Alternative Frameworks to the Five Stages of Grief

In the late 60s, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross wrote the book, On Greif and Dying, after years of work with terminally ill patients. In her book, she detailed the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. While her observations were derived from working with the dying, she hypothesized that the five stages also easily translate and be applied to those wrestling with grief and loss. 

Since Kubler-Ross' book was published, other frameworks for the grief process have been written. Below is a brief explanation of those frameworks.

Dual Process Model 

Authored by Margaret Stroebe and Henk Schut in 1999, the Dual Process Model was a paper written in a specific critique of traditional grief theories. Most specifically, they took issue with the idea of grief work and the idea that a griever must work through their grief to find healing. Their Dual Model Process proposes that grief is a dynamic and ongoing process that oscillates between loss-oriented stressors and restoration-oriented coping. Loss-oriented stressors involve grief work, intrusions of grief, breaking the bonds, and denial of restoration. At the same time, restoration-oriented coping deals with the loss's practical and functional aspects, such as planning, managing finances, and reorganizing one's life and new roles. Essentially, the key message in the Dual Process Model was that individuals would bounce back and forth through the processing of their grief. 

Complicated Grief Therapy

Katherine Shear developed this relatively new therapy in 2005. This framework is a highly personalized process simply because there is no prescribed timing before a diagnosis can be given. However, many mental health professionals often diagnose complicated grief therapy when an individual's intense grief lasts longer than 12 months. Most especially when their grief causes them to have a hard time letting go of their loved one, causes them to have intense feelings of loneliness and longing, as well as significant impairments in their ability to work, care for themselves, and engage in social activities. Suggested treatments include psychotherapy, medication, and developing a coping and support plan.

Grief Continuum Model

Phil Cohen authored this model after the passing of his son 14-year-old son. In it, he suggests that not everyone starts their grief journey at the same place, passes through the same stages, or arrives at the same end. Instead, the grief continuum proposes that those who experience loss grieve on a bi-directional continuum, underscoring that grief is, in fact, not a linear process. It may not always start with shock or denial, and while everyone typically lands with acceptance, the road to healing looks different for everyone. 

Regardless of which framework you adhere to or relate to most, the idea is that, ultimately, everyone grieves their own way. These general ideas may apply more to specific causes of death, traumas related to losing a loved one, or the varying personalities that are grieving. It's mutually beneficial to all if we're mindful that everyone's experience of grief is unique and that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to it.