Solution-Focused Brief Therapy With Grieving Eastern Orthodox Arabs
Grief is a common reaction to the feeling of loss . Though the word “ grief ” applies to the emotional response common after the death of a loved one , the experience of grief may look different from person to person . Some people may have frequent happy memories of the deceased person while others experience worries or regrets , guilt , or anger . In addition to the biological , social , physical , emotional , mental , and spiritual impacts that a death may provoke , the consequences of grief can include worsened educational outcomes , emotional withdrawal , symptoms of depression and anxiety , increased irritability , lower self-efficacy , and riskier behaviors such as self-harm , promiscuity , reckless driving , and substance use .
For Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors ( LCMHCs ), work with clients who have experienced the death of someone important in their lives also requires cultural understanding . A client ’ s grief response may include unfamiliar religious traditions and non-Western ideas related to death , mourning , and afterlife . This article explores how Eastern Orthodox Arab Americans grieve and provides culturally informed clinical recommendations for clinicians working with this population , specifically using solution-focused brief therapy ( SFBT ).
ARAB RULES AND TRADITIONS FOR GRIEF
The way that clients manage how they deal with grief and mourning offers a helpful window into their culture . During the grieving process , some Arab women wear black since the day of the death they are grieving . Some wear black for 40 days or a year , and others might wear black for even longer . Most grieving Arab women also do not wear makeup or nail polish , and interestingly , when mourning the death of a family member , women are allowed to be less constrained , while men face a more rigid role expectation . Women express their emotions more openly , for example , crying and wailing , while men remain reserved or containing their emotions . Men and women are usually segregated when attending funerals or visiting the home of the bereaved . Women tend to be more empathetic towards each other when in mourning , while men are more composed , having general conversations amongst each other .
Eman Tadros is a Jordanian and Cuban heterosexual woman with a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision : Marriage and Family Therapy . She is an incoming assistant professor at Syracuse University . |
Marram Salman identifies as an Arab-American , Eastern Orthodox female who is a Licensed Professional Counselor . |
Abrea Ramadan is a Muslim Arab American female student counselor in training . |
To honor the dead , some Arabs may avoid parties and playing loud , distracting music , postpone weddings , or devote time to their studies . Women in this culture may respond to a death with shrieking , wailing , and pulling their hair or clothing . In
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20 The Advocate Magazine 2023 , Issue # 1 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org