Ryokan Bereavement Paper Complicated and Disenfranchised Grief in LGBT Population
Bereavement Counseling
Complicated and Disenfranchised Grief in the LGBT Population
Brian Oltman
Ryokan College
Thesis Statement
Supportive grief counseling has been shown to be effective in addressing complicated grief issues for individual growth and well-being. Providing supporting grief counseling services will help the disenfranchised LGBT individual and their significant others process unresolved grief and loss issues in more effective and healthy ways. Additionally, supportive grief counseling will help them process other unresolved attachment issues.
Introduction
Grieving is a difficult process no matter what the circumstances. Most people look to their family and friends for the support they need during a time of bereavement at the death of a loved one. There seems to be a great need to make a connection with someone who is living when one experiences death. This connection or attachment with others seems to enhance one’s ability to cope with grief as one tries to make some sense of the situation. The goal of this attachment according Bowlby is to maintain an affectional bond with another person. (Bowlby, 1980). Anything or anyone who interrupts this bond throws the system out of balance. If death is the factor to upset the “homeostasis” of the relationship then the grieving person needs to connect with another significant person in order to help maintain some semblance of balance or make meaning of a difficult situation. Various attachments are developed throughout life in order for the needs of safety and security to be maintained. When these attachments aren’t able to be maintained due to incredibly difficult circumstances, the acute grief becomes a chronic debilitating condition called complicated grief. Many LGBT individuals experience complicated grief by being part of a disenfranchised community who aren’t often accepted by many in society. Throughout the years HIV/AIDS has caused people to engage in the
Complicated and Disenfranchised Grief in the LGBT Population
Brian Oltman
Ryokan College
Thesis Statement
Supportive grief counseling has been shown to be effective in addressing complicated grief issues for individual growth and well-being. Providing supporting grief counseling services will help the disenfranchised LGBT individual and their significant others process unresolved grief and loss issues in more effective and healthy ways. Additionally, supportive grief counseling will help them process other unresolved attachment issues.
Introduction
Grieving is a difficult process no matter what the circumstances. Most people look to their family and friends for the support they need during a time of bereavement at the death of a loved one. There seems to be a great need to make a connection with someone who is living when one experiences death. This connection or attachment with others seems to enhance one’s ability to cope with grief as one tries to make some sense of the situation. The goal of this attachment according Bowlby is to maintain an affectional bond with another person. (Bowlby, 1980). Anything or anyone who interrupts this bond throws the system out of balance. If death is the factor to upset the “homeostasis” of the relationship then the grieving person needs to connect with another significant person in order to help maintain some semblance of balance or make meaning of a difficult situation. Various attachments are developed throughout life in order for the needs of safety and security to be maintained. When these attachments aren’t able to be maintained due to incredibly difficult circumstances, the acute grief becomes a chronic debilitating condition called complicated grief. Many LGBT individuals experience complicated grief by being part of a disenfranchised community who aren’t often accepted by many in society. Throughout the years HIV/AIDS has caused people to engage in the