief therapy
Undoubtedly, bereavement therapy is also an important challenge for psychologists, who must respond to this need with up-to-date training that allows them to acquire the tools for the identification, prevention and treatment of grief and loss situations. Psychologists and therapists who wish to engage in this type of therapy, they must complement their university studies with some specialized training action in this ambit.
The Mensalus Institute of Barcelona offers a course aimed at students and professionals in psychology, psychiatry and the socio-sanitary field, palliative care and social work who want to prepare to be able to attend to patients in mourning with the maximum guarantees. The course starts on February 22, 2017, and it is a great opportunity to be able to train in this difficult topic.
What is the course "The process of mourning"
The Course "The mourning process: A training for accompaniment in the process of mourning from an integrative perspective" aims to offer participants the knowledge and therapeutic tools necessary for bereavement therapy ; and it helps them to adopt a correct attitude towards the patient, which is so important in dealing with this issue.
Throughout the seven weeks of duration, students can acquire skills to diagnose and differentiate the normal grief of complicated grief and know the techniques of intervention in psychological therapy for their treatment. Not only that, but they will be able to apply these intervention techniques, thanks to the methodology of the course, which combines theory and practice, and includes, in addition to the role play and viewing of sessions, the supervision of cases.
This theoretical-practical training is designed for the assimilation of the aspects studied, and enables students to deepen the experience and analysis of clinical practice . In short, at the end of the course students will be able to carry out an adequate diagnostic assessment on their own and will be able to design and implement a therapeutic intervention that takes into account the needs of the patient in grief, their personal characteristics and the context in which they the one that takes place.
If you are interested in this training activity, you can find the contact information to get more information by clicking here.
- Related article: "The 8 types of mourning and their characteristics"
