Emotion Processing in Child Bereavement: Development and Validation of a Counseling Model Based on Resilience and Self-Compassion

Azadeh Sadat Serri; Hosein  Keshavarz Afshar; Zahra  Jahanbakhshi; Elahe  Hejazi

Authors

Azadeh Sadat Serri Counselling, PhD Student, kish International Campus, University of Tehran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4083-0366
Hosein Keshavarz Afshar Associate professor of Counselling, Department of Counseling, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4519-2264
Zahra Jahanbakhshi PhD, Assistant professor of Counselling, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2839-9960
Elahe Hejazi Professor of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8869-9164

Keywords:

emotion processing, resilience, self-compassion, child bereavement

Abstract

The present study aimed to develop and validate a counseling model for processing emotions associated with resilience and self-compassion among mothers who had experienced the death of a child. The model was designed on the basis of a qualitative analysis of the lived experiences of 30 bereaved mothers in Isfahan and was organized into nine weekly 90-minute sessions comprising an interconnected set of components addressing the emotional, cognitive, somatic, meaning-related, identity-related, and interpersonal dimensions of grief. The model is structured around four stages—activation, symbolization, meaning-making, and integration—and incorporates 11 key components, including establishing emotional safety, controlled emotional activation, working with trauma-related experiences, identity reconstruction, strengthening the continuing bond with the deceased child, social support, and planning for exposure to future triggers. The Delphi method was used to evaluate the validity of the model, and experts confirmed the necessity, appropriateness, and coherence of its components across three consecutive rounds. The findings indicated that the model had satisfactory content validity and was consistent with the lived experiences of bereaved mothers as well as with theoretical and therapeutic principles in the field of grief. Accordingly, the developed counseling model may be used as a valid, structured, and feasible intervention to assist mothers who have experienced the death of a child in processing emotions, reconstructing meaning, and strengthening resilience.

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