Dealing With The Loss Of A Child – Grief Counseling Can Help
When a person is dealing with the loss of a child, grief counseling can help. Grieving parents may visit support groups or may talk to friends who have also lost children. They often feel that it is harder to relate to people who have never experienced such a devastating loss. Although reaching out to others may provide some comfort, each person’s reactions to the loss of a child are different. Dr. Walsh works with many parents who feel that nobody understands the multiple facets of their grief.
Viewing Grief As A Unique Experience
Most people have heard of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and her theory of five stages of grief. They include depression, denial, anger, bargaining and acceptance. Over the years, teachers and psychologists have applied these stages to many scenarios. However, recent studies and reports show that some people may not experience each of those stages. For example, one woman whose 20-year-old son died in a car accident said that she only felt numbness afterward. She did not feel that she experienced any of those five stages. While a feeling of loss will remain with a parent forever, every person expresses a variety of emotions. A parent’s history, memories, experiences and relationship with a deceased child are unique. Grief is related to those factors and many others.
Why One-on-one Counseling Is Helpful
A counselor who learns about a grieving parent’s loss can offer support that is tailored to the individual’s unique needs. According to multiple studies, one of the most profound types of grief is a parent’s loss of a child. However, humans have the ability to go through a devastating loss and come out changed but not broken.
If parents do not receive adequate bereavement counseling, some may develop complicated grief. This type of grief includes symptoms of trauma and separation distress. Complicated grief is more common among parents whose children die unexpectedly or suddenly. If a parent has other children to care for, grief will affect them too. Research shows that siblings are more likely to internalize or externalize grief during the first two years following the death. Parents can help grieving children better when they have a counselor who nurtures their mental health while they grieve.
If you are dealing with the loss of a child, South Orange County Grief Counseling can help. You need someone who you can trust and someone who understands your feelings. Although grief is a difficult journey, you do not have to navigate it alone. Dr. Walsh will help guide you through each step with compassionate support. She is experienced in helping parents accept and cope with the death of a child as they move forward with their lives. If you have additional losses or obstacles in your life, Dr. Walsh can also help you deal with those.
Sources:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-about-trauma/201506/grieving-the-loss-child-the-five-stage-myth
https://www.aamft.org/Consumer_Updates/Grieving_the_Loss_of_A_Child.aspx
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK220798/
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