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Children Grief & Bereavement How can we understand and help a child deal with their pain of loss

Children Grief & Bereavement How can we understand and help a child deal with their pain of loss. Erica Olsen CQ University Masters of Clinical Psychology. What Contributes to Loss Consider these questions, think about your own grief experience for a moment…. 1. Think about a loss you have

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Children Grief & Bereavement How can we understand and help a child deal with their pain of loss

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  1. ChildrenGrief & BereavementHow can we understand and help a child deal with their pain of loss Erica Olsen CQ University Masters of Clinical Psychology

  2. What Contributes to LossConsider these questions, think about your own grief experience for a moment… • 1. Think about a loss you have experienced • 2. What losses do you think children would experience • 3. How does your own grief sit with you now

  3. Loss is Universal

  4. Sesame Street deals with the BIG emotions…………….

  5. Living with the pain of LossSupporting grieving children

  6. Grief Work Supporting grieving children • Acknowledge the reality of the death or loss • Modify the family world view to incorporate the loss • Re-organize the family system to help them move on

  7. How can you help….. “Walk through the process with the child”

  8. DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCES Why are children thinking and feeling this way …… • Age 0-3 • No concept of death, no image of object or person • Experience the effect of the caregivers grief • Age 3-5 • No understanding of permanency • Difficulty distinguishing fact from fantasy • Separation anxiety and fear • Age 6-10 • May not realize every living thing dies they begin to understand death is final • Begin to use coping strategies • Adolescents • Beginning to contemplate meaning and understand, death is final

  9. What am I looking for in the Grief Process ……..

  10. Mediating the risk…… • Developing and use of rituals • Managing any unfinished business • Education around death and grieving • Family and Peer support networks

  11. ChildrenGrief and Loss • A final word from the author…… Remember to be a loving listener always Erica Olsen CQUniversity Masters in Clinical Psychology.

  12. Children Grief and Loss Useful Websites…….. Cruse Bereavement Care: www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk The Child Bereavement Trust: www.childbereavement.org.uk Factsheets Mental Health and Growing Up. For parents, tearchers and young people: www.repsych.ac.uk Books Walsh, F & McGoldrick, M. (2004). Living Beyond Loss: Death in the Family Wollfelt, A. D. (2001). • Healing a Childs Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas of Families, Friends and Caregivers • Healing Your Grieving Heart for Teens: 100 Practical Ideas, simple tips for understanding and expressing your grief

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