ABSTRACT
Grief is a universal experience that is both a natural emotional response to loss, as well as an expressive response learned in the context of our individual cultures. This chapter examines the evolution of grief counseling, including contemporary theories. It also suggests that aspects of Tomer and Eliason’s (1996) Comprehensive Model of Death Anxiety may be helpful to clients experiencing grief and loss. A key element in assisting a client’s grieving process is to address regrets and to facilitate balance of the emotional response with their belief system. When unbalanced, regrets impede a client’s ability to reconcile the grief experience through their belief system and/or culture.
