Creative Counseling Interventions for Grieving Adolescents

This article provides information on adolescent developmental issues and developmentally appropriate interventions that can help mental health practitioners work with adolescents grieving a death loss. Specific areas that are initially covered include core adolescent developmental issues that must be understood, including adolescent developmental responses to types of death. Developmentally appropriate interventions are provided with a focus on the creative arts, specifically music, visual arts, bibliotherapy, drama, and cinematherapy. Other creative interventions include helping adolescents maintain tangible connections with the person who died and promoting active engagement in meaningful rituals.