The five stages of grief, defined by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in 1969, have helped many people make sense of their experience after a loss. Kübler-Ross developed the model to describe how people with terminal illness experience the dying process, and it was later applied to loss and grief.
The My Stages of Grief worksheet allows clients to describe their experiences with the stages of grief. These may include thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, or anything else relevant to their experience.
Although the stage model is not supported by science as a predictor of how people experience grief, many people identify with the stages. They may identify with the experience of passing from one stage to another, being “stuck” in a stage, or being in multiple stages at the same time. Alternatively, they may feel their experience is not well captured by the stage model. In any case, this model can be a valuable tool for helping clients process their unique grief experience.
After your client completes the worksheet, consider asking any of the following questions:
- Which stage resonates most with your experience?
- Is there a part of your grief experience that’s not represented by the stages?
- How do you manage intense feelings of grief?
Pair this worksheet with our Stages of Grief handout.
