The experience of grief and loss. A study about various people coping with grief

Résumé ou Introduction

This study qualitatively explores the experiences of nine people regarding their grief and loss. Four women, four men and a guest were interviewed using a set of open-ended questions. All the participants were interviewed once in a semi-structured, face to face format and were asked about their experiences of grief and loss. A thematic analysis revealed key areas that included emotional reactions, spirituality, moving forward and memories of past losses/remembering. Moreover, it includes sub themes such as controlling feelings, hopelessness, healing and harm. These findings have the strength to add great depth to our understanding of the complexities associated with grief and loss. Death has been a epicentre concern of human, but in a society where death is being denied, its place is ambiguous. So, death is final and irreversible. Loss from death is fixed and permanent and for bereaved, complete grief recovery from the loss may not occur. Thus, it is pertinent for counsellors to understand the experiences of bereaved individuals in order to bolster them in accepting the reality of death, hinder lasting distress and agony, and find resources to continue their lives. In the contemporary era, counsellors are exposed to loss and grief experiences in their personal lives and in their professional work. According to Neimeyer (2004), every change in life involves loss and all losses require change. The emotional reaction of loss is grief. Muller and Thompson (2003) described the death of loved ones as the most penetrating loss individuals can experience and the most frequent and changing issue counsellors face with their clients. Loss and grief are common themes and sources of presenting problems in counselling sessions.