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Student Number : 0204770E - MEd research report - School of Education - Faculty of Humanities / The present study investigates a bereavement training programme with a group of volunteer lay counsellors. In South Africa, the number of orphans resulting from an increase in parental deaths from natural causes, such as AIDS and nonnatural causes, for example violence, is increasing rapidly. The increasing number of bereaved children is creating a demand for professional support services that cannot be met by the present number of trained professionals. To address this imbalance, the training of lay counsellors is proposed. It is thus relevant to train those who are willing to help with the necessary knowledge and skills in a bereavement training programme. The present study involves ten volunteers from a Community Centre. Qualitative research methods are employed to analyse the data that is gained from the preand post-training responses to the interviews and Case Examples. Content analysis is used to elucidate the themes that emerge from the collected data. The results of the present study indicate that perceptual and developmental changes have occurred within the volunteers following the training programme, however, it is evident that further training is necessary because of the limited ability that the volunteers demonstrate in practically transferring the knowledge to new cases. In terms of this finding it is clear that factors such as language, age, educational level and personal experiences of death are important criteria to consider in the selection of volunteers for a bereavement training programme. Furthermore, traditional African perspectives of death, cultural differences and HIV/AIDS awareness need to be incorporated into future bereavement training programmes. In terms of the outcomes of the study, a positive outcome is the revision of the Bereavement Programme for children, taking cognisance of cultural sensitiveness, to make it more applicable within the local context. The results of the study also highlight the limitations and implications of the present research, which are discussed and recommendations for future research are made.

Studiens syfte är att utifrån professionellas erfarenheter undersöka hur vuxnas sorgeprocesser yttrar sig samt hur de professionella bemöter sörjande personer. Undersökningen baseras på professionellas erfarenheter och kunskaper om sorgeprocesser. Sju semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med professionella som alla i sin yrkesroll möter vuxna i sorg. En tematisk analys har använts och fem teman framkom: vuxnas sorgeprocesser, förhållningssätt gentemot sörjande, lyssnande och validerande stöd, stöd i sorgen och verktyg i professionen. För att analysera resultatet användes Kübler-Ross teori om sorgens fem faser och begreppet komplicerad sorg. Kübler-Ross teori fokuserar på sorgeprocessens faser. Den komplicerade sorgen fokuserar på när sorg kvarstår med patologiska symptom. I resultatet framgick att de professionella upplevde sorgeprocessen som dynamisk och kontextbunden. Professionellas främsta förhållningssätt i bemötande har bland annat presenterats vara värderingsfritt och anpassat. Professionella har uttryckt att vuxna människor i sorg behöver ett icke tidsbegränsat, närvarande och anpassat stöd. Dessutom har professionellas utbildning och erfarenhet visat sig utgöra verktyg i professionen och vara nyckeln till ett adekvat och gynnsamt sorgestöd. / The purpose of the study is to examine professional’s experiences of adult’s grieving processes and how they treat bereaved people. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals who all in their professional role meet adults in grief. A thematic analysis was used and five themes emerged: adults' grieving processes, attitudes towards grieving, listening and validating support, support in grief and tools in the profession. To analyze the results, Kübler-Ross' theory of the five phases of grief and the concept of complicated grief were used. Kübler-Ross theory focuses on the phases of the grieving process. The complicated grief focuses on when grief persists with pathological symptoms. The results showed that the grieving process of adults was experienced by professionals as dynamic and context-bound. Professionals' main approach towards grieving people has been presented as neutral and context dependant. Professionals have expressed that grieving adults need support that is not time limited and characterized by presence and adapted support. Furthermore, professional´s education and experiences have been shown to be elements in the profession that is key to adequate and beneficial bereavement support.