Grief and Loss Theories Models and Scenario Application

Running head: GRIEF AND LOSS THIEORIES AND MODELS 1
Grief and Loss Theories Models and Scenario Application
Name:
Institution:

GRIEF AND THEORY MODEL 2
Part A
Introduction
Grief is the pain that a person experience after losing people who are very close to
them for example, family members, friends, colleagues at place of work, loved ones and much
more. It is not only limited to loss of people but can also be a situation in which people find
themselves at when separated from their loved ones. Grief comes as a result of confusion and
guilt that might arise from the rosy relationship experienced between the affected and the lost
one or separated one. Grief can never be suppressed but must be obeyed. It is a process that that
must come to pass through a person’s life and majorly depends on the handling to come to its
positive end. It is also a fact that every individual has a way of overcoming grief depending on
how they go through the stages; hence it is unpredictable to give a particular way in which a
person can overcome grief (Stroebe, Boerner, & Schut, 2017).
The theories and models of grief and loss have been ellaboratetly expressed by
several Scholars, who include; Lindemann, Freud, Kubler – Rose, Bowlby, Parkes and Worden
among others. These stages and models have been discussed below.
Lindemann a clinical expert shares with people his experience in the field of
hospital where he attended to people who had gone through and had an experience of disasters in
their lives, by coming up with a theory of grief that explores on the following five phases;
 He first talks of the phase to be called Somatic disturbance which majorly explores on
respiratory conditions such as acute breathing and major problems with the throat among
others.

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 The second phase is a scenario where the victim is preoccupied by the image of the lost
one in their minds which keeps on being reflected now and again appearing like being
haunted.
 The third phase is guilt that comes as a result of some negligence or lack of responsibility
when the incident occurred. This guilt is also accompanied by image reflections of the
victim’s failure to do the right thing to save the diseased.
 The fourth phase is the victim’s expression of anger and getting hostile to the immediate
environment. The victim may react to everything with aggression and hostility making it
unbearable.
 The sixth phase is characterized with difficulty in carrying daily routine as a result of the
effects on the victim.
Lindemann’s school of thought is that for the victim to psychologically pass
through these ordeals then they have to absolutely do away with the diseased from their minds in
order to get along with the new environment devoid of the diseased.
Freud in his scholarly work asserts that the aspect of grief was by a away in which
those mourning would deviate from the world making the process of accepting the reality of
occurrence be step by step. This psychological aspect of detachment was to ensure that the
mourner would slowly lose the bond with the diseased to get back to normality. To overcome
such grief, Freud believes that one has to work on a possibility way of overcoming that grief.
This aspect is also commonly known as a process of letting it go in order for one to heal. The
basis of this theory is on clinical experience hence might be difficult to experiment with the
entire population to work.

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Kubler – Rose also renowned scholar who worked with psychiatric patients came
up with a theory model which is based on how an individual can understand and cope up with
death. Assertion is made on the following five stages of grief as discussed below;
 The first stage is denial which comes as a result of the occurrence of death or death yet to
occur. The victim cannot afford to accept the misfortune that have befallen them or yet
to.
 The second stage is characterized by anger. The furious and agitated victims becomes out
of reach as a result of pain that orchestrate anger in them.
 The third stage is the bargain, characterized by moving on or not. The victim ponders
about their lives with or without the diseased and the future that awaits them.
 The fourth stage is depression, where the victim stressful nature puts their lives hanging
on a balance after a deep thought and imaginations.
 The last stage of grief is acceptance, where the victim accepts their fate and move on with
life. The mind is no longer preoccupied by the relationship with the deceased but how to
cope up with their deaths and forge a new path ahead.
The theory is also hospital based as the scholar used psychiatric patients making it
difficult to be stretched to the entire society and fit well among non- psychiatric patients. The
model also outlines that it best fits those who have lost their love ones coping with life after their
deaths and those in critical condition and do not accept that their time in the world has come to
the end.
Bowlby with the theory of attachment lays emphasis on the need for human beings
to embrace early developed attachments in life. In his four flexible phases that are overlapping,

