Death and Dying

Yes, I know it is a rather, or actually a very morbid topic for a blog post. Just bear with me.

In my counselling work, it is inevitable that I will come across death and dying issues. However, what makes it even more difficult is that my counsellees are all children. It is much more difficult talking to children about such death and dying issues and I personally think it is many times worse than having to talk to an adult about the same issues. Reasons being:
- sometimes children don't understand the abstractness of the issues
- sometimes children don't have the language to express themselves
- sometimes children have misconceptions of how they are supposed to behave

I have helped a number of my children to deal with such death and dying issues. Although I am not supposed to be involved emotionally, I admit I do get affected by them. They are only children and they are supposed to be enjoying their childhood and not go through such pain, grief and loss at such a young age! I do admit to giving my counsellees, who have lost a parent through death, an extra smile, an extra pat on the shoulder, an extra praise, an extra encouragement, ..., an extra whatever I can do to make them feel that life isn't that bad. There are still people who care about them.

I am probably breaking some of the rules of being a counsellor. But I guess I would rather bear the extra emotional burden upon myself than to be a counsellor who is detached and cold.