Description

As a society, we do not grieve well. We expect grief to look and play out in specific ways. As grief is a natural path of life, counselors often bring their belief and experience of grief to the therapy room, not setting clear boundaries and becoming too emotionally involved with clients in grief. Becoming culturally insensitive, they unintentionally disrespect clients' cultural beliefs, and impose their own cultural biases on clients. If clinicians are not careful, their emotional reactions during grief counseling may be projected onto their clients, unduly creating counter-transference in the therapy room. Failure to be culturally competent may lead to ethical concerns and ineffective counseling. This workshop will look at the grieving process from the perspective of diverse cultures and subcultures. It will also highlight expressions of grief and the counselor's role in setting boundaries, being culturally sensitive, and practicing cultural competence in grief work.