Manhattan Psychology Group

Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychologists & Behavioral Therapists Offering Comprehensive Psychological Services in New York City

Call 646-450-6210 to Schedule a Consultation

  • Home
  • About MPG
    • Mission
    • Staff
    • Jobs
  • Child & Adolescent
    • Problems We Treat
      • Anger Management
      • Anxiety Disorders
      • Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)
      • Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
      • Bipolar Disorder
      • Depression
      • Executive Functioning Problems
      • Relationship Difficulties, Family Conflict, Separation & Divorce
      • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Children & Adolescents
      • Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
      • School Refusal
      • Sleeping Problems
      • Social Communication Pragmatic Disorder
      • Social Skills Problems
      • Tics / Tourette’s / Compulsive Behaviors
      • Toilet Training Problems
      • Trauma / PTSD / Abuse
    • Testing
      • Neuropsychological Testing
    • Treatment Services
      • Academic Tutoring
      • Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy for Children
      • Behavioral Parent Management Training (PMT)
      • Behavioral Tutoring & Homework Help
      • Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
      • Electronic Daily Report Card (eDRC)
      • Executive Function Training & Coaching
      • Family Therapy
      • Habit Reversal Training (HRT) & Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics
      • In-Home Therapy & Behavior Plans
      • Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) (Ages 2-7)
      • Parent Child Interaction Therapy-Toddlers (PCIT-T) (Ages 12-24 months)
      • Play Therapy
      • Return-to-School Safety Evaluations
      • School-Based Shadow Program
      • School & Teacher Consultations
      • Selective Mutism Treatment for Children & Adolescents
      • Social Skills Training Groups
      • Summer Camp – Big Apple Day Program
      • Teacher Child Interaction Training (TCIT)
      • The “Coping Cat” Anxiety Program
  • Adults & Couples
    • Problems We Treat
      • Abuse / Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
      • Anger & Stress Problems
      • Anxiety Disorders
      • Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)
      • Depression & Bipolar
      • Executive Functioning Problems
      • Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Concerns
      • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
      • Relationships, Divorce & Separation
      • Tics, Tourette’s & Trichotillomania
      • Workplace Issues
    • Treatment Services
      • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
      • Couples Therapy & Marriage Counseling
      • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
      • Executive Function Training
      • Habit Reversal Training (HRT)
      • Holistic Mental Health Consulting
      • Life Coaching
      • Mindfulness Training
      • Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
      • Women’s Health Consulting
      • Stress & Anger Management
      • Workplace Consulting
    • About Dr. Dardashti
  • Getting Started
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Workshops / Press / Media
    • Products
    • Pay by Credit Card or Venmo
    • FAQ
  • Contact Us
    • Professional Email Sign-Up

Last updated on November 27, 2016 By MPGteam

Coping with Grief in Children

Grief is a natural internal reaction to loss. It is the way we feel and it is a unique and personal experience. Mourning is the external piece of a loss. It is the customs, rituals and/or events we participate in after a loss occurs.

crying-572342_1280Psychiatrist, Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross identified five stages of grief. The stages have been referenced as general responses to loss. The stages are emphasized as a support to help better understand and identify the feelings related to a loss. The five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression & acceptance. A person may or may not move through all the individual stages. There is no specific timeline or order. Overall, they are used to assist & guide people in their process to heal.

Loss is more than just someone dying. It is important to recognize that in addition to death of a person, loss may also be associated with:

  • Divorce
  • A friendship ending
  • A breakup with a significant other
  • A pet dying or running away
  • Loss of safety
  • Moving
  • Loss of a job
  • Health changes (newly diagnosed with a medical problem)
  • Life transitions (going to college, graduating, retirement)

From a clinical standpoint, children have different grief responses than adults. Their grief experience & reactions are impacted by their age and developmental stage. Their reactions can change overtime as well. Children are observant and look to adults to guide them. Modeling appropriately for children is important. Additionally, children benefit from honesty, continued structure (routines) and consistency; as well as explanations that are simple, straight forward and age appropriate.

Fortunately, children are resilient; however they may experience adjustment difficulties after a loss and will benefit from therapeutic support. Some children will develop more serious difficulties that may not be exhibited until later. Continued monitoring and open communication is useful to assist a child. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and play therapy are approaches to assist a child in expressing their feelings, gain healthy coping skills and process their experience. A clinician can also provide support to parents to strengthen parenting skills and assist with reinforcing a child’s sense of safety.

Written by  Erica David, PsyD

Filed Under: Child & Adolescent Therapy, Featured

Categories

  • Adult & Couples Therapy
  • Authors
  • Best Practices
  • Child & Adolescent Therapy
  • Holistic Health
  • Parenting & Family Therapy
  • Social Skills Training

Contact Us

For immediate assistance, contact us today at 646-450-6210 or visit our Contact page to submit an inquiry and view our locations.

SEARCH

Professional Newsletter

Click to Subscribe
Sign up to receive important practice updates from Dr. Rosenthal, just for professionals!

Upper West Side Offices

107 West 82nd St, LL #106 & #107
(Corner of Columbus Ave)
New York, NY 10024

Big Apple Day Program

Solomon Schechter School - Manh.
805 Columbus Ave (100th St)
New York, NY 10025

Upper East Side Suite

1160 5th Ave, Suite 104
(Corner of 97th St)
New York, NY 10029

DOWNLOAD MPG COLOR FLYER© Copyright 2019 Manhattan Psychology Group, PC · All Rights ReservedDOWNLOAD MPG B/W FLYER

1