Program „Bereavement” („Żałoba”) na Białorusi: doświadczenie i modele towarzyszenia

The death of a child is not an up-to-the-minute tragedy, but one of the components, making up the whole life of a family. Children approaching the end of the lives along with their parents are going through a vulnerable time and after the death parents tolerate different emotions. The assistance of professionals is vital, but excessive emotional interventions of specialists may have irreversible outcomes. Parents of dying children have to cope with a range of taboos and prohibitions, which have a negative impact on the ‘right’ dealing with the difficult situation. Very often these taboos and prohibitions make the work of psychologists difficult and sometimes even impossible. Staff members must give the information concerning a child’s impending death correctly and timely. Moreover, they shouldn’t talk about death too often and emphatically. To meet children’s needs palliative psychotherapy uses the main principles of centralized and individual approaches. Also it’s vital for a child (who is at the end of life) to have a contact with parents and siblings. Spending a lot of time with a dying child allows to create “baggage” what can be a ‘member recourse’ (letters, pictures and so on). It will give an opportunity for parents to live valuable experience and to reduce pain of the death of a child.