Example of Using Spirituality and
Grief Work with Children and Adolescents
Grief Work
While the literature on the use of spirituality with children in counseling is limited, a large part of that literature appears to focus on the issue of grief and the ways spirituality can be incorporated in working with grieving children. Bereavement causes spiritual pain and challenges one’s assumptions about life (Leighton, 2008).Spiritual growth occurs when individuals reexamine and reconstruct their values and meanings of life.This task can specially be difficult for children and adolescents since they are still in the process of physical, emotional, and psychological growth when a loss occurs and they are forced to develop bereavement capabilities as well. Cox (2000) pointed to the many losses that children experience, which range from a broken toy to friends moving away to loss of a family member.The author argues that loss can be used to facilitate growth and spirituality in children. Children can use their sense of spirituality to manage their grief instead of the more common and unhealthy ways of coping such as denial, anger, and guilt.This coping ability is developed when adults prepare children for losses that they are going to experience in their lives by acknowledging that loss has/will occur, allow children to openly express their feelings about the loss through words, play, arts or other mediums, and help.
Coping
Andrews and Marotta (2005) examined the role of spirituality as a coping mechanism in children who have lost a primary caregiver. They collected qualitative data in the form of semi-structured interviews from six children who had lost a family member in the 18 months prior to the beginning of the study. The children were between the ages of four and nine in order to control for school and developmental factors. The researchers concluded that the relationships that the children had with God, the deceased, other family members, and their peers was the most effective tool in coping with their grief. The researchers also recommended that counselors who work with grieving children become familiar with play therapy and examine their own cultural values about spirituality and grief. Dillon (2006) reported that children who were involved in religious activities such as prayer and worship were more responsive to grief therapy compared to those who were not. Andrews (2004) suggested spiritual approaches for working with grieving children such as metaphorical play, the use of linking objects to connect with the deceased, finding meaning in the loss, and developing a relationships with other adults or a higher power. More recently Good, Willoughby, and Busseri (2011) described children’s religion and spirituality as being important mediators of stress. Other authors have found that children’s membership in religious communities promotes children’s resilience and well being by fostering social integration and support (Holder, Coleman & Wallace, 2010)
Shelley A. Jackson. Children, Spirituality, and Counselling. American Journal of Applied Psychology. Vol. 1, No. 1, 2012, pp. 1-5. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20120101.11
Grief Work
While the literature on the use of spirituality with children in counseling is limited, a large part of that literature appears to focus on the issue of grief and the ways spirituality can be incorporated in working with grieving children. Bereavement causes spiritual pain and challenges one’s assumptions about life (Leighton, 2008).Spiritual growth occurs when individuals reexamine and reconstruct their values and meanings of life.This task can specially be difficult for children and adolescents since they are still in the process of physical, emotional, and psychological growth when a loss occurs and they are forced to develop bereavement capabilities as well. Cox (2000) pointed to the many losses that children experience, which range from a broken toy to friends moving away to loss of a family member.The author argues that loss can be used to facilitate growth and spirituality in children. Children can use their sense of spirituality to manage their grief instead of the more common and unhealthy ways of coping such as denial, anger, and guilt.This coping ability is developed when adults prepare children for losses that they are going to experience in their lives by acknowledging that loss has/will occur, allow children to openly express their feelings about the loss through words, play, arts or other mediums, and help.
Coping
Andrews and Marotta (2005) examined the role of spirituality as a coping mechanism in children who have lost a primary caregiver. They collected qualitative data in the form of semi-structured interviews from six children who had lost a family member in the 18 months prior to the beginning of the study. The children were between the ages of four and nine in order to control for school and developmental factors. The researchers concluded that the relationships that the children had with God, the deceased, other family members, and their peers was the most effective tool in coping with their grief. The researchers also recommended that counselors who work with grieving children become familiar with play therapy and examine their own cultural values about spirituality and grief. Dillon (2006) reported that children who were involved in religious activities such as prayer and worship were more responsive to grief therapy compared to those who were not. Andrews (2004) suggested spiritual approaches for working with grieving children such as metaphorical play, the use of linking objects to connect with the deceased, finding meaning in the loss, and developing a relationships with other adults or a higher power. More recently Good, Willoughby, and Busseri (2011) described children’s religion and spirituality as being important mediators of stress. Other authors have found that children’s membership in religious communities promotes children’s resilience and well being by fostering social integration and support (Holder, Coleman & Wallace, 2010)
Shelley A. Jackson. Children, Spirituality, and Counselling. American Journal of Applied Psychology. Vol. 1, No. 1, 2012, pp. 1-5. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20120101.11
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