Best Practices for School Counsellors Supporting Grieving Students

Abstract

The purpose of this literature review is to examine the best practices for school counsellors who are supporting grieving students. The background to the problem, or why it is an issue in schools, is described as well as why it is currently a pertinent topic. To best support grieving students, school counsellors need to be familiar with various forms of grief such as normal, or uncomplicated grief, complicated grief which lasts for a longer time with more severe symptoms than normal grief and disenfranchised grief which is due to a loss that is socially unacceptable or unrecognized. Grieving also differs depending on the age and developmental level of the student. Young children will grieve differently than adolescents who will also grieve differently again when compared adults. There are various counselling techniques, such as group counselling and art therapy, that have been shown in studies to be effective in helping grieving clients, but not all are appropriate for a school setting.