Grief and Therapy Survey - 2016

The results of this survey was discussed during a 2016 airing of The Gathering on Signs Of Life Radio

Grief and Therapy Survey – 257 Responses

Respondents were asked if they presently work in the mental health field: 87.9% did not, and 11.6% did. Among the respondents who were mental health professionals, the mix was made up of licensed clinical social workers, certified mental health professionals, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and hospice workers. Professionals were asked if they ever integrated their afterlife beliefs into their treatment protocols. Most did not respond to this question, but among those who did respond, the majority answered yes.

All respondents were asked if they ever utilized the services of a mental health professional to help with their grief: 44.7% answered in the affirmative, and 41.6% did not. Also, when respondents were asked if their mental health professional incorporated afterlife beliefs into the counseling sessions, 15.9% answered yes and 27.6% answered no. Respondents were also asked to rate the results of their therapy. The average score showed that the results were mixed, falling just short of helpful.

Among those who chose not to seek professional therapy, the majority of respondents indicated that either their personal experiences and beliefs about the afterlife made therapy unnecessary, or they felt that they could best handle the grief on their own.

Encouraging was the fact that a great many of the mental health professionals expressed interest in attending a professional conference that discusses clinical approaches to bereavement that integrate extraordinary experiences.

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