My space or yours
Using technology in bereavement work with adolescents
Keywords:
Social networking, electronic communication, bereavement, adolescent, counsellingAbstract
Electronic communication and social networking sites form an increasingly central part of young people's lives today. In bereavement work, counsellors and bereavement support workers need to adjust their approaches to the needs of adolescents, if they are successfully to engage them in the work. Incorporating online social networking sites, such as MySpace.com, in bereavement support sessions with adolescents may be helpful: in establishing trust, in providing insight into the young person's feelings and thoughts, in enabling support to be tailored to the young person's needs and in assessment of progress. This article draws on a number of case studies to illustrate its argument for the benefits of working with these new technologies, while keeping mindful of important safety concerns.
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