Unresolved, complicated, prolonged, or traumatic grief can have detrimental
effects on mental and/or physical health. The effects of traditional grief
counseling, with its focus on the client's acceptance of separation and
integration of loss, are unclear. Within the model of continuing bonds, however,
grief resolution includes an ongoing relationship between the living and the
deceased. Spontaneous and induced experiences of after-death communication (ADC)
have been shown to be beneficial in the resolution of grief by demonstrating
these continued bonds. Presently, many bereaved individuals are experiencing
assisted ADCs by receiving readings from psychic mediums and though little is
known about the effects of this selfprescribed treatment option, anecdotal
reports and exploratory data posit a positive outcome. This article aims to
inform those who work with the bereaved about the relationships between grief,
spontaneous, induced, and assisted ADC experiences, and the continuing bonds
paradigm. Suggestions for future research are also included.
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