Connecting with the Bereaved: Innovations in Group Counseling

Abstract

This article discusses the Teleconferencing Group Counseling service developed by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service–New South Wales as an extension of bereavement aftercare program (The Next Step Programme) for families involved in the organ donation process. It demonstrates that Teleconferencing Group Counseling (TGC) can be a very powerful and versatile tool. Coleaders with up to five group members travel on a bereavement journey, maintaining connection over eight one-hour weekly sessions. Combined with the TGC approach, the use of postcards as visual images to facilitate group process will be examined through two examples utilized in group sessions.