Whilst the psychotherapist cannot change a client’s circumstances following a bereavement, the role of the psychotherapist in bereavement counselling covers a number of areas.
Based on Bowlby’s attachment theory model, the primary role of the therapist is to provide the patient with a temporary attachment figure. This provides the client with a secure base from which to explore both themselves and their relationship(s) with all those whom they have made, or might make, an emotional attachment. For example, in the case of a bereavement, this attachment may be to the deceased or other existing family members after the bereavement.
Bowlby’s five key tasks for psychotherapy
Bowlby formulated five key tasks for psychotherapy:
- The establishment of a secure base by providing clients with a strong internal felt sense of trust, care, and support, which in turn allows them to more fully and safely explore themselves, even those aspects that are difficult or painful to consider;
- Exploring past attachment experiences, which involves helping clients to reflect upon and discuss past and present relationships, including their expectations, feelings, and behaviours in these relationships;
- Exploring the therapeutic relationship, which involves helping clients examine the relationship with the therapist and how it may relate to relationships or experiences outside of therapy;
- Linking past experiences to present ones, which involves encouraging awareness of how current relationship experiences may be related to past ones;
- Revising internal working models, which involves helping clients to explore feeling, thinking, and acting in ways that are different to how they felt, thought, and behaved in past or current attachment relationships.
A further function of the role of the psychotherapist is to provide a safe space for the client during this time of distress.
References:
A full list of references is available in the Reference Material section.
- Bowlby, J. (1997). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. London: Pimlico.
- Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Clinical Applications of Attachment Theory. Abingdon: Routledge.
- Levy, K.N. (2013) Attachment Theory and Psychotherapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69 (11).
