THE PHASED APPROACH TO GRIEF AS A HISTORICAL ARTIFACT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31891/PT-2026-1-40Keywords:
grief work, Dual Process Model (DPM), loss-oriented stressors, restoration-oriented stressors, oscillation (pendulation), stage models (phase theories), bereavement support, coping strategies, avoidance and denial, individual differences in grief, family dynamics in loss, attachment theoryAbstract
Traditional grief counseling has long been dominated by linear stage models, though modern research increasingly challenges these rigid assumptions. This article traces the theoretical evolution of bereavement from C. Darwin and S. Freud to contemporary frameworks like the Dual Process Model (DPM) by M. Stroebe & H. Schut. By identifying the «oscillation» between loss-oriented and restoration-oriented processes, the DPM validates individual coping, including necessary avoidance. Clinical examples illustrate how children and adolescents utilize these shifts for emotional regulation. The author concludes that while the DPM offers a flexible scaffolding, clinicians must prioritize the unique, simultaneous experiences of joy and pain over standardized instructions.
