Strength-centered group counseling program for individuals in the process of loss and grief: A pilot study

Abstract

Grief is a process that encompasses all of the emotional, cognitive, physical, and behavioral responses an individual exhibits in response to the loss of a person, object, or situation. This study aimed to test the effectiveness of the pilot application of a strength-centered group counseling program developed for individuals who are in the grieving process. Individuals aged 18-40 who had experienced a loss within the last 18 months, were not undergoing ongoing individual psychological support were included in the group process. The pilot study was conducted according to a single-group experimental design with pre-test and post-test measurements. The program was implemented online over a total of 10 weeks, with one 90-minute session per week, on an experiment group of 7 individuals. Data collection instruments included the Grief and Meaning Reconstruction Inventory, the Grief Cognitions Questionnaire, and the Character Strengths Inventory. The pre-test and post-test scores of individuals in the grief process were compared using the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test, a non-parametric test. As a result, it was concluded that there was an increase in the levels of meaning restructuring about grief among group members and a decrease in negative thoughts in their grief cognition levels. Significant increases were observed in several character strengths (hope, gratitude, zest, and resilience).