Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy of Grief: A Review and Application

Abstract

This article reviews outcome studies of grief therapy, with special attention to the cognitive perspective. Based on those studies, three observations on bereavement interventions are offered: (a) development of psychotherapy interventions has been strongly linked to theoretical conceptualizations and definitions of what constitutes normal, pathological, and chronic grief at different times after bereavement; (b) in most reported studies, generic non-bereavement scales were applied for measuring reduction of symptoms. By using such measures, a link between a decrease in symptoms and “recovery” following treatment may be suggested, while neglecting to assess the bereaved’s worldview using grief-specific measures; (c) in reviewed outcome studies, behavioral (desensitization, social reinforcement) and cognitive-behavioral (exposure, guided mourning) interventions are included among effective treatment modalities in cases of complicated grief. It is observed that although similar interventions have been applied, theoretical adherence has changed, implying a change not in the intervention itself but rather in the expected outcome.