PECULIARITIES OF TRAINING PSYCHOLOGISTS TO WORK WITH GRIEF AND LOSS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/psyspu/2024.1.17Keywords:
training psychology students, trauma, grief, bereavement, grief counseling, counseling skills, coping with lossAbstract
Given the universal nature of grief, all psychologists should possess skills in grief and loss counseling. However, research suggests that students are currently not adequately trained to counsel clients in grief. The prevalence of chronic varies among different populations, but is typically about 9.8% of bereaved individuals. However, the prevalence may be higher among certain groups, such as those who have experienced a traumatic or sudden bereavement. Under the conditions of war, the relevance of the analysis of the concept of acute grief and traumatic stress is increasing. The theoretical foundation of our research is a dual-process model of coping with loss that combines cognitive stress theory and traditional grief theories. It was first developed in the context of the loss of a spouse, and then began to be applied to other types of loss and trauma in general. After analyzing a number of educational programs for psychology students, we found that in most of them work with grief and loss is usually included in different, often unrelated and inconsistent special courses and trainings. As a result, psychologists, graduates of institutions of higher education can practice without a proper basic understanding of grief counseling. Implementing grief counseling education will inform graduate students for their future practice through exposure to advanced research and best practices, while ensuring client safety and ethical working with them. Three principles are most effective in psychological help for people experiencing grief: low directiveness, person-centeredness, and reliance on the client's personal experience, and these are the skills that students should master during their studies at an institution of higher education. Psychologists, as advocates of social justice, must be able to recognize when clients are experiencing grief and loss, and support them appropriately throughout the grief process using appropriate models and techniques of psychological care.
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