Bereavement therapy: psychological help in coping with goodbye

Psychotherapy also deals with the painful situations generated by loss and death.

Bereavement therapy refers to the form of psychotherapy that aims to help an individual cope with and overcome a loss, mainly of a loved one, in a healthy way.

Since the death of someone the death of someone we love is one of the most devastating experiences that we can suffer, and it is one of the greatest challenges a person faces throughout his or her life, many men and women need the help of psychology professionals specialized in this field.

Overcoming the death of a loved one is a slow process.

Statistics show that every 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 regain emotional balance.

Although many people cope with the suffering and complete the process, approximately 10 to 20% may experience what is known as complicated or pathological grief. may experience what is known as complicated or pathological bereavementAfter six months after the death, the individual is unable to overcome the grieving process. This disrupts the normal functioning of their life and behavioral, cognitive and affective disorders appear.

The typical feelings experienced by bereaved individuals areand treated by psychologists and psychotherapists specialized in this type of therapy include sadness, anxiety, anger, loneliness, guilt, isolation or confusion. Cognitive, affective and behavioral changes also include feelings of disorganization and fatigue, concentration problems, sleep problems, appetite changes, nightmares or constant thoughts about the deceased.

The purpose of bereavement therapy

The purpose of bereavement therapy is to help restore the emotional balance of patients through the process of psychological counseling in which feelings, thoughts and memories associated with the loss of a loved one are addressed.. Although grief can occur for other types of loss as well (such as the loss of life goals, ideals and relationships), this therapy is generally directed toward positive adjustment after the death of a loved one.

Bereavement therapy enables the patient to understand and recognize the normal aspects of the grieving process, helps the patient cope with the Pain associated with the loss, to to feel supported at such a delicate time and to develop and important changes in their lives and to develop strategies to overcome this situation in a healthy way.

In other words, grief therapy facilitates the subject's emotional expression about the loss, the acceptance of this traumatic eventIn other words, bereavement therapy facilitates the subject's emotional expression about the loss, the acceptance of this traumatic event, the adaptation to life after such a painful situation and helps him/her to cope with the changes within oneself and the environment that surrounds him/her after what has happened.

Why psychological help is so important

To a certain extent it is normal that, after the death of a loved one, people suffer an enormous feeling of emptiness, grief and confusion. However, when these negative reactions last for a period of time when these negative reactions last for a prolonged period of 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 may be observed, depending on the individual's ability to cope, personal resilience and the support system available to him or her.

Each person experiences grief differently. While some cope with the 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 normalcy and reestablish balance in their daily routine.

How can a psychotherapist specialize in grief therapy?

Undoubtedly, bereavement therapy is also an important challenge for psychologists, who must respond to this need with updated training that allows them to acquire the tools for the identification, prevention and treatment of bereavement and loss situations.

Psychologists and therapists who wish to dedicate themselves to this type of therapy, should complement their university studies with specialized training in this field. in this field.

Training in grief therapy

Training courses to specialize in bereavement therapy are offered in different cities in Spain. These courses aim to provide participants with the knowledge and therapeutic tools necessary for bereavement therapy.They also contribute to the adoption of a correct attitude towards the patient, which is so important in dealing with this issue.

Students will be able to acquire skills to diagnose and differentiate normal grief from complicated grief and will learn the intervention techniques in psychological therapy for its 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 role-playing and visualization of sessions, case supervision.

This theoretical-practical training is designed for the assimilation of the aspects studied, and allows students to deepen their 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 bereaved patient, their personal characteristics and the context in which it takes place.