Author Note
Ed Price
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ed Price
Email: eprice10@liberty.edu
Discussion Thread:
Safe Places, Safe People, & Safe Situations
Discussion Thread:
Safe Places, Safe People, & Safe Situations
Ed Price
School of Behavioral Sciences
Department of Community Care & Counseling
Liberty University
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Discussion Thread:
Safe Places, Safe People, & Safe Situations
Safe Places, Safe People, & Safe Situations
As a pastoral counselor and caregiver, it would be my great blessing and honor to provide
the elements of a safe place, safe people and safe situations for the bereaved person going
through a season of loss. Death defined is the permanent, irreversible cessation of the vital
functions of the body (Wright, 2014, p. 240). To be best equipped to assist the bereaved in and
through the process of grief, it is necessary to understand death never comes at a good time. In
advance of any time of ministry, it is important for me to begin in prayer. In anticipation of
serving faithfully I find that time in the Word, time alone with my thoughts and prayers as well
as seeking wisdom from others is critical in being as prepared as I can.
Each situation will present unique opportunities and challenges to minister. When
ministering to the surviving family, grief ministry will be a challenge because each family
member will grieve differently (Video: The Crisis of Death, 2021). Often, grief ministry will
involve pastoral care for months, even years. Iverson reminds the pastoral counselor that anger
is a common response to death (2021). The mnemonic PISA, (Prepare, Inform, Support and
Afterwards), is a tool or strategy for the grief counselor to consider. It allows the entrance and
creation of a safe place for the bereaved to begin to mourn.
Appreciating the Kubler-Ross model, DABDA, (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression
and Acceptance) (Kubler-Ross, 1973) is helpful when approaching the bereaved. Knowing
where a person is at in the process of grieving will assist the pastoral counselor to respond
appropriately. Ensuring safe people and places would certainly involve assisting the bereaved
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Discussion Thread:
Safe Places, Safe People, & Safe Situations
with practical problems. Another straightforward way to ensure safety is to prevent unwise
decisions by surrounding those we minister to with wise counsel.
New relationships can be a key component in healing. Death ends life but doesn’t erase
the relationship. Moving forward the pastoral counselor can invest in the bereaved by pointing
towards healthy habits. Restarting old habits and customs after the ‘time-out’ that tends to
consume families. When an individual returns to ‘normal life’ after caring for a loved one prior
to death, working through the funeral and burial and settling parts of the loved one’s life, it can
be traumatic. Working to support the survivors and getting them back to a functional routine,
can provide a level of safety. In the final book of the Bible, we hear; ‘He will wipe away every
tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor
pain anymore, for the former things have passed away’ (Revelation 21:4, 1985, NIV).
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Discussion Thread:
Safe Places, Safe People, & Safe Situations
References
The Crisis of Death. (2021, January 13). Retrieved February 17, 2022, from
https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/205245/pages/watch-the-crisis-of-death?
module_item_id=19733944
Kübler-Ross, E. (1973). On death and dying. Tavistock Publications.
Wright, H. N. (2014). The Complete Guide to Crisis and Trauma Counseling: What to do and say
when it matters most! Bethany House Publishers.
Zondervan Bible Publishers. (1984). The holy bible, New International Version.
