Application of Person-Centred Counselling in Managing Grief and Bereavement Among Widows in Kogi State

Grief and bereavement in the Nigerian context are compounded by cultural mourning obligations, economic insecurity, and limited access to professional psychosocial support, making person-centred counselling an important community-based intervention modality. This study examined the application of person-centred counselling in managing grief and bereavement among widows in Kogi State, North Central Nigeria. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design was used, involving 60 recently bereaved widows recruited from community welfare associations in Lokoja and Kabba. Participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received ten weeks of individual person-centred counselling sessions, while the control group attended community grief circles without structured counselling. The Grief Experience Inventory (GEI) and the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief (TRIG) were administered at both stages. Data were analysed using analysis of covariance. Results showed statistically significant reductions in grief intensity and complicated mourning indicators among participants in the person-centred counselling group. Acceptance and unconditional positive regard emerged as the most therapeutically valued elements. The study recommended that community counselling centres and government social welfare departments in Kogi State deploy trained person-centred counsellors for bereavement support programmes, with specific sensitivity training for cultural grief practices in the state. Keywords: person-centred counselling, grief, bereavement, widows, Kogi State.