Ambiguous Loss and its Effects on Children: Implications and Interventions for School Counselors

School counselors are regularly tasked with managing student’s emotions and behaviors that impede school performance. This daunting assignment can be overwhelming for school professionals. With the many diagnoses that may provide an explanation for dysfunctional behavior amongst students, the possibility of grief is frequently overlooked. The purpose of this article is to define and describe the concept of grief and how it may explain challenging behaviors with students. Additionally, this definition will be expanded by introducing the definition of ambiguous grief. Examples of ambiguous grief scenarios will be provided, as well as implications for school counselors.

 Download (37KB)