Grief-Related Resources
Trauma-Informed Therapeutic Grief Support
For Children and Teens continued from page 18
Therapeutic intervention is guided by four main pillars that drive treatment :
1 . Psychoeducation is the first aim of treatment — and it swings both ways . Providers are working to support client understanding that their grief is not inherently pathological ; it is instead a natural process that facilitates adjustment to the death and accompanying loss . Effective LCMHCs also work to educate themselves on the experiences and presentation of their clients to provide the most beneficial support .
2 . The application of connection is for the purpose of helping clients identify how reminders , triggers , and other reactions are connected to their experiences with loss . Clients are trained on how to recognize , understand , and label their intense emotions , thoughts , and behaviors appropriately , as this leads to them feeling more “ in control .” Further , they are better able to predict when and how their grief and bereavement reactions may surface .
3 . Providing encouragement and space for exploring the impact of the loss in a supportive environment is next . Learning which reactions are adaptive and benefit from support in efforts to proceed , and which reactions are
• Multidimensional Grief Theory ( MGT )
See fact sheet at bit . ly / 3pdBYay
The fact sheet is from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
• Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model ( CBEM )
bit . ly / 3Kog3oQrg
Judi ’ s House / JAG Institute , in partnership with the New York Life Foundation
Scroll down to see also the map of 2022 CBEM State results , which vary greatly across the nation . For example , “ West Virginia has the highest concentration of bereaved children with 12.4 % experiencing the loss of a parent or sibling by age 18 . California has the lowest concentration with 5.9 %.”
• National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network www . nctsn . org
• Mental Health America
On Bereavement and Grief : www . mhanational . org / bereavement-and-grief
Grief-Related Resources
• Sesame Workshop : https :// sesameworkshop . org / topics / grief /
• Children ’ s Grief Awareness Day : www . childrensgriefawarenessday . com See fact sheet at bit . ly / 43PrGfM
• “ Creating a System of Care for Early Adolescents Grieving a Death-Related Loss ,” Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling , Volume 7 , 2021 – Issue 3 ; Jillian M . Blueford , et al ., Nov . 2 , 2021 .
bit . ly / 3oPDteP
• “ In the Longest and Most Detailed Study of Pediatric Grief Following Parental Loss to Date , Department Researchers Find Increased Rates of Depression and Functional Impairment ,” University of Pittsburgh , Department of Psychiatry , Nov . 16 , 2018
bit . ly / 3K2HKCb
• “ When a Parent Dies — A Systematic Review of the Effects of Support Programs for Parentally Bereaved Children and Their Caregivers ,” Bergman , AS ., Axberg , U ., and Hanson , E . BMC Palliative Care 16 , 39 ( 2017 ).
maladaptive and require treatment in efforts to recede , occurs when we allow clients to be the experts on themselves and to bring that strength to our grief work . Further exploring supports and treatment efforts to determine the best fit — through the lens of client cultural identity and developmental understanding — help the grief work continue to move forward .
4 . Finally , work to aid clients in understanding their ongoing experiences regarding the loss . You can do this by helping them learn how to renegotiate the beneficial support and treatment work into their daily thoughts , feelings , and actions .
OUR ROLE IN ENCOURAGING HEALTHY GRIEF RESPONSES
Pain will always find a way to speak , but grief reactions can be assessed in reliable and valid ways . Children and adolescents are allowed to be unapologetic in how they experience their grief . Our role as Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors is to utilize our knowledge and tools to aid healthy grief expression and to challenge unhealthy grief expression to recede in time .
bit . ly / 42pTuGb
The Advocate Magazine 2023 , Issue # 1 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org 19