Complicated Grief: An Evolving Theoretical Landscape

The bereavement literature has proliferated in recent decades, generating a shift from conceptualizing grief as a stepwise, uniform process to an idiosyncratic experience that varies among individuals. Among the most notable developments is the empirical exploration of complicated grief —a protracted, debilitating, sometimes life‐threatening response to the death of a loved one—and the testing of novel interventions to treat it. This article provides counselors with recommendations for identifying and treating complicated grief.