It has been noted that we talk very little about death and bereavement. Although it is a natural and inevitable part of life, death can be kept hidden away. Crying and other ways of expressing our distress are still wrongly seen as a form of weakness in many cultures. When we lose someone important to us, we can be overwhelmed by our pain and distress and feel that it will never pass. Our reactions can be very frightening.

No matter how big or small, a loss is always personal and so is coping with the loss. No two people experience the same loss in the same way, nor do they cope with the loss in the same way (Newman & Newman, 1999). The experience that an individual has about loss is subjective.

When dealing with trauma, the helper is often faced with helping people through the grieving process, because trauma involves the death of a loved one. In order to effectively help people through the grieving process, it is necessary for helpers to develop an understanding of what emotional pain and loss really entails.

Objectives:

LESSON ONE: The Definition of Bereavement, What is grief, Types of Loss, An opinion regarding death, Socio-cultural aspects in dealing with death, Bereavement a developmental perspective.

LESSON TWO: Model addressing the phases of the grieving process, Kubler-Ross’s Model, Tasks of grief, What to expect during bereavement, Responses to grief, Intervention strategies, Practical tips for Grief, Tips on what to do at the time of death, Counselling guidelines on Palliative Care and Bereavement, Counselling someone with HIV/AIDS, Universal Precautions

LESSON THREE: Guidelines for conveying a death message, Support for the bereaved, Prayer