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he puts forth with an assertion on the importance of bonding and interaction with loved ones as
well as emotional disturbance that arise when such bonds or close relationships are broken.
These are explained in the four phases of;
 Shock that individual gets when the relationships and bonds are cut by death or missing
loved ones.
 Yearning and protest that emanates at the occurrence of death, the fact that you want the
bond to continue existing yet it is no longer there.
 Despair in that the individual is lonely and desperate for whatever they were used to that
has been cut off.
 Recovery phase brings everything aside and moving on without the diseased as part of
them.
The theory base arguments on the good relationship built in childhood and how it comes to the
end at adulthood when it was already tight.
Parkes theory bears similarities with that of Bowls. Both theories focus on the
four phases of shock, yearning, despair and recovery. In this theory, there is also that aspect of
grief that brings out the order in which grief goes through from the act of denial to making
absolute resolutions for way forward (Thompson & Cox, 2017).
Worden’s model discusses grief in four elaborate tasks of;
 Accepting the reality of losing someone.
 Managing through the circumstance by going through the pain of grief.
 Adjustments bearing in mind that the lost one is no more and life has to move on.

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 Emotional withdrawal from the diseased in order for one to think in a different line and
new ways of doing things away from the diseased. The fourth task is also to do with mind
forging ways ahead in which it deals with the past memories in a way that does not affect
the victims’ new way of life.
Dual process model gives an insight on how a people should be able to deal with
their grief at the same time forge plans ahead with their future. This models concern is that life
has to continue as much as we are in grief. The model also explains on how people can handle
the two at a time, those are, factors that arise as a result of loss as well as factors that arise as a
result of restoring their lives. In brief explanations, these two factors must go hand in hand to
foster one way forward that brings a lasting solution.
Restoration oriented factors should work against loss oriented factors in forging up
a solution as illustrated below;
 When individuals think about the diseased, their relationship and death which come as a
result of looking at photographs, visiting their homes, tombs and the rest; this should be
countered by keeping busy somewhere, engaging on other things.
 When the memories that bring grief emanates, then the individuals should distract the
memory by all means, divulging on other necessary issues.
 When individuals find themselves in the act of denial to cope up with life, post death of a
loved one, then they should yearn to invent doing new things away from what they used
to do together with the diseased.
 When the victim finds it difficult to do away with the close relationship already
established with the disease, then they should turn their attention in engaging new

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friendships that are sustainable. They should also seek for new identities and find new
things to do in order to divert attention from the used to do business in the past.
The dual process which is a combination of the two is dynamic and realistic in
dealing with grief as it can be applied to all scenarios which people find get in after losing people
they love. These may involve coming up with new ways in which they tend to do their things,
revolving around communication, relations and adaptations in a new environment (Boerner,
Stroebe, Schut & Wortman, 2017).
Part B
In my case conceptualization I will take Carissa as my client then subject her for
psychotherapy using dual process model to help her adopt in her new environment in Sydney
where apparently she stays with the uncle, away from her school friends, siblings and sick
mother.
This will be realized through use of 5 P model to come up with a framework in
which myself and Carissa will share the understanding of the problem thereby maintaining it in a
manner that can be approached and engaged by both of us.
The 5P model will therefore be integrated with dual process model in order to
identify, and mitigate Carissa’s problems in a professional manner. The following will be a case
conceptualization for my client Carissa using 5P model and dual process model to mitigate her
grief (De Vries & Kuiper, 2017).

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The 5P model
This model helps the therapist and client identify, chat way forward for coming
with possible solutions in helping the problem at hand. The five Ps mean; presenting the
problems, identifying predisposing factors that culminated or exposed the client to the problem.
They are also known as risk factors for they are some of the things that did put client into risk to
find her in that situation, identifying precipitating factors that started the problem. These are
those factors that trigger the process, identifying perpetuating factors that brings escalation to the
problem. Such factors ensure that grief don’t end soon as they bring memories prolonging a
situation and eventually protective factor that will stop the problem and bring a lasting solution
(Crunk, Burke & Robinson, 2017).
Case Conceptualization using 5P Model and Dual Process Model
5 P MODEL LOSS ORIENTEDFACTOR RESTORATION
ORIENTED FACTOR
Presentation: the client openly
and willingly present her
problems to the client eg. What
makes her have grief.
The client is away from her
sick mother, siblings and
school where she performed
well and enjoyed her dance
class. All these memories come
back in her new place of living
making her lose concentration
The client should be advised to
stop looking back and instead
identify something else better
in her new school, have the
uncle closer to enable her
concentrate in her work and
excel in her academics.
Predisposing factors: These
factors expose the client into
The client still remembers her
good relationship and bond
The client should try as much
as possible to distract such

