Instructors Manual and Test Bank

Instructor’s Manual and Test Bank for Grief and Loss Theories and Skills for the Helping Professions Second Edition by Katherine Walsh Westfield State College 1 / 4

© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.1 Chapter 1 Introduction to Grief and Loss

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Professionals in every service setting will inevitably encounter clients who are experiencing grief in reaction to losses. These losses will include deaths of significant others such as parents, children, grandparents, partners, classmates, coworkers, and friends as well as losses that do not result from death but are considered symbolic losses. Despite the fact that we will all encounter loss and grief in our work, relatively few helping professionals report feeling adequately prepared in their training to effectively address the complex needs of grieving clients. Without training in grief and loss, even seasoned mental health professionals may have difficulty identifying and responding effectively to grief-related problems that clients present. This text and the accompanying exercises and resources available on its companion Web site will help to prepare you to identify and address grief- related needs from a variety of perspectives, in a wide array of service settings.

CORE COMPETENCIES IN THIS CHAPTER

Competencies in bold are addressed significantly in this chapter.Professional Identity Ethical Practice Critical Thinking Diversity in Practice Human Rights & Justice Research Based Practice Human Behavior Policy Practice Practice Contexts Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

• Recognize that different loss experiences generate grief reactions • Identify types of tangible losses that generate grief reactions • Discuss the role of helping professionals in engaging clients experiencing grief. 2 / 4

© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.2

SUGGESTED DISCUSSION PROMPTS

• Discuss why have you decided to study grief and loss.
• What kinds of losses have you encountered in the settings you have

worked or studied in?

• What kinds of reactions to loss have you observed in friends, family or

Co-workers?

• Were you aware of the terms symbolic and tangible losses and what

examples of each have you observed in your work or personal life?

• What is the professional role you currently are in, or are training for,

and why is studying grief and loss important for this role?

SUGGESTED CHAPTER ACTIVITIES AND ASSIGNMENTS

1. Identifying Loss and Grief: This exercise is intended to help you

identify the kinds of losses and grief reactions you may encounter in your internship or practice setting. You can complete this as an individual exercise, as a classroom exercise, or as an online discussion in your training program.

• If completed as an individual: use a piece of notebook paper and

a pen.• If completed as part of a threaded online discussion, each individual can enter his or her own contributions as well as read those of other contributors.• If completed in the classroom, break into small groups of 3, 4 or

• students.

• Use large sheets of self-adhesive flip-chart paper or large newsprint sheets that can be displayed on the wall with masking tape (one for each group of students) and wide tipped felt markers so the writing will be visible to all. When steps 1, 2 and

• have been completed, post the sheets around the ro om and

complete step 4 as a whole class.• Write on the top of the sheet the types of settings you (or your group members) are currently working in or hope to work in.Divide the rest of the sheet into two columns. (For example, an elementary school, correctional facility, outpatient clinic) • In the first column, write down the types of losses, both actual and symbolic that clients you are working with are likely to experience. (For example, if the setting is a school, actual losses might be death of a faculty member and symbolic losses might include children whose parents are divorcing) • In the second column, next to the loss, write the emotions someone experiencing that loss is likely to experience 3 / 4

© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.3 • Discuss your thoughts about how you might observe these losses and feelings related to them being addressed in the setting (for example, a school counselor leads a group for children whose parents are divorcing)

2. Self-assessment: On the PBS Website, “On our own Terms”, there are

a number of educational resources for both professionals and families dealing with death. Included under “ End-of-lifeTools” is a Self- assessment of Your Beliefs about Death and Dying. You can find the link on the web page for this text or go to the link below

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/onourownterms/articles/quiz.html to take

the test. After you take the test, write a one-page narrative on what you have learned about yourself and your beliefs about death from taking this test.

3. Video: The following videos are available through most video rental

outlets including Netflix. Each of these depicts both tangible and symbolic losses. Choose one to view and as you watch, make note of how the characters manifest grief in reaction to tangible losses (due to death) and symbolic losses. Discuss your observations.

• Videos: Stepmom, Antwone Fisher, My Life as a House,

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