JOURNEY THROUGH GRIEF

INSTRUCTOR: David L. Cowles, MA, MDiv., Retired Chaplain, Free Lance Writer, Minister, Pastoral Counselor and retired Social Worker. He directs Pacer Ministries. Contact him at
PACERMINISTRIES@hotmail.com
or 863-257-3381.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A CEU Online Course designed for health care professionals to better enable them to provide care and support in a variety of grief and loss situations. Included will be methods of coping with three distinctive phases: Anticipatory Grief, Acute Grief and Acceptable Grief.

PURPOSE: This course is designed to help you understand the dynamics of the grief process. Included are suggestions for coping with each of the three distinctive phases of grief and loss. The ultimate goal is to share with you the hope for healing, restoration and the future based upon faith in God.


COURSE OUTLINE:

PART ONE: ANTICIPATORY GRIEF - THE AWARENESS OF DYING

  1. The Definition of Thanatology
  2. The Stages of Death and Dying
  3. The Dynamic and Transition of Hope

PART TWO: ACUTE GRIEF – THE REALITY OF DEATH
  1. The impact of Death and the Bereavement Process
  2. The Stages of Grief and Community Resources
  3. The Steps in the Grieving Process

PART ONE: ANTICIPATORY GRIEF - THE AWARENESS OF DYING

(DOWNLOAD PART ONE)

  1. The Definition of Thanatology
  2. The Stages of Death and Dying
  3. The Dynamic and Transition of Hope

DEFINITION OF TERMS:

ADVANCE DIRECTIVES - legal documents to direct end of life care, includes the Durable Power of Attorney, Living Will, and Organ Donations.

ANTICIPATORY GRIEF – the term used to describe the awareness of dying, when death is inevitable; the beginning or initial act of grief.

DEATH - the termination of physical life - deceased or dead.

DYING - the ending or termination of physical life.

GRIEF - the intense emotional suffering caused by dying and death; process of healing the wound suffered by death.

HOSPICE – medical and support care for the dying person and family members usually at home or in a loving and supportive environment.

PALLIATIVE CARE - a treatment approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing life-threatening illness, the treatment of pain and other physical, psychosocial and spiritual concerns.

THANATOLOGY - the Science or Psychology of Death which investigates the circumstances surrounding death, the grief experienced by the deceased's loved ones, and larger social and spiritual attitudes towards death.



PART TWO: ACUTE GRIEF - THE REALITY OF DEATH

(DOWNLOAD PART TWO)

  1. The impact of Death and the Bereavement Process
  2. The Stages of Grief and Community Resources
  3. The Steps in the Grieving Process

DEFINITION OF TERMS:

BEREAVEMENT - the period after a loss during which grief is experienced and mourning occurs. The time spent in a period of bereavement depends on how attached the person was to the person who died, and how much time was spent anticipating the loss.

CREMATION - the practice of reducing a corpse to its essential elements by burning; to reduce (as a dead body) to ashes by burning.

DEATH - the cessation or termination of physical life - deceased or dead. This definition has medical, legal, theological, and philosophical dimensions.

FUNERAL - a ceremony or service marking a person's death. Funerals comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from the funeral itself, to various monuments, prayers and rituals undertaken in their honor.

GRIEF - the intense emotional suffering caused by death; process of healing the wound suffered by death.

GRIEF THERAPY - therapy for those who have unusually serious grief reactions. The goal of grief therapy is to identify and solve problems the mourner may have in separating from the person who died. When separation difficulties occur they may appear as delayed or extreme mourning, extended grief, or unexpected mourning.

HOSPICE - supportive care is provided for the grieving family members - individually and in group sessions for up to a year after the death of a loved one.

MOURNING - the process by which people adapt to a loss. Mourning is also influenced by cultural customs, rituals, and society's rules for coping with loss.

THANATOLOGY - the Science or Psychology of Death, which investigates the circumstances surrounding death, the grief experienced by the deceased’s loved ones, and larger social and spiritual attitudes towards death.





David L. Cowles is founder and director of PACER MINISTRIES.
For comments or to contact David Cowles, please use the CONTACT US link.

You may also write to:
Pacer Ministries
PO Box 232
Avon Park FL 33826-0232

Or call:
863-257-3381

Or eMail:
PacerMinistries@hotmail.com