CT Children & Adolescent Loss 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to Wolfelt's companioning model, what is the primary role of a grief counselor working with bereaved children?
- Direct the child toward healthy coping strategies
- Companion the child by honoring their story without judgment (Correct answer)
- Teach cognitive reframing techniques to reduce sadness
- Focus on behavioral interventions to restore normal functioning
Correct answer: Companion the child by honoring their story without judgment
Wolfelt's companioning model emphasizes being present with the child and honoring their grief experience rather than directing or fixing it.
Question 2: Which theorist introduced the concept of 'continuing bonds' as a healthy aspect of childhood grief?
- Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
- William Worden
- Dennis Klass (Correct answer)
- J. William Worden
Correct answer: Dennis Klass
Dennis Klass, along with colleagues, challenged the traditional 'letting go' model by demonstrating that maintaining a connection with the deceased is healthy and normal.
Question 3: A 5-year-old keeps asking when her deceased grandfather will come back from 'being dead.' This behavior most likely reflects:
- Pathological denial requiring immediate intervention
- Magical thinking and incomplete understanding of permanence (Correct answer)
- Dissociative symptoms linked to trauma
- Avoidant attachment style
Correct answer: Magical thinking and incomplete understanding of permanence
Young children in the preoperational stage often do not grasp the permanence of death and may engage in magical thinking about the deceased returning.
Question 4: When supporting adolescents in grief, which peer dynamic is MOST likely to complicate their mourning process?
- Increased desire to spend time alone
- Fear of being seen as different or 'weird' by peers (Correct answer)
- Heightened interest in the existential meaning of life
- Regression to childlike behaviors at home
Correct answer: Fear of being seen as different or 'weird' by peers
Adolescents are highly concerned with peer acceptance, and grief can make them feel isolated or stigmatized, inhibiting open expression of loss.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of a 'grief burst' as it might present in a school-aged child?
- Sustained withdrawal from social activities for several weeks
- A sudden wave of intense crying triggered by a song the deceased liked (Correct answer)
- Consistent irritability and anger directed at caregivers
- Persistent sleep disturbances and nightmares
Correct answer: A sudden wave of intense crying triggered by a song the deceased liked
Grief bursts are sudden, intense surges of grief triggered by reminders of the deceased, and are a normal part of the grief process at any age.
Question 6: A 14-year-old whose parent died six months ago begins engaging in risky behaviors including substance use. This MOST likely represents:
- Normal adolescent experimentation unrelated to grief
- A complicated grief response where risk-taking serves as avoidance (Correct answer)
- Evidence of a pre-existing conduct disorder
- An attempt to gain adult attention
Correct answer: A complicated grief response where risk-taking serves as avoidance
Bereaved adolescents may use risk-taking behaviors as a way to avoid painful grief feelings, numb emotional pain, or seek connection with peers who engage in similar behaviors.
Question 7: Which statement BEST describes how traumatic death (e.g., suicide, homicide) differs from expected death in its impact on bereaved children?
- Traumatic death produces less grief because the child has no time to anticipate the loss
- Traumatic death may layer trauma symptoms on top of grief, complicating the mourning process (Correct answer)
- Children are more resilient after traumatic death due to the shock response
- Traumatic death causes grief that resolves more quickly due to crisis intervention resources
Correct answer: Traumatic death may layer trauma symptoms on top of grief, complicating the mourning process
Traumatic death often introduces trauma symptoms (hyperarousal, intrusive images, avoidance) that can interrupt the normal grief process and require specialized dual-focus intervention.
CT Children & Adolescent Loss 2
According to Wolfelt's companioning model, what is the primary role of a grief counselor working with bereaved children?