Counseling Dying Clients

Abstract

This paper reviews approaches to individual counseling with adult dying clients. Potential strengths and weaknesses highlight brief descriptions of the approaches. The different counseling treatments are integrated within the framework of matching treatments with clients. Clients are categorized in terms of Kastenbaum and Aisenberg's four major ways of responding to one's death: overcoming, participating, fearing, and sorrowing. The assumption is made that upon entry to counseling the dying client's reaction to death is likely to reflect largely one of these fours ways of responding to dying. Additionally, controversial issues in the literature are discussed and related to counseling approaches. Finally, directions are suggested for research on counseling dying clients.