Has anyone here been to a "Grief Counselor"?

Today I was listening to the radio when a talk show host I highly respect recommended that someone whose parent had been diagnosed with terminal cancer go to a Grief Counselor. He said they were excellent resources for families dealing with these types of issues, but he did not elaborate about what this process entails.

If anyone knows, is this something the entire family does, or is it individual therapy?

If you have been through this process, was it helpful? Detrimental?

Any thoughts on this subject would be appreciated.

info...

The other was full of woo... your milage may vary.

I forgot to even ask if this was something you do when the loved one is still alive or not. Sounds like the entire family is involved.

Thank you

Overall I would recommend it for anyone. Even if it doesn't help you by coming together with the rest of the family it may help others.

He lost his wife about 18months ago, and just can't seem to pick up the pieces..he has a 10yr old to raise by himself..for them it would be family based therapy. So far his little girl has attended, and seems to be helping, but they both need to go..

In my experience, most people are unable to benefit from treatment in the weeks immediately following the death-- this is true of any circumstance involving sudden and unexpected death. The shock often provides a (necessary) shield of numbness, but that same numbness interferes with the person's ability to process feeling.
Any modality (individual, group, family) is useful, although obviously not every person finds all modalities equally helpful or effective. Differing modalities may be used at different times depending upon the needs of the client. Group therapy is often very helpful as it enables survivors to come to grips with the fact that they are not alone in their grief. It is important for each survivor to tell his/her story, over and over as necessary, as one way to process events and feelings. Guilt is often a prominent feature of grief surrounding sudden death (not that it isn't when death is expected). Just FYI, I am a social worker (MSW) with many years' experience as a mental health professional.

EDIT: Punctuation.