Working with Family in Psychotherapy in the Process of Loss and Grief

Throughout our lives, we may experience situations that we can control as well as situations that we cannot control. The most severe of these situations that we cannot control is undoubtedly the process of loss and grief. The loss of a person with whom we had positive experiences in our lives, who had an important place in our lives, affects us deeply. Loss and the grieving process that follows is a normal period. The reactions experienced by individuals in this process are natural and it is not right to intervene. The person may go through periods of grief such as extreme sadness, constant crying and insomnia, depression, withdrawal from life, isolation from social environments, withdrawal from home, etc. The grieving process first begins with shock and denial. Then the individual experiences restlessness, inner distress, withdrawal, and social withdrawal. If he/she starts to adapt to life after overcoming these phases, he/she overcomes the grieving process as he/she should. However, if there is no decrease in these behaviors, if there is no adaptation to life and if there is no change in emotions, a psychological problem has occurred. After a loss in the family, the grieving process for children and parents may not occur at the same time. Children have a different grieving process than adults. They may engage in behaviors of denial or overreact to the loss. Children's acceptance of this loss and their usual reaction processes may vary according to their age. If individuals experience psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, increased alcohol use, unhappiness, hopelessness, anger, guilt, living in the past, and denial of death, even though a certain amount of time has passed within the family, this indicates that they cannot adapt to daily life. Individuals should seek professional help in this process. The involvement of the family in the psychotherapy process during the period of loss and grief gradually reduces their distress and they begin to live their lives independently