Effectiveness of counselling in non-death grief African, Asian and European immigrants

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Authors
Adeniyi, Mariam
Issue Date
2010
Degree
BA (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights
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Abstract
Immigrant women adjusting or acculturating in a new culture present with distress, somatic concerns, acculturation and social support issues, depression, and grief that require appropriate counselling to deal with. This research examines immigrants' and refugees' experience of non-death grief issues related to the loss of home and identity and determines the effectiveness of a brief non-death grief counselling program on immigrant women’s ratings of grief experience. Additionally, the purpose of the study is to examine the differences in grief reactions of these three groups and the effects of length of stay in Ireland. Prior research has shown that immigrant groups are in need of non-death related grief counselling to deal with the losses they have experienced. This research focuses on three groups of female immigrants: Asians, Europeans, and Africans. Acculturation is discussed in the context of the loss that accompanies it. The loss of ones prior customs and way of life is traumatic for many immigrant women and can lead to short- and long-term stress with social and emotional symptoms and potential Posttraumatic Stress Disorder symptoms. The symptoms are multiple and include a range of physical complaints, depression, sadness, and grief. With immigrants losing touch with their families, their prior status, their familial roots, and familiar support systems, they are also having trouble with coping with the symptoms of emotional and physical pain. Financial changes, identity changes, loss of friendships, and loss of their cultural identities exacerbate these problems. Immigrants also experience culture shock which exacerbates the stress associated with the various losses they have suffered 4 Treatment programs for immigrant women are most successful when they draw from a cultural pluralist or multicultural framework.