My Stages Of Grief Worksheet

GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC

Worksheet published on April 25th, 2023

My Stages Of Grief Worksheet

In 1969, Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross developed the 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Each stage represents a common experience with grief when coping with loss. 

While present-day professionals argue against the validity of the theory, the 5 stages are often referenced for their representation of common experiences associated with grief.

The following are key points that professionals have made about Dr. Kübler-Ross’s original theory:

  • Not everyone who is grieving will experience every stage
  • The stages of grief are often not experienced in a linear sequence
  • Grief does not end with the acceptance stage
  • People may go through cycles of repeating different stages at different times and in different ways
  • Grieving can be complex and may affect people in ways other than what is represented in the 5 stages

The 5 stages of grief offer a general guide to common ways a person may feel and work through their grief, which can help a client understand how they are feeling and what they need to cope with their loss.

About This Worksheet

This is the My Stages Of Grief worksheet. This worksheet combines education about the 5 stages of grief with a self-reflection exercise. It outlines each stage of grief and how it may affect a grieving client. 

The My Stages Of Grief worksheet also offers prompts for reflection, which are to be used as thought-starters for reflecting on the content of each stage. The My Stages Of Grief worksheet is helpful for adults processing grief in individual and group therapy settings.

When using this worksheet, keep in mind that there is no particular order in which a person may experience the 5 stages, not all stages are experienced by everyone, and experiencing all 5 stages does not represent the resolution of the client’s grief.

Instructions

Review each stage of grief with the client and talk about what it means to grieve. Be sure to explain that the stages of grief can be used as a guide for understanding general patterns of grief and that grief can be experienced in different ways and does not necessarily follow the linear path that the 5 Stages Of Grief outline. 

Ask the client if they identify with any of the stages listed. If there is a stage that is standing out to them, discuss how it relates to their strongest feelings of grief.

After the discussion, have the client write a reflection on if and how they relate to each stage in the spaces provided. Review their responses with them and open a dialog about how they understand their grief process.

Download My Stages Of Grief Worksheet

Link To This Worksheet

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