Bereavement counselling – also known as grief therapy - is extremely helpful after the death of a family member or loved one. While this type of counselling is not always necessary, it can greatly help you in mourning the death of someone close to you and coping with life moving forward.
Experiencing grief is a very normal process following the death of a loved one, but its effects may take time to fully manifest. It’s not possible to predict how a traumatic event will affect a person. In some cases, people feel the effects of grief and the need for grief counselling immediately, while others will only feel the need for it later on. No one reaction to death is the “right” one, so you should seek help whenever you feel you personally need it.
Family and society
Having the support of a close family and taking part in cultural consolations can all play a part in coping with the death of a loved one. Bereavement counselling, while not a substitute for social support or the comfort of close family, can help you deal with the traumatic effects of death more thoroughly.
Confronting guilt
Sometimes, particularly when the death is caused by unnatural causes, the surviving friends and relatives may experience strong feelings of guilt. Especially in the case of suicide, relatives and close friends may feel they could have done more to ease the person’s suffering or could have shown more sympathy.
While it may be rationally apparent that the relatives are not to blame, bereavement counselling can help people to confront these feelings of guilt and work through them.
Child counseling
Children will often struggle to cope with the death of a close relative such as a parent or sibling. Like adults, they will also go through a grieving process, but their emotional state may be difficult to read.
Whether they require counselling or not will depend on each child’s individual response. Parents who notice abnormal levels of anxiety or other health or behavioural changes in grieving children should seek professional assistance.
Besides bereavement counselling for children, there are also specialised grief therapy groups and therapies for parents who lose children. Losing a child is extremely traumatic and grieving parents will often find solace by being around other people who have also lost a son or daughter.
When to seek grief therapy
Bereavement counselling is recommended if you experience any of the following when coping with death:
- Intense grief or emotional numbness for an extended period of time.
- You feel emotionally out of control, or deeply isolated.
- You are taking alcohol or drugs to cope.
- You have trouble sleeping or repeated nightmares.
- You have thoughts of suicide.
It’s important to note that this is by no means a definitive list. If at any point you feel that you would benefit from bereavement counselling, you should approach your doctor or a qualified counsellor for advice on the best course of action.
Be prepared
Besides bereavement counselling, having adequate funds to pay for the funeral and other related expenses is a further way to help ease the stress of this difficult time. In addition, benefits such as a monthly provider can help cover expenses in the months afterwards, while life cover can ensure your family’s financial stability for years to come.
Hollard Funeral provides flexible funeral insurance, enabling family members to arrange a funeral easily and with dignity. Read more about our funeral plans, or leave your details and we’ll call you back to discuss your funeral insurance needs.
