Grief and Bereavement Counseling Flashcards

William Worden's Task II of mourning involves:

Answer: Working through the pain of grief

Worden's Task II is to work through the pain of grief, acknowledging and experiencing the emotional, physical, and behavioral pain that accompanies loss.

A bereaved father is three months post-loss and still goes to set a place at the dinner table for his deceased son each evening. This behavior is best described as:

Answer: A transitional ritual that may be part of normal early grief

Continuing rituals connected to the deceased (setting a place, buying their preferred foods) can be normal in early grief and represent a transitional bond that often fades naturally over time.

The funeral service profession's role in grief support is BEST described as:

Answer: Creating meaningful rituals and an environment that facilitates healthy grieving

Funeral professionals support grief primarily through meaningful rituals, dignified care of the deceased, and a compassionate environment—not through clinical therapy.

George Bonanno's research on grief trajectories found that the most common grief outcome following bereavement is:

Answer: Resilience, with minimal prolonged disruption to functioning

Bonanno's longitudinal research showed that resilience—maintaining relatively stable functioning after loss—is actually the most common trajectory, not the exception.

Which statement about grief in children ages 3–5 is most accurate?

Answer: Children may engage in magical thinking, believing they caused the death

Preschool-aged children often engage in magical thinking and may believe that something they said, thought, or did caused the death, requiring gentle reassurance.

In grief support, 'active listening' primarily involves:

Answer: Reflecting feelings, maintaining eye contact, and minimizing interruptions

Active listening in grief support centers on being fully present, reflecting the bereaved person's feelings accurately, and resisting the urge to fix or advise.

Which physiological symptom is commonly reported during acute grief and should NOT automatically be interpreted as a separate medical condition?

Answer: Chest tightness and shortness of breath

Chest tightness and shortness of breath are well-documented somatic symptoms of acute grief, sometimes described as the physical 'ache' of loss, though serious cardiac causes must always be ruled out.