Grief, Mourning, Loss and Bereavement Counseling: What\'s the Difference?

In my work with those dealing with a life-limiting illness, I am often asked, “So what’s the difference between ‘grief’, ‘loss’, and ‘bereavement’<a href=\”/alex-michaud/\” class=\”ui-editor-link-external\”>, Alex?</a> I see them all the time”. Most people, in my experience, ask this question because they want to be certain that they are getting the right help or working on the right focus.
Grief is the emotional component of it all. Grief is the set of feelings that are associated with an individuals real or perceived loss.They are uniquely internal to the individual experiencing them, though others can see the outward behaviors of the grief response.
Loss is the removal of something valuable to an individual, as well as the future lack of that valuable object. This may be a person, an object, a dream, memories — the value is determined by the individual experiencing the loss. Loss can be anticipated or have already been experienced.
Mourning is the outward expression of grief and the external processing response. Mourning looks differently for everyone and is dependent upon culture, beliefs, expectations, and other various factors determined on an individual basis.
Bereavement is the internal and external process of working through grief. Some may call it a hybrid between grief and mourning, though it is all-encompassing. Bereavement includes time, social impact, psychological impact, and the physical impact of the loss.
Expressing any and all of these are normal parts of the human experience; All of them can be worked on during the same process regardless of whether it’s called<a href=\”/our-services/\” class=\”ui-editor-link-external\”> grief counseling, bereavement counseling or loss therapy</a>.
By <a href=\”https://plus.google.com/105182342113293066704?rel=author\”>Alex Michaud</a>. Counseling Denver for a better life.