The most common groups for loss and grief are either therapy groups or support groups. A therapy group should be conducted only by a trained mental health professional. A support group may also be conducted by a mental health professional, but it is sometimes conducted by a minister or someone who is offering their experience on a self-help basis. It is important for such a person to have successfully dealt with their own grief issues.
A primary purpose of such a group is to allow those grieving to talk about their thoughts and feelings in a confidential space in which they can express themselves without judgment. They are helped to understand the normal stages of loss and grief. To this end, a primary activity is allowing each person to express those thoughts and feelings. An activity such as expressing one thing that you miss the most this week or one thing that you feel hurt or angry about this week helps to normalize feelings.
Some additional normalizing activities are:
- Asking if there are normal activities that an individual is finding hard to do because they did that activity with the deceased.
- Providing an educational discussion on normal stages of loss and grief.
- Talking to the "empty chair" representing the loss.
- Identifying any activites such as eating or sleeping that are now difficult and discussing strategies to get back to normal activites.
- Identifying family and friends who provide unconditional support.
- Recognizing that enjoying life does not deny loss and grief.
For more information, visit http://www.extension.org/pages/Loss_and_Grief.
