Understanding the Psychology of Grief

Abstract

Grief is a normal response that occurs after the loss of a close one and is a process that takes time to heal. It can be defined as the normal process people go through to readjust their lives after a loss. To understand the psychology of grief, it is important to understand the theoretical and conceptual framework of grief and use effective treatment approaches to move beyond grief. In this chapter, a theoretical framework of grief, along with myths and cultural im- plications about the grieving process, and normal and pathological grief processes diagnosed as persistent complex bereavement disorder are mentioned. Also, it is mentioned about effective grief therapy methods such as grief coun- seling, family therapy approaches, expressive art therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychother- apy, complicated grief therapy, and existential therapy. This literature review study examines the grief process and psychology in different aspects, understanding the theoretical framework of 21st century grief therapy approaches to provide a structure to recognize and realize grief multidimensionally and treat it integratively with using several techniques from various therapeutical schools.