Experience report: Pastoral counseling group for grieving people in times of COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The elaboration of mourning is experienced in particular ways by people, depending on social and personal available resources, context, and history of the life of each person. OBJECTIVES: This work aims to present a support initiative to mourning people through pastoral counseling. The objective of this intervention is to offer support to people who are experiencing grief, through the sharing of experience in the face of pain and suffering in the face of death. METHOD: The methodology of the groups is applied in two modules where each group has about four meetings per month, with weekly meetings. In these meetings, which last up to 1h30min, topics that allow dialogue and exchange of experiences in the face of grief are worked on. The groups are composed of a minimum of five people, and a maximum of ten people. Until the moment, seventy people have been assisted. The results of this intervention reveal that the group becomes a space of remaining life, after death losses. As it is a time for sharing the pain of mourning, exchanged experiences proved to be ways to assimilate your own mourning and the development of projects for life. This project started before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this assistance stills remains present during this time. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The results of these realities present peculiarities related to the restricted funeral and limitations to the elaboration of mourning through socially recognized rituals. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: It is observed that the simple fact of reflecting on subjects addressed in each meeting, at the same time that it is possible to listen and share your own experiences, reveals itself as a way of overcoming grief.