Providing End-of-Life Counseling: A Narrative Inquiry

This qualitative study aimed to address the gap in the research related to end-of-life counseling by exploring the experiences of counselors working with clients at end of life. While counseling literature and education are lacking regarding end of life, many counselors will work alongside clients approaching death. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to better understand the nuanced experiences of counselors providing end-of-life counseling and (b) to explore the supports and preparations helpful for counselors to provide end-of-life counseling. A narrative approach, using the Listening Guide (Gilligan, 2015), was employed to analyze and present the stories of three counselors with experience providing end-of-life counseling. During the analyses, a pattern of perspective-taking in speech, termed “the voice of empathy,” was identified across all participants. Additionally, several areas of convergence (e.g., heaviness of the work, rewarding work) emerged. Findings generated relevant implications for the counseling field, including the need for enhancing death competency in counseling curriculum and supervision practices. Findings also highlighted the need for counseling advocacy, particularly regarding Medicare, to ensure that individuals at end of life have access to necessary mental health counseling.