1st Edition
New Techniques of Grief Therapy Bereavement and Beyond
New Techniques of Grief Therapy: Bereavement and Beyond expands on the mission of the previous two Techniques books, featuring innovative approaches to address the needs of those whose lives have been shadowed by loss—whether through bereavement, serious illness, the rupture of a relationship, or other complex or intangible losses, such as of an identity-defining career.
The book starts with several framing chapters by prominent theorists that provide a big- picture orientation to grief work and follows with a generous toolkit of creative therapeutic techniques described in concrete detail and anchored in illustrative case studies to convey their use in actual practice. New Techniques of Grief Therapy is an indispensable resource for professionals working in hospice, hospital, palliative care, and elder care settings; clinicians in broader health-care and mental health-care practices; executive coaches; and students in the field of grief therapy.
Preface
Foreword by Darcy Harris
List of Contributors
Part I. Framing the Work
1. Reconstructing the Continuing Bond:
A Process Analysis of Grief Therapy
Robert A. Neimeyer and An Hooghe
2. The Meaning in Loss Group:
Principles, Processes and Procedures
Robert A. Neimeyer, Evgenia (Jane) Milman and Edith Maria Steffen
3. Culturally Sensitive Approaches to Finding Meaning in Traumatic Bereavement
Geert E. Smid and Paul A. Boelen
4. Suffering a Death Wish: The Psychology of Medical Aid in Dying
Christopher J. MacKinnon, Deborah Ummel,
Florence Vinit and Erica Srinivasan
5. Grief after Non-Death Losses
Darcy Harris
6. Posttraumatic Growth and Expert Companionship
in Grief Therapy
Richard G. Tedeschi and Lawrence G. Calhoun
Part II. Evaluating Grief
7. The Persistent Complex Bereavement Inventory (PCBI)
Sherman A. Lee and Evgenia (Jane) Milman
8. The Social Meaning in Life Events Scale (SMILES)
Benjamin W. Bellet
9. Quality of Relationships Inventory—Bereavement Version (QRI-B)
Jamison S. Bottomley and Robert A. Neimeyer
10. Death Imagery Scale
Joah L. Williams, Edward K. Rynearson, & Alyssa A. Rheingold
Part III. Moving through Bereavement
11. The Grieving Styles Grid
Robert A. Neimeyer
12. The Grief Dance
Andria Wilson
13. Walking the Labyrinth
Jane Williams
14. Drawing it Out
Cindy S. Perkiss
Part IV. Articulating Ambiguous Loss
15. What Have You Lost?
Robert A. Neimeyer
16. Letters to Love, Time and Death
Robert A. Neimeyer and Kathleen Rogers
17. The Human Animal Bond
Sara Gody Jackson Bybee
Part V. Practicing Self Care
18. MyGrief.ca Online Support
Shelly Cory, Christopher J. MacKinnon, Andrea Warnick and Fred Nelson
19. Differentiating Grief and Depression
Elizabeth Sheppard Hewitt
20. Concentrated Eye Gazing
Antonio Sausys
21. Dance and Movement for Therapist Self-Care
Sara Gody Jackson Bybee
Part VI. Fostering Compassion
22. Forgiveness Therapy
Judy Chew
23. Writing A Letter of Condolence
Lisa L. Clark and Jessica Sawyer
24. Thematic Analysis
Judy Chew
Part VII. Working with Emotion
25. Balancing Caring and Daring
Jakob van Wielink, Leo Wilhelm, and Denise van Geelen-Merks
26. Externalizing Conversations
Carolyn Ng
27. The Castle
Riet Fiddelaers-Jaspers
28. Redecision and Reaffirmation
Gilbert Fan & Geok Ling Lee
29. Figurative Stories
Riet Fiddelaers-Jaspers
Part VIII. Utilizing Imagery
30. Mindful Photography
Jessica Thomas
31. My House After Loss
An Hooghe, Nele Stinckens & Nils Van Uffelen
32. The Virgin Island
Geok Ling Lee
33. The Gate of My Heart
Riet Fiddelaers-Jaspers
Part IX. Revising Personal Meaning
34. Re-composing the Self in the Wake of Loss
Agnieszka Konopka and Robert A. Neimeyer
35. Memory Reconsolidation
Jakob van Wielink, Leo Wilhelm, and Denise van Geelen-Merks
36. The Identity Constellation Exercise
Christopher J. MacKinnon, Dina Szynkarsky and Leigh Stephens
37. Voice Dialogue
Jakob van Wielink and Anita Bakker
38. Symbolic Reframing
Judy Chew
39. Coin Therapy
Gilbert Fan
Part X. Reaffirming Attachment
40. The Transition Cycle
Jakob van Wielink, Leo Wilhelm, and Denise van Geelen-Merks
41. Creating a Sensory Portal
Diana C. Sands
42. Working with Blocks
An Hooghe & Peter Rober
43. The Secure Base Map
Jakob van Wielink, Leo Wilhelm, and Denise van Geelen-Merks
44. Player of Life
Carolyn Ng & Joanne Ng
45. Habits of the Heart
Joshua Magariel
Part XI. Dialoguing with the Deceased
46. Consulting the Deceased
Wendy G. Lichtenthal, Aliza A. Panjwani, and Melissa Masterson
47. Interviewing the Internalized Other
Nancy J. Moules and Kenneth J. Doka
48. Induced After Death Communication
César Valdez, John R. Jordan, and Allan Botkin
Part XII. Validating Lives
49. Dignity Therapy
Harvey Max Chochinov and Lori Montross
50. A Hike to Remember
Erica D. Huber & Laurie A. Burke
51. The Sharing Plate
Cynthia Louise Harrison
52. Life Lessons Learned
Kenneth J. Doka
Part XIII. Re-storying Loss
53. Grief Dialogues
Elizabeth Coplan
54. Response Writing Dialogues
Katarzyna Małecka and Janie Taylor
55. Writing to Heal
Rhonda Davis
56. Karuna Cards
Claudia Coenen
Part XIV. Facilitating Support
57. Envisioning Transitions
Robert A. Neimeyer and Doris Chambers Vaughans
58. The Meaningful Conversation
Wendy G. Lichtenthal, Melissa Masterson, and Aliza A. Panjwani
59. Dyadic Eye Gazing
Rickie Simpson and Kerry-Lyn Stanton-Downes
Biography
Robert A. Neimeyer, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Memphis and Director of the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition, which provides online and onsite training in grief therapy for an international and interdisciplinary community of professionals. Neimeyer has published over 30 books, including Techniques of Grief Therapy: Assessment and Intervention and Grief and the Expressive Arts: Practices for Creating Meaning, the latter with Barbara Thompson. He serves as editor of the journal Death Studies. The author of over 500 articles and book chapters and a frequent workshop presenter, he is currently working to advance a more adequate theory of grieving as a meaning-making process. Neimeyer served as president of the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) and chair of the International Work Group for Death, Dying, and Bereavement. In recognition of his scholarly contributions, he has been granted the Eminent Faculty Award by the University of Memphis, made a fellow of the Clinical Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association, and given Lifetime Achievement Awards by both the Association for Death Education and Counseling and the International Network on Personal Meaning.
"Clinicians want—and need—more than theory to guide them in their work with the bereaved. They also seek effective, how-to information to assist those contending with grief of all kinds, whether prompted by death or non-death loss. Nowhere else in the literature can professionals find such a wealth of interventions that help the mourner identify, express, and transform their responses to loss, reaffirm meaning, revamp life narratives, and develop healthy continued connection to lost loved ones. This book is a must have; it’s a veritable gold mine for all who treat the bereaved, from the newest students to the most seasoned therapists."—Therese A. Rando, PhD, BCETS, BCBT, author of Treatment of Complicated Mourning and co-author of Treating Traumatic Bereavement: A Practitioner’s Guide
"Robert Neimeyer brings us a third outstanding collection in his excellent series on grief counseling and therapy. It features fifty-nine accessible chapters by authors from around the world; addresses diverse challenges in learning how to live meaningfully not only with bereavement but also with non-death-related losses; and concentrates on concrete techniques (illustrated by real-life examples) for supporting others in meeting those challenges. It is filled with innovative methods for practitioners, understanding for advanced students; and wisdom for both."—Thomas Attig, PhD, author of How We Grieve: Relearning the World
"At last! A text that deals with death-related grief as well as that resulting from non-death loss. It offers a broad range of methods for helping persons negotiating both normative and traumatic life transitions. Along with dozens of creative contributors, Bob Neimeyer brings together in this volume his vast clinical experience, artistic talent and novel educational methods to enrich the field and the lives of those it serves."—J. Shep Jeffreys, EdD, FT, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and author, Helping Grieving People: When Tears Are Not Enough
This volume continues Robert Neimeyer’s quest to bring creative insights and interventions to clinicians working with loss and bereavement. The international cast of contributors provides a rich trove of practical tools together with case reports to anchor the learning experience. Whether you are a newcomer to the field or a highly experienced practitioner, this book will broaden and deepen your perspective. My recommendation—Go for it! —Simon Shimshon Rubin, PhD, director of the International Laboratory for the Study of Loss, Bereavement, and Human Resilience, and author of Working with Loss and Bereavement
"This highly anticipated volume brims with therapeutic exercises for people coping with death and non-death losses, providing expert guidance on how, when, and for whom they might be engaged. These versatile techniques to address shattering life events will be essential tools in every clinician’s toolkit."—Donna Schuurman, PhD, director of Advocacy and Training, Dougy Center
"Like the two volumes that precede it, New Techniques of Grief Therapy is an indispensable resource that provides practical, road-tested techniques that are firmly grounded in theory. Each technique is clearly described and, notably, is illustrated by case examples. Whether a student, a clinician, or researcher, the reader will find a treasure trove of new and useful tools to help them serve those who are grieving both death and non-death losses. This volume does much to broaden our responses to the grieving person and to serve them more creatively and effectively." —Christopher Hall, chief executive officer, Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement