Manual for Psychologists – Articulating a Unified Response to the Covid-19 Outbreak Reconstruction After Loss in Europe

Abstract

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This manual, developed within the AURORA@COVID19-EU project, is a training resource for qualified psychologists supporting bereaved adults in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. It explains how pandemic conditions such as social isolation, disrupted death rituals, uncertainty surrounding death, and reduced access to support intensified bereavement and increased the risk of complicated grief reactions. The manual combines foundational grief theory with practical guidance on distinguishing natural from complicated grief, assessing therapeutic needs, and intervening in clinically meaningful ways. It presents three principal therapeutic approaches—Emotion-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and an eclectic approach—and also considers bereavement work in online and group settings. Overall, the manual aims to strengthen professional grief intervention and contribute to more compassionate, grief-literate responses to loss