First published in 1996. This new book gives voice to an emerging consensus among bereavement scholars that our understanding of the grief process needs to be expanded. The dominant 20th century model holds that the function of grief and mourning is to cut bonds with the deceased, thereby freeing the survivor to reinvest in new relationships in the present. Pathological grief has been defined in terms of holding on to the deceased. Close examination reveals that this model is based more on the cultural values of modernity than on any substantial data of what people actually do. Presenting data from several populations, 22 authors - among the most respected in their fields - demonstrate that the health resolution of grief enables one to maintain a continuing bond with the deceased. Despite cultural disapproval and lack of validation by professionals, survivors find places for the dead in their on-going lives and even in their communities. Such bonds are not denial: the deceased can provide resources for enriched functioning in the present. Chapters examine widows and widowers, bereaved children, parents and siblings, and a population previously excluded from bereavement research: adoptees and their birth parents. Bereavement in Japanese culture is also discussed, as are meanings and implications of this new model of grief. Opening new areas of research and scholarly dialogue, this work provides the basis for significant developments in clinical practice in the field.

The period following the death of a friend or loved one can be tumultuous for anyone, but can be especially difficult for children, with lasting effects if the loss is not acknowledged or supported. This book emphