Supporting People Through Loss and Grief : An Introduction for Counsellors and Other Caring Practitioners

It can be hard to know what to talk about with a bereaved person over a period of time once you have offered your condolences. This book shows how, by using good active listening skills, empathic exploration and a willingness to talk about the hard issues, you can embark on a process of sensitive conversation that helps the bereaved person to come to terms with their grief. Dodie Graves outlines a practical framework of six elements for conversing with bereaved people in a structured but flexible way that avoids prescriptive instructions. The elements include talking about the story of the deceased, their relationship with the person, celebrating their life, discussing their legacy, strategies for coping and thinking about the journey undertaken. She shows how to use the elements in conversations with individuals and groups, and for each element suggests creative activities and open questions that can be used, provides anecdotes and case vignettes, and gives a brief summary of the theory pertinent to each stage of the conversation. Talking with Bereaved People is an approachable tool for anyone working with bereaved people, including counsellors, voluntary bereavement agencies, church pastoral teams, hospice and hospital staff, trainers and social workers. Advice, information and guidance on helping the bereaved in the aftermath of a suicide. *Highly Commended in the Health and Social Care category at the 2012 British Medical Association Book Awards*Those left behind in the wake of suicide are often plagued by unanswered questions and feelings of guilt. Helping them to understand why the suicide happened, how suicide survivors commonly react and cope, and where they can find support can help them move forwards on their path from grief to recovery.Drawing on the testimonies of suicide survivors and research into suicide bereavement, this book provides those working with the bereaved with the knowledge and guidance they need. It covers common grief and crisis reactions, including those specific to children and young people, how suicide bereavement differs from other forms of bereavement, and how others have coped and been supported. It also addresses how the bereaved can move on, including advice on support networks including friends, family, professionals and other bereaved people.This book will be invaluable to all those supporting those who have been bereaved by suicide, including counsellors, bereavement support workers, social workers, and psychologists *Highly Commended in the Health and Social Care category at the 2012 British Medical Association Book Awards* Those left behind in the wake of suicide are often plagued by unanswered questions and feelings of guilt. Helping them to understand why the suicide happened, how suicide survivors commonly react and cope, and where they can find support can help them move forwards on their path from grief to recovery. Drawing on the testimonies of suicide survivors and research into suicide bereavement, this book provides those working with the bereaved with the knowledge and guidance they need. It covers common grief and crisis reactions, including those specific to children and young people, how suicide bereavement differs from other forms of bereavement, and how others have coped and been supported. It also addresses how the bereaved can move on, including advice on support networks including friends, family, professionals and other bereaved people. This book will be invaluable to all those supporting those who have been bereaved by suicide, including counsellors, bereavement support workers, social workers, and psychologists. What are the different theories of grief? What skills do you need for effective counselling? How can you support people experiencing loss and grief? This handbook provides a comprehensive guide to counselling and supporting people experiencing loss and grief. It introduces the different models and theories of grief, how theory relates to practice and what the essential skills are, and how to work with people in practice. Working with families, understanding diversity and assessing clients are all covered, as well as a chapter on personal and professional development. Case studies and real life examples demonstrate skills in action, and each chapter concludes with notes for trainers. This essential guide will help all those working with people suffering loss and grief to understand grief and how to help. Counsellors, bereavement support volunteers, palliative care nurses, hospice volunteers and students in these fields will all find this an invaluable resource. It can be used as a training guide as well as a resource for individuals, both as a learning tool and for continuing professional development.

Those who have been bereaved are in need of support, and group work is an effective way in which people can come together and support each other in a trusted environment.

This book provides a practical introduction to setting up and facilitating bereavement support groups, giving facilitators the confidence to run a group. It guides the reader through all the stages of setting up a group, and examines different types of facilitation and the skills needed. Case studies illustrate different types of group, such as closed, time-limited groups and open groups, and the potential of online groups is discussed. Chapters also cover group dynamics, handling challenging situations, and overcoming problems that may arise.

This accessible book will help to make groups successful for both participants and facilitators, and will be a valued source of information and guidance to those working with bereaved people, including hospice and hospital staff, counselors, trainers, managers and social workers.

Those who have been bereaved are in need of support, and groupwork is an effective way in which people can come together and support each other in a trusted environment. This book provides a practical introduction to setting up and facilitating bereavement support groups, giving facilitators the confidence to run a group. It guides the reader through all the stages of setting up a group, and examines different types of facilitation and the skills needed. Case studies illustrate different types of group, such as closed, time-limited groups and open groups, with a discussion about the potential of online groups. Chapters also cover group dynamics, handling challenging situations, and overcoming problems that may arise. This accessible book helps to make groups successful for both participants and facilitators, and is a valued source of information and guidance for those working with bereaved people, including hospice and hospital staff, counsellors, trainers, managers and social workers. Those who have been bereaved are in need of support, and group work is an effective way in which people can come together and support each other in a trusted environment. This book provides a practical introduction to setting up and facilitating bereavement support groups, giving facilitators the confidence to run a group. It guides the reader through all the stages of setting up a group, and examines different types of facilitation and the skills needed. Case studies illustrate different types of group, such as closed, time-limited groups and open groups, and the potential of online groups is discussed. Chapters also cover group dynamics, handling challenging situations, and overcoming problems that may arise. This accessible book will help to make groups successful for both participants and facilitators, and will be a valued source of information and guidance to anyone either running or considering running a bereavement support group.

Writing in Bereavement is a practical creative handbook that will assist counselors, volunteers and others in their work with bereaved adults. Writing is a powerful outlet for the emotions that accompany grief and it is therefore a valuable therapeutic tool to help those who are bereaved communicate their experiences and adjust to life after their loss.

Jane Moss provides imaginative creative writing exercises for groups and individuals, using a variety of genres and literary forms and techniques. She offers advice on how to plan and run successful workshops with the bereaved, and how to evaluate their effectiveness. Using the techniques in this book, counselors can help grieving individuals find a voice to cope with profound changes in their life, complete unfinished conversations, write for remembrance, use creativity as a respite from sadness, and finally begin to move forward from grief and imagine the future.

Writing in Bereavement is a practical creative handbook that will assist counsellors, volunteers and others in their work with bereaved adults. Writing is a powerful outlet for the emotions that accompany grief and it is therefore a valuable therapeutic tool to help those who are bereaved communicate their experiences and adjust to life after their loss. Jane Moss provides imaginative creative writing exercises for groups and individuals, using a variety of genres and literary forms and techniques. She offers advice on how to plan and run successful workshops with the bereaved, and how to evaluate their effectiveness. Using the techniques in this book, counsellors can help grieving individuals find a voice to cope with profound changes in their life, complete unfinished conversations, write for remembrance, use creativity as a respite from sadness, and finally begin to move forward from grief and imagine the future. Suicide and the bereaved Suicide around the world After the suicide Common grief and crisis reactions The unique aspects of reactions to suicide Children and young people bereaved by suicide Coping on the road ahead Support from social networks Support from other bereaved - peer support The role of professionals Grief, growth and development Why suicide? This accessible book provides complete guidance for those working with the suicide bereaved. It addresses why the suicide happened, how suicide survivors commonly react and cope, and where support can be found. Drawing on the testimonies of suicide survivors and research, it will help the bereaved move forwards on their path from grief to recovery. A practical introduction to setting up and facilitating bereavement support groups, guiding the reader through all stages. It examines the different skills needed, and uses case studies and research to suggest models of best practice across a range of group settings. The guidance will help make groups successful for participants and facilitators. This practical creative handbook provides imaginative writing exercises for counsellors, volunteers and others working with the bereaved, and offers advice on how to plan and run effective group workshops and individual sessions. Through writing, clients are helped to communicate their experiences of grief and adjust to life after their loss This accessible handbook provides a comprehensive guide to working with people experiencing grief, bereavement and loss. It covers theories and models of grief, essential skills and how to support people in practice. It is essential reading for counsellors, bereavement support volunteers, palliative care nurses, students and trainers This work offers a practical framework for conversing with bereaved people, either with individuals or in a group setting. The author uses a table of six elements to give guidance to the listener about where they might be in the conversation and how to move forward with the bereaved person Writing in Bereavement: A Creative Handbook (Writing for Therapy or Personal Development)