Grief and Loss Theories and Skills for the Helping Professions

by Walsh, Katherine

• ISBN13: 9780205827091
• ISBN10: 0205827098
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-10-06
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Provides a variety of case examples applying theory to practice when working with those dealing with grief and loss. Grief and Loss: Theories and Skills for the Helping Professions, 2/e,allows readers to see how essential theories and skills will enhance their own practice. They will gain the core knowledge and skills needed to work with individuals, families, groups, and communities who are experiencing loss and the grief that accompanies it Culture, spirituality, age, gender and other factors that influence grief reactions are discussed, helping readers understand and work with diverse populations. Individual and programmatic responses to grieving people are also included. Each chapter contains exercises that encourage readers to apply the concepts learned and MySocialWorkLab includes a variety of Internet resources and supplemental learning tools. Learning Goals Upon completing this book, readers should be able to: Acquire core knowledge and skills that will prepare readers to work with individuals, families, groups, and communities who are experiencing loss and the grief that accompanies it Understand normal and complicated grief reactions Identify actual as well as symbolic losses Recognize the factors the positively and negatively influence grief reactions Understand the resources and interventions that are effective in helping those who are grieving Note:MySocialWorkLab does not come automatically packaged with this text. To purchase MySocialWorkLab, please visit:www.mysocialworklab.comor you can purchase a valuepack of the text + MySocialWorkLab (at no additional cost). VP: 0205206816

Author Biography

Katherine Walsh has been teaching social workers and other helping professionals while maintaining her own grief work practice for 30 years. A past president of the Association of Oncology Social Work, Director of Psychosocial Services for Hospice, a Clinical Supervisor and tenured Professor of Social Work, Dr. Walsh has won numerous service and leadership awards, authored many book chapters and peer reviewed journal articles and led international exchange programs in End of Life Care in China, Cambodia and Hungary for the National Association of Social Workers. Her own practice and collaborative relationships with students and colleagues have produced a wealth of case examples from a wide variety of settings including schools, hospitals, correctional facilities and foster care agencies as well as traditional social service and mental health settings.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Introduction To Grief And Loss	p. 1
Basic Facts about Loss	p. 1
Why Study Grief and Loss?	p. 2
Loss Experiences that Generate Grief Reactions	p. 4
Grief in every practice setting	p. 4
Summary	p. 8
Symbolic Loss	p. 9
Symbolic Loss	p. 9
Similarities and Differences in Symbolic and Actual Losses	p. 10
Death is acknowledged; symbolic loss often is not	p. 10
Loss due to life transitions	p. 11
Health-related symbolic loss	p. 12
Summary	p. 18
Self-Preparation And Self-Care For Professionals Encountering Loss And Grief	p. 19
Reviewing our Own Experiences and Attitudes Related to Grief	p. 19
Assessing and Enhancing our Readiness to Address Grief in our Work	p. 24
Bringing Up Personal Emotions and Memories for Every Professional	p. 24
Limited preparation and support for grief in organizations	p. 25
Increased Recognition of the Impact of Grief on Professionals	p. 26
Sources of education and support	p. 27
Supervision, Consultation, and Collaboration with Other Helping Professionals	p. 27
Secondary trauma	p. 28
Summary	p. 30
Loss and Grief Across the Life Span: Childhood and Adolescence	p. 31
Loss in the Formative Years	p. 31
External Factors Influencing Grief Reactions in Children and Adolescents	p. 32
The Influence of Development on Grief Reactions	p. 33
Grief Reactions at Different Developmental Stages	p. 34
Infants	p. 35
Age 2-3 years (toddlers)	p. 35
Age 3-6 years	p. 36
Age 6-9 years	p. 37
Age 9-12 years	p. 39
Adolescence	p. 41
Summary	p. 44
Grief And Loss Across The Life Span: Ypung And Middle Adulthood	p. 45
Factors in Addition to Age and Developmental Stage that Influence Grief Reactions	p. 47
Developmental and External Factors Influencing Grief Reactions	p. 51
Young adulthood	p. 51
Middle adulthood	p. 52
Summary	p. 53
Loss And Grief Across The Life Span: Older Adults	p. 55
Loss and Grief Later in Life	p. 55
The Influence of Advanced Age and Longer Life Expectancy	p. 56
Cultural connections and the influence of technology	p. 57
Symbolic and Actual Loss for Older Adults	p. 58
Developmental and External Factors Influencing Grief Reactions	p. 59
Developmental factors	p. 59
External factors affecting older adults	p. 60
Working with Grieving Older Adults	p. 61
Strategies to help older adults	p. 62
Rewards of grief work with older adults	p. 63
Summary	p. 63
Normal And Complicated Grief Reactions	p. 64
Theories that Inform our Understanding of Grief	p. 65
Early psychodynamic theories	p. 66
Theories of contemporary grief practitioners and researchers	p. 67
Common Reactions in "Normal" Grief	p. 68
Complicated Grief	p. 69
Who is at risk for complicated grief?	p. 69
Interventions for Normal and Complicated Grief	p. 74
Why and how can a referral to a mental health professional or grief therapist help?	p. 74
Summary	p. 75
Cultural And Spiritual Influences	p. 77
The Influence of Culture and Spirituality in Coping with Loss and Grief	p. 77
Culture	p. 78
Cultural Awareness, Sensitivity, and Competence	p. 79
Gender and Media Influences	p. 82
Spirituality	p. 84
Summary	p. 88
GriefF In The Context Of Anticipated Loss	p. 90
Anticipated Loss in Diverse Practice Settings	p. 90
"Anticipatory Grief"	p. 92
End of Life and Palliative Care	p. 93
Helping Individuals	p. 94
Helping Families	p. 95
Advance Directives	p. 96
Summary	p. 97
What Can We Do To Help Individuals And Families?	p. 99
Misconceptions about Grief	p. 99
Empathic Communication	p. 101
Interventions for Normal and Complicated Grief	p. 103
Grieving individuals	p. 103
Preventive interventions	p. 104
Monitoring, with social support	p. 104
Bereavement Counseling	p. 104
Grief Therapy	p. 106
Collaborating with Other Helping Professionals	p. 107
Teamwork	p. 107
Functions of team members	p. 108
The role of professional organizations	p. 109
Summary	p. 109
Helping Groups And Organizations	p. 111
Group Models	p. 111
Children's groups	p. 113
Identifying and Developing Organizational Resources	p. 113
Establishing a Bereavement Protocol: Interdisciplinary and Interorganizational Collaboration	p. 115
Summary	p. 117
Communities And Traumatic Grief	p. 118
Trauma	p. 118
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder	p. 120
When Communities Experience Trauma and Grief	p. 121
When communities grieve	p. 122
Creating Remembrances and Memorials	p. 124
Summary	p. 127
Self-Care: Sustainning Hope, Helpfulness, And Competence In Working With Grief	p. 129
Continuing Education and Professional Development	p. 129
Self-Care	p. 131
Professional Support Systems	p. 134
Summary	p. 137
Appendices	p. 138
Common Losses Across the Lifespan	p. 138
Helpful Strategies for Coping With Grief	p. 139
Strategies for Professionals Helping Children and Families Cope With Traumatic Loss	p. 141
Remembrance Celebrations: Planning Your Own Memorial Service	p. 142
Expressive Techniques	p. 145
Caregiver's Retreat Agenda and Sample Invitation Letter	p. 147
Internet Resources	p. 150
Annotated Bibliography	p. 160
References	p. 164
Index	p. 172
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