A qualitative exploration of grieving counsellors' monitoring of fitness to practice

Abstract

This small-scale qualitative study explores grieving counsellors’ monitoring of their fitness to practise. The data was collected from seven co-researchers using semi-structured interviews and analysed using the constant comparative method. Analysis of the data suggests that grief experiences before counsellor training were formative in the development of the participants’ philosophical approach to life and loss. Following their loss all participants made a personal exploration of their fitness to practise prior to meeting with their supervisors. When the deaths were in old age and/or expected counsellors resumed practising within a month. Counselling during anticipatory grief was helpful as was practising following their losses and this is consistent with the Dual Process of Coping with Bereavement (Stroebe & Schut, 2001). Experiencing grief in practice appeared to have a positive impact on personal and professional development.