FOUR TASKS OF GRIEF

Dr. J. William Worden in his book called: GRIEF COUNSELING & GRIEF THERAPY describes four basic tasks of the grief process that must be accomplished if a person is going to have a healthy recovery from the death of a loved one.

Task 1: To Accept the Reality of the Loss

The first task of grief is to acknowledge the fact that the loved one is dead, where you believe your loss is a definite reality. In brief, you have no denial of the death in which you accept the full meaning of the loss.

Task 2: To Accept the Emotional Pain of Grief

To fully accept the loss of your loved one, you must accept the painful feelings of sorrow that are associated with the loss. It is necessary to experience your feelings of grief so as to be able to emotionally heal from your loss. If you try avoiding your grief feelings, you end up in prolonging your grief and making your recovery more difficult.

Task 3: To Adjust to an Environment in Which the Deceased is Missing

As a survivor you must learn to adapt to a new reality without your loved one. You will have to develop new coping skills as well as abilities and strengths that will help you to adjust to the demands of life after the loss of your deceased partner. You begin to take responsibility for yourself as a single person.

Task 4: To Emotionally Relocate the Deceased and Move on With Life

The task here is for the survivor to find an appropriate inner emotional place for the deceased, while at the same time emotionally reinvesting in life again, with the possibility of finding a new partner. In brief, you are learning to direct your energy in new interests, new places, and new relationships.

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