Blame Gabriel: Acute Grief Following Death Of a Loved One a Study 0f Self Empowerment Therapy

Objective The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Self Empowerment Therapy in the treatment of acute grief following the death of a loved one. Design Study is a single case study and questionnaire administration design. Method A 26 year old patient diagnosed with acute grief following the death of her partner of 10 years was seen for therapy for 1.50 hours per week for 18 months. Intervention consisted of Self Empowerment Therapy within the framework of the universal psychotherapy modality, using rapport as a barometer to test the effectiveness of interpretations. Results Following the death of a loved one, utilizing a structured approach in establishing and maintaining a satisfactory level of functioning in the life domains of health, family, relationships, profession, education, finances and self, yielded significant outcomes in the treatment of acute grief. This study demonstrates that following the death of a loved one, to establish and maintain an integrated self, a person needs to reduce the discrepancies between actual, ought and ideal selves, whilst at the same time reducing their undesirable behaviors and tendencies. Conclusions Confronting the death of a loved one is one of the most traumatic experiences in life and brings us face to face with our own mortality. Maintaining an integrated self is challenging as the death of a loved one forces the person left behind to redefine their sense of self. An integrated self is achieved by reducing discrepancies between actual - ought self and actual - ideal self, whilst at simultaneously reducing congruency between actual - undesirable self life domains. Self Empowerment Therapy provides a structured approach in managing acute grief following the death of a loved one. This study provides high efficacy for Self Empowerment Therapy in treating acute grief but requires further investigation