Grief is a reaction to a major loss. It is most often an unhappy and painful emotion. Grief may be triggered by the death of a loved one. People also can experience grief if they have an illness for which there is no cure, or a chronic condition that affects their quality of life. The end of a significant relationship may also cause a grieving process. Everyone feels grief in their own way. However, there are common stages to the process of mourning. It starts with recognizing a loss and continues until a person eventually accepts that loss. People's responses to grief will be different, depending on the circumstances of the death - Excerpted from the National Institute of Health
Bereavement and Grief
Bereavement is defined as a state of sadness or loneliness. Grief is the collection of feelings and behaviors associated with the loss of a person. The loss is commonly caused by death of a friend or family member. However, the loss can also be caused by such events as someone moving away or by a divorce. Learn more...
Children and Grief
The death of a loved one is a part of the life cycle that brings grief to children as well as to adults. In addition to the death of a parent, many children may also experience the death of a grandparent, sibling, or friend. Parents and teachers can play an important role in helping children deal with loss. This digest discusses psychological tasks that appear to be essential to children's adjustment, how children understand death and react to the death of a loved one, and how parents and teachers can help children cope with loss. Learn more...
End-of-Life Care: Questions and Answers
The end of life is different for each person. Each individual has unique needs for information and support. The patient's and family's questions and concerns about the end of life should be discussed with the health care team as they arise. Hospice care often provides such services. Learn more...
Stages of Adjustment to Divorce
Children's adjustment to divorce is a long process. Divorce does not happen all at once, either. It is a series of events and changes. At different points, children deal with different issues. Also, different children react to the same changes and situations in different ways. Some studies show that children react to divorce in three stages. Learn more...
When A Child Is Dying
A team of psychologists, hospice professionals, social workers and spiritual counselors can be helpful to the family as they say their goodbyes to the dying child and prepare for what lies ahead. Learn more...
The Death Of A Child
When a parent dies, you lose your past; when a child dies, you lose your future. - Anonymous Learn more...
Hospice
Hospice workers concentrate on providing pain medication and relief for nausea and other symptoms, all the while working to help the patient deal with the impact their dying will have on their loved ones. Learn more...
Answers to Common Questions about Counseling
Throughout life, there are times when help is needed to address problems and issues that cause emotional distress or make us feel overwhelmed. When experiencing these types of difficulties, individuals may benefit from the assistance of an experienced, trained professional. Learn more...
Clinical Hypnosis: Understanding Clinical Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis is a method of communication that induces a trance or a trance-like state. Hypnosis can be conducted by one individual addressing another, or it may be conducted with the self (self-hypnosis). Trance is a naturally occurring state in which one's attention is narrowly focused and relatively free of distractions. Examples of trance states are daydreaming and some forms of meditation. Learn more...