Grief and Loss Counseling for Children and Adolescents

Children and adolescents are disenfranchised grievers whose experiences are often misunderstood or invalidated by the adults in their lives. The COVID-19 pandemic brought more death exposure and complications to this young population as well. Counselors should be equipped with knowledge of diverse grief reactions, cultural competence to address the intersectionality of a youth’s identities and their grief experiences, a variety of assessment tools, developmentally appropriate intervention strategies, and advocacy recommendations to support their young clients.