The simple act of feeling connected to an empathetic therapist who can name and understand the adolescent's pain and who provides a safe environment in which to ask the “Why me?” question and make the “God is not fair” accusation helps relieve the pain. It can also play an important role in mitigating the issues that can plague grieving adolescents, including self-consciousness; fear of being labeled abnormal; feelings of detachment, shame, and guilt; behavioral disturbances; alcohol and drug use; violence; and sexual acting out.
The need for such a connection is especially important as adolescents move through developmental stages and achieve different levels of understanding. Having a safe place in which to revisit the death and fit the accompanying emotions into the bigger grief puzzle gives the adolescent insight into the complete picture.