Reflective Journal Entries: Handling Grief

From Jim Skinner, with thanks

2. S. Grief

This client was in need of help with his grief following the loss of his father.

During our first meta questioning he disclosed that he also had huge anger issues with his siblings who were arguing and fighting over their inheritance and this was actually stopping him grieving properly.

We agreed that primarily we needed to have him relax and reframe what was going on around him as he was not sleeping and he could not concentrate whilst at work which was creating more stress.

I employed the empty chair (Gestalt) method allowing him a safe environment to firstly begin his farewells to his father and later return again to this method to say the things he needed to say to his siblings without the distress this would have caused his mother.

We had 3 sessions and he was able for the first time since the burial visit his father's grave.