Perspectives on non-governmental structures and community action in healthy bereavement support in Portugal, and the “Vivential Model of Healthy Grieving”

Abstract

People experience grief as a result of deep personal loss. The majority of the bereavement processes are healthy, because they seek to overcome the loss, by acceptance or conformation, with the recovery of the physical and mental body’s homeodynamic. The process can be traced with formal support when the bereaved person feels to share the intensity of grief and the emerging of sentimental conflicts and does not find in their network the availability of an empathic and uncensored listening. The Counsellor for grief and bereavement (CdL) is the specialist who provides support for healthy bereavement at community level. In Portugal, attention has been given to grief, bereavement and mourning, with the foundation of non-governmental institutions, scientific, of social surveillance, training for support, and community action. The Vivential Model of Heathy Grieving was developed from the experience of Portuguese community bereavement support, and is a tool for CdL activity. A brief history of formal support for bereavement in Portugal, the institutions that deal with grief, the emergence and performance of the CdL and the Vivential Model is presented in the article, pointing to the need to expand the network for bereavement supporting services available, through the integration in state social services.