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problems she is at by making
her have good memories of the
past with her siblings, mother
and former school.
with the mother, siblings and
how she enjoyed her dance
classes. All these memories
result to her loneliness and thus
poor performance in school.
preexistence memories by
divulging in better activities
that will make her not think of
them. For example explore on
another hobby like joining
swimming class and engaging
the uncle and looking for new
friends who will keep her
company.
Precipitating factors: These are
factors that help in triggering
the problem. They bring up the
memory when the client come
across them or see someone do
them.
These factors are also
associated with client’s denial.
Client still wants to associate
with good things she enjoyed
when with the mother, siblings
and former school.
The client should now focus on
coming up with new things
away from her past
experiences. This makes her
have concentration and love
whatever she is doing e.g.
invent new hobbies in her new
environment to make her forget
the past.
Perpetuating factors: These
factors ensure that memory is
prolonged and that the client
does not forget her relationship
with the rest of the family and
The client in this case finds it
difficult to forget her best
moments with the rest of the
family as well as the strong
bond developed with school.
The client should do everything
possible to forget these past
memories. Can be achieved by
having new friends and
engaging in completely new

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bond with the school. things to divert her attention.
Protective factors: These are factors that help in arresting the situation and transformation of the
client to a better person. The client is advised on best things to do, the client follows the guidelines
given to remain on track. The client is left with full reliable support that leads her to full self-
realization
Part C
Critical Reflection on Strength
Grief and loss theory is very viable with 5P model in helping a client overcome
grief as most factors get along with the explanation and tracing back the problem. All scenarios
are presented and the mitigations taken to help avert any possibly of dwindling are put in place.
Eventually the client who follows the instruction can overcome grief and realize her potentials in
the new environment.
Critical Reflection on Limitations
There is some sort of redundancy in predisposing and precipitating factors that can
result to confusion with the client. This makes it difficult to correlate these factors with other
aspects of grief and loss theory of dual process model under loss and restoration oriented factors.
Critical Reflection on Insights

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The deeper understanding on the use of Grief and Loss theory with 5P model to a
scenario client is that it can be effective to a greater percentage and can be recommended for
counseling to other clients to have their self-realization after going through a traumatizing ordeal
of death or any other circumstance of grief that may arise.
Conclusion
Grief and loss cannot be separated as grief can never exist before people lose
things that are important to them. Grief is a serious matter with humanity that if not well
managed can turn disastrous leading to death or even terminal illness. It is therefore important to
understand that the theories and models presented are critical in helping by managing the
situations before getting worse. The case scenario presented of Carissa who is suffering from the
distance and separation between her, the rest of the family and school which she enjoyed most is
an example of how the theory and model can be combined together to give a solution.
References

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Boerner, K., Stroebe, M., Schut, H. A. W., & Wortman, C. B. (2017). Grief and Bereavement:
Theoretical Perspectives. Encyclopedia of Geropsychology, 979-986.
Crunk, A. E., Burke, L. A., & Robinson III, E. M. (2017). Complicated grief: An evolving
theoretical landscape. Journal of Counseling & Development, 95(2), 226-233.
De Vries, S. J., & Kuiper, C. H. (2017). Conceptualization of Parenting Stress in the Context of
EMDR Therapy. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 11(3), 139-146.
Stroebe, M. S., Boerner, K., & Schut, H. A. W. (2017). Grief. Encyclopedia of Personaility and
Individual Differences, 2.
Thompson, N., & Cox, G. R. (Eds.). (2017). Handbook of the sociology of death, grief, and
bereavement: A guide to theory and practice. Taylor & Francis.