On Grief Counseling Post-Pandemic
By Guest Blogger Julia Borgen
The past two years have been difficult for people worldwide due to the pandemic. Virtually no corner of society has escaped the grief of COVID-19, with the WHO reporting that COVID-19-related deaths came in at around 14.9 million between 2020 and 2021. For many of those with deceased loved ones, coming to terms with their passing can be extremely difficult. So much so that research from Arizona State University found that among surveyed participants, 38% of them believed that they did not receive adequate social, mental, and emotional support during their bereavement. For many, this can result in the formation of life-long traumas.
All these factors highlight the importance of grief counseling (or bereavement therapy) in a post-pandemic world.
what exactly is grief counseling?
It is first important to understand what bereavement therapy entails. Maryville University details that grief counseling is a therapy designed to help people cope and come to terms with the deep emotions that come with losing a loved one. Here, professionals help individuals work through the different stages of grief – from denial to acceptance– in a healthy way. It is a counselor’s task to help their clients accept the loss of their loved one, work through complicated emotions, and adjust to their new life while still honoring and remembering the deceased.
There are many ways grief can manifest. Complicated grief makes people feel detached from life, constantly thinking about what they have lost. This can get in the way of their normal functioning, making it even harder to move forward. People can also enact self-destructive behaviors (maladaptive grief), experience deteriorating health (broken heart syndrome), and develop depression.
With the guidance of a grief counselor, clients can process their emotions in whatever way it may manifest and cope through more productive means.
how grief counseling works
Grief counselors are often trained to handle different client needs, so the approaches used can vary. There are methods such as art therapy, which makes coping an artistic and creative pursuit, as well as play therapy, which is used mostly for children.
During sessions, counselors often process more than just the grief a client is experiencing. They also discuss the deeper causes of why certain emotions manifest. In the context of the post-pandemic world, other factors can add to the negative feelings associated with death and loss. For instance, our past article on how ‘Therapy is Political’ explains that the political climate of the world can deepen the grief that surrounds clients.
With COVID-19 highlighting the injustices found within the healthcare system, clients are free to express how this may have contributed to the loss of their loved one. Addressing factors like politics will help clients feel more validated in their pain, allowing them to better come to terms with their emotions – the core goal of bereavement therapy.
what grief counseling can look like post-pandemic
A study by the University of Birmingham on COVID therapeutic responses highlights that the loss felt during the pandemic should be considered a public health issue. The research also explains that marginalized groups disproportionately lack mental health support in this regard. In a post-pandemic world, grief therapy should not only cater to a select few but also serve a greater range of communities.
More people affected by loss over the past two years will continue to seek out the guidance of a mental health professional, making bereavement therapy more widespread. This will, in turn, make grief counseling more accessible to those that have been lacking support from their loss. The current form of bereavement therapy will also shift to not only encapsulate coming to terms with the loss of a loved one, but also outside factors like political climate and social issues which can compound negative emotions.
In a post-pandemic world, grief counseling will continue to help people cope and work through the loss that came in the last few years. Since grief is universal, we can hope that the therapy needed to overcome this will similarly be all-inclusive, too.
Julia Borgen is a freelance writer by trade with a special interest in mental health advocacies. Aside from writing, she has helped mental health awareness by serving local nonprofits through volunteer work. During her downtime, Julia likes to go on meditative hikes with her three dogs.
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