The Controversy of Grief

Losing someone you love can be an overwhelming feeling. When faced with loss many can become buried in the feeling of grief. One can feel trapped in their own emotions and feelings, angry with themselves and others. What can one do to find solace and reconnect with themselves and their own feelings? The grieving process is natural but for some can be unruly, confusing and debilitating. By putting in a separate but involved party into the equation some light can be shed on a dark time. Grief Counseling can help someone with grief understand and accept grief for what it is, natural.
What is Grief Counseling? Grief Counseling is considered a branch of psychology and social work and usually requires some training experience. Some states require a license to practice Grief counseling, or any kind of counseling, and is highly recommended. Even though there are no standard educational requirements for Grief counseling it is better to have a bachelors or masters in the field. Along with education and training Bereavement Counselors should have a great deal of understanding and be emotionally stable to practice this profession.(Career Cruising 2)



Grief or Bereavement counselors help adults or children cope with death by providing support and counseling.(Career Cruising 1) Grief Counselors can work one-on-one with their clients or in large groups, usually called support groups. Dealing with people who have lost loved ones in the past is also something a Grief Counselor could work on with a client. Helping those who have lost loved ones isn’t the only thing Grief Counselors can do. Counseling families or individuals with terminally ill loved ones is also a day-to-day act practiced by these counselors.




In the field of Grief Counseling ethical controversies are very prominent. As one question states in the book Ethical Practices in Grief Counseling, written by Louis A. Gamino and R. Hal Ritter, “How do Grief Counselors know for sure that the services they provide are effective”.(237) For many in Grief Counseling ethical questions are regularly raised regarding the practice. From payment for services to effectiveness and significance, everything is questioned. Can the practice be reliable and useful? For many undergoing counseling for grief, the act of talking their problems out is very useful but is that true for everyone?
Grief and experiencing grief can be a very powerful thing and for some talking to a counselor can be just what they needed. In a 2009/2010 publication of Omega, a study was done that found people with very high grief after a loved one had died found Grief Counseling very useful in their time of need. With this info what could be more convincing. If the client feels a significant change or understanding of their own feelings then what is the real ethical problem?
Maybe the fact that grief counseling cant be easily proven effective has an effect on its credibility. The act of grieving is natural but still difficult. If someone has a need to talk to a separate person and express their loss then why should it be looked down on? The real problem is the lack of evidence that it really works for everyone who undergoes the counseling. For many, grief counseling is the most effective when it is sought out by the client. When the client feels they need the counseling, they seem to have more of a positive effect in the grieving process. Even though this is true, cant it be applied to any counseling profession, not just Grief Counseling?
On the other side Grief Counseling can be considered a waist of time and money. Why should something so natural and human be treated. As mentioned in the book, Ethical Practices in Grief Counseling “How does one diagnose a bereavement-related condition…”.(Gamino and Ritter 237) With this simple question many problems arise. If something can not be diagnosed how can it be treated and how can it be treated if it‘s natural? Many argue that the process of grieving is a personal emotion that is different for everyone. This is for sure true in all cases because grieving is different for every individual party. Also Grieving is an obvious reaction to death, so why not let the individual work it out on their own?
Also stated by those opposed to the practice of Bereavement Counseling is the simple fact that something natural cannot be treated. If the grieving process is not a disease or a problem then there is no use for a counseling professional to intervene. How can you prove that clients need any help with a natural process?
Even though, the process of talking it out with a nonjudgmental and professional individual can make the whole experience easier. Going through the hard reality that a loved one has died or may die is difficult enough, and understanding what is really going on with your emotions can make all the difference. Through the simple act of talking to someone the experience of grieving over a loved one can be better dealt with by that individual. The act of listening and helping an individual understand their own inner workings, makes it easier to understand the natural phases and steps in the grieving process. What could be the harm in talking to someone and finding answers within yourself with help?
While reading all the controversial subjects associated with the ethical practices of grief counseling I found myself asking one question. How can something so obvious be so lost? When grieving the best thing to do is understand that the way you are feeling is ok and healthy, but for some realizing this is harder to do. Because of those people we need Greif Counseling to bring the understanding out of that persons own self. Sometimes the most natural thing to do is grieve with company. with this said the conclusion to these controversies seems easy enough, even though it may not be seen the need for grief counseling is prominent simply because there are client searching for answers to their own grief.
When conducting an interview with a local counselor by the name of Fred Spears, he said some words that I found very inspirational. I simply asked him if counseling was everything he thought it would be and he replied “Yes, but its also so much more.” When first heard it doesn’t seem to bring much light to the point that Greif Counseling is needed but it has significant meaning. When counseling a client who has lost someone close to there heart you find the reason for the counseling in the first place…pain. Pain is the overall cause and purpose for Greif Counseling. When someone is lost that is the disease , pain and loss. Yes, it may be natural and everyone may experience it but like it is said everyone grieves differently so every case is naturally different. Expressing the pain and loss of someone loved to one individual can show the one experiencing the loss a new way out of sadness and depression. What is better then finding and enjoying life after a death, nothing. Grief Counseling is an essential practice that can restore a life where one has been taken and restore hope where it cannot be found on its own.




Work Cited

"Bereavement Counselor." Career Cruising. N.p., 2008. Web. 20 Apr 2010. .
Gamino, Louis A., and R. Hal Ritter. Ethical Practices in Grief Counseling. New York: Springer publishing Company, 2009. 1-440. Print.
Gamino, L., K. Sewell, N. Hogan, and S. Mason. "Who Needs Grief Counseling? A Report from the Scott & White Grief Study. " Omega 60.3 (2010): 199. Research Library Core, ProQuest. Web. 20 Apr. 2010.
Spears, Fred L. Telephone Interview by Katie Spears. 13 April 2010.