Overcoming Grief This New Year Research indicates that one of the top problem facing members of our community today is grief. The loss of a loved one is never easy. It’s often unexpected, shocking and saddening. Grief can lead to an overwhelming sensation of loneliness, leaving many lost and unsure of how to get better. A grief counselor can be a shelter in the storm for those choosing to seek help. You can help people overcome grief during the New Year by completing a grief counseling certification. Helping People Cope During the aftermath of the death of a loved one, a gambit of emotions arises. It can be difficult to navigate and seem utterly endless. As a result, many either plunge into depression, or attempt to “shelf” their grief, thinking they will cope with it later. As a grief or bereavement counselor, you can be in a unique position to help people cope. While everyone copes with loss differently, the following four steps are important to the task of overcoming heartache: 1. Allow yourself time to grieve. Grief is healthy and necessary for growth and healing. When someone close to us dies, we are confronted with a flurry of necessary decisions. It’s easy to become caught up in funeral arrangements and handling any matters that require attention. The expense and stress of the ordeal can quickly overwhelm individuals, families and friends. As a result, many neglect taking time to grieve. 2. Know that you are not alone. When coping with the loss of a beloved companion, it’s important to know that you are not alone. There are others feeling a deep loss. Don’t be afraid to lean on these people and offer each other support. 3. Avoid holding everything inside. It’s easy to hold all of our feelings inside. It can feel like the best course of action, especially when others are depending on us to remain strong. However, it’s healthy and important to talk to others, cry, laugh and share memories. In fact, this is part of allowing yourself to grieve. It also shows you and those around you that no one is alone. 4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. When it comes to admitting to and asking for help, we all have difficulty. Asking for help makes us feel weak and vulnerable, but we should never let such feelings stop us from asking. Coping with grief is a process that we each navigate in a unique manner. Sometimes we need help, if only for a brief moment. Asking for professional help doesn’t mean something is wrong. If anything, it means something is right, because we recognize our needs. How You Can Help You can help someone overcome grief simply by being available when they need to talk or just by wanting to be with someone. You can go further, by earning a grief or bereavement counseling certification. The American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc. offers the following certification courses and fellowship programs: · The American Academy of Grief Counseling · Pet Loss Grief Recovery Specialist Certification Division · Grief Recovery Practitioner Certification
路 Grief Counseling Fellowship Program 路 Grief Christian Counseling Certification 路 Child and Adolescent Grief Counseling Grief counseling certifications are a strong means of helping friends, family and patients overcome tough feelings of loneliness and grief. For more information, visit our website at http://www.aihcp.org/.