Counseling technique helps grief-stricken
When a loved one dies, the feeling of grief is overwhelming. For some people, the only consolation would be to know that the deceased is in some state of rest. Dr. Jan Holden, professor and coordinator of the counseling program at UNT, has been experimenting with a new form of transpersonal therapy called "near-death communication" that allows the grieving to experience a sense of fulfillment. Holden explains the process, and the therapeutic effects it can have on those who experience it. Dr. Jan Holden speaks about the common signs of after-death communication: "After death communication (or ADC) can take several forms. The most common is to see an apparition or to see the person look like they would in real life. Sometimes though it can take other forms- just sensing the presence of the person, smelling the person or cologne they used to wear, or seeing some kind of really coincidental object like butterflies and birds that seem to have some kind of spiritual significance." Signs of presence .wav (36 sec) Holden speaks about the frequency of after-death communication: "About forty percent of people say that they have an after-death communication experience after the loss of a loved one, and with widows it's as high as seventy or eighty percent." 40 percent .wav (13 sec) Holden describes the process of facilitating an after-death communication session: "When I first meet the client, we talk about the deceased person and the relationship that my client had with that person; what that person means to them. Then I do what's called ‘eye-movement', which is moving my fingers back and forth in a horizontal line, and the client follows my fingers back and forth. The theory is that it activates both sides of the brain, and that kind of synchronized brain activity is facilitative of having a trans-personal experience like after-death communication. Then the person follows my fingers, closes their eyes, and for anywhere from thirty seconds to longer sits in silence and waits for anything to emerge in their mind's ear, their mind's eye, or any bodily sensations." Therapy technique .wav (60 sec) Holden explains the emotional benefits of after-death communication: "Well usually grief has at least two components. One is being concerned about the deceased person – where are they? How are they?-that sort of thing. The other component is the sense of the one left behind being disconnected from the deceased person. So the after-death communication experience gives the grieving person the experience of reconnection, and that resolves a lot of their feelings of sadness." Resolving grief .wav (30 sec)
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