Official Course Description: MCCCD Approval: 11/28/95
MSP210 19962-99999	LEC	2 Credit(s)	2 Period(s)
Counseling for Funeral Service
Knowledge for facilitating the mourning process after the death of a loved one and for referring bereaved persons to other sources of professional assistance. Prerequisites: Admission to the Mortuary Science program.

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MCCCD Official Course Competencies:
MSP210   19962-99999	Counseling for Funeral Service

1.	Define terminology commonly used in counseling. (I)
2.	Describe both normal and complicated grief reactions. (II)
3.	Identify the goals of counseling. (III)
4.	Describe various types of counseling. (IV)
5.	Describe the role of a funeral director as a counselor. (V)
6.	Describe common types of grief crisis. (VI)
7.	Explain the steps in the development of a crisis. (VII)
8.	Describe various types of crisis that apply to funeral service. (VIII)
9.	Explain the characteristics of a crisis. (IX)
10.	Explain the ABC method of crisis intervention. (X)
11.	Describe various types of family relationships. (XI)
12.	List and describe characteristics of effective counselors. (XII)
13.	Describe Maslow's theory of self-actualization. (XIII)
14.	Explain methods by which the counselor can facilitate effective communication. (XIV)
15.	Define and explain listening quotient. (XV)
16.	Identify and describe roadblocks to effective communication. (XVI)
17.	Distinguish between grief counseling and grief therapy. (XVII)
18.	Explain the importance of funeral directors processing their own unresolved grief. (XVIII)
19.	Explain when and how funeral directors refer clients to other sources of professional assistance. (XIX)
20.	Explain the use of visual aids in counseling sessions. (XX)
21.	Explain the need for continuous improvement of the funeral director's counseling skills. (XXI)

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MCCCD Official Course Outline:
MSP210   19962-99999	Counseling for Funeral Service

