ABSTRACT
Gestalt Therapy is an ideal discipline for work with grieving children since it is directive and focusing. If the child who has suffered a loss is fairly well-adjusted, the course of the therapy can be quite brief. There are numerous possible issues involved when a child suffers a loss, and the therapist must be aware of these. Some of the issues include: confusion, abandonment, loss of self, blaming the self, guilt, fear, loss of control, feelings of betrayal, feeling the need to take care of parents, unexpressed feelings of sadness, anger, shame and misconceptions. Every child is highly sensitive to expectations that may be present; this attitude can severely affect and cloud the session. The therapist meets the child with respect however he or she presents the self, with no anticipation for a particular response. As children grow, the accumulation of the losses, without appropriate expression of grief, causes havoc to healthy development.