I. Counseling Terminology A. Counseling B. Counselor (helper) C. Counselee (Helpee) D. Other definitions II. Grief Reactions A. Normal grief reactions 1. Manifestations of normal grief 2. Grief and depression 3. Determinant of grief 4. The mourning process B. Complicated grief reactions 1. Why people fail to grieve 2. How grief problems develop 3. Types of complicated grief 4. Diagnosing grief problems III. Goals of Counseling A. Promoting a good relationship 1. Empathy 2. Acceptance 3. Openness 4. Relationship skills B. Listening process C. Conducting the counseling interview 1. Initial interview 2. Group interview D. Facilitating growth and change 1. Client expectations 2. Counselor expectations IV. Theories or Types of Counseling A. Client-centered counseling 1. Key figures and major focus 2. Philosophy and basic assumptions 3. Key concepts 4. Therapeutic goals 5. Applications 6. Limitations B. Transactional analysis 1. Key figures and major focus 2. Philosophy and basic assumptions 3. Key concepts 4. Therapeutic goals 5. Techniques and procedures 6. Applications 7. Limitations C. Funeral service counseling 1. Pre-need counseling 2. At need or crisis counseling 3. Post-need counseling 4. Information counseling V. The Practicing Funeral Director as Counselor A. Pre-need or informational counseling B. What good is a funeral? 1. Definition of a funeral service 2. Values of a funeral service or how does it meet the needs of people 3. Public must be informed of the values of funeral services 4. Actual value of a funeral service is the way the public understands and perceives the value 5. Pre-need or informational counseling is as important for funeral service as similar counseling for any other professional field C. At need or crisis counseling 1. Funeral director must be at his/her best 2. Importance of training and experience with more senior staff members 3. Funeral director must retain composure 4. Closing the counseling session D. Postneed, post-funeral counseling, postvention counseling 1. Must never be overlooked in servicing families 2. Judge carefully the needs of the family 3. Tactful and considerate professional contacts will not be forgotten 4. An occasional abrupt refusal for offered assistance may lead to a return call the next day to accept the same help 5. Funeral directors have the "green light" in this area of their profession VI. Crisis Intervention Counseling A. What crisis is B. Grief crisis 1. Suicide 2. Homicide 3. Death of child a. S.I.D.S. b. Stillbirth c. Abortion d. Miscarriage e. Neonatal 4. AIDS VII. Development of a Crisis A. Precipitating event B. Individual appraisal of the situation 1. Perception of the event as a serious threat 2. Importance of the loss to the individual C. Individual coping methods and personal resources D. Entrance into the crisis and reaction to the hazard VIII. Types of Crisis A. Developmental B. Situational or accidental C. Exceptional and unpredictable D. Emotional trials and dysfunctions which result from unusual circumstances IX. Qualities and Characteristics of a Crisis A. Period of heightened psychological accessibility which will last for approximately four to six (4-6) weeks B. Usually stimulated by an outside precipitator or emotionally hazardous situation C. Normal reactions to emotionally hazardous situations, not signs of mental illness D. Individual perception of the emotionally hazardous situation greatly determines occurrence and seriousness of the crisis E. The more seriously threatening an individual's appraisal of an event, the greater the likelihood for primitive or regressive coping behaviors F. Persons in crisis tend to pull away from contact with "significant other" X. The ABC Method of Crisis Intervention A. Achieving contact with the person in crisis 1. Achieving contact or establishing a counseling relationship with the person in crisis, establishing rapport 2. Establishment of trust and empathy a. Attending behavior b. Listening c. Non-judgementalism B. Boiling down the problems to its essentials 1. Response 2. Communicate your understanding 3. Focusing a. Filtering out irrelevant data b. Encourage individual to suggest resolution (1). Counselor must be aware of the precipitating event for the crisis (2). The threat to (possibly loss of) a relationship or social role perceived by the person as significant (3). Must know the individual's coping methods and resources (4). Counselor must learn any new factors or conditions which may invalidate his or her traditional methods of coping 4. Counselor communicates the essence of the dilemma a. Focusing on the problem helps the person pull out of the tailspin b. Focusing reduces anxiety level and enhances self-esteem for the person in crisis C. Coping with the problem 1. Establishment of goals 2. Inventory of resources 3. Formulation of alternatives 4. Review and refinement 5. Action a. Follow-up of the counseling process b. Reaffirms caring c. Provides opportunity to deal with residue to the crisis XI. Family Typology A. Types of families 1. Symbiosis 2. Mutual dependence 3. Mutual control 4. Mature mutuality XII. Characteristics of Effective Counselors A. Skilled, knowledgeable and understanding of their special field as well as in the use of the techniques and procedures in counseling B. Trust, credibility and confidence C. Reach in as well as to reach out D. Caring and respectful of those persons they are trying to help E. Understanding the behavior of the people they are trying to help without imposing value judgments F. Authentic, real, sincere and honest G. Capable of non-possessive empathy H. Self-esteem I. Alive and committed to living life XIII. The Motive for Self-Actualization A. Self-actualization B. Esteem C. Belongingness and love D. Safety E. Physiological XIV. Effective Communications: Facilitators A. Silence B. Non-committal acknowledgment C. Starters or door openers D. Feedback XV. Listening Quotient A. Listen for details B. Feelings are important C. Relating significant relationships counselee has expressed D. Better understanding of counselee's problems as thoughts and feelings are expressed E. Defining counselee's goals F. Alternative actions to reach counselee's goals G. Refinement to select best initial steps H. Helping counselee evaluate possible outcomes I. Selecting best plan of action J. Visualizing short, intermediate, and long term gains of the plan XVI. Roadblocks to Communications A. Dictatorial impression conveyed to counselee B. Blaming or condemning C. Moralizing D. Failure to explain value of the components of a funeral service E. Condescending F. Failure to establish empathy G. Name calling and tactless comments made by counselor H. Failure to give full attention to counselee's statement or questions I. Judgmental responses J. Failure to reassure counselee of help available XVII. Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy A. Grief counseling B. Grief therapy C. The four tasks of mourning 1. Task I: to accept the reality of the loss 2. Task II: to experience the pain of grief 3. Task III: to adjust to an environment in which the deceased is missing 4. Task IV: to withdraw emotional energy and re-invest it in another area D. Goals of grief counseling 1. To increase the reality of the loss 2. To help the counselee deal with both expressed and latent effects 3. To help the counselee overcome various impediments to readjustment after loss 4. To encourage the counselee to make a healthy emotional withdrawal from the deceased and to feel comfortable re-investing that emotion in another area E. Who does grief counseling? F. Who receives grief counseling? G. Counseling principles and procedures 1. Help survivor actualize the loss 2. Help survivor to identify and express feelings 3. Assist living without the deceased 4. Facilitate emotional withdrawal 5. Provide time to grieve 6. Recognize normal behavior 7. Allow for individual differences 8. Provide continuing support 9. Examine defenses and coping styles 10. Identify pathology and refer H. Facilitating grief through the funeral service 1. Helps make real the fact of the loss 2. Provides an opportunity to express thoughts and feelings about the deceased 3. Can be a reflection of the life on the deceased 4. Has the effect of drawing social support from relatives and friends I. How funeral directors facilitate grief 1. Fulfilling their responsibility in counseling during the entire service 2. Following up with post-funeral counseling 3. Providing contacts for the family with other support groups 4. Teaching people about grief and healthy grieving by sponsoring and presenting educational programs in the community XVIII. Funeral Director's and Counselor's Own Grief A. Make funeral directors and counselors aware of their own losses B. Funeral directors and counselors own feared losses C. Anxiety and one's own personal awareness of death D. Counselors are encouraged to explore their own history of losses 1. Reinforces counselor's understanding of mourning 2. Provides counselor with a sense of kinds of resources available to the bereaved 3. Helps resolve pain from prior losses 4. Makes the counselor aware of limitations in working with different kinds of clients and different kinds of grief situations E. Avoiding stress and burnout 1. Know your personal limitations 2. Practice active grieving 3. Reach out for help and know where help comes from XIX. Referrals A. Handle suggestions tactfully with individual and family members B. A friend or relative of the family member can be very helpful in securing professional assistance C. Follow-up to learn if additional help is needed D. Establish and maintain contacts with professionals who can help immediately in special cases. E. Identify and assess community resources for help XX. Visual Aids XXI. Establish Personal Program for Improvement A. Remain current in counseling techniques B. Evaluate own effectiveness in counseling and consider feedback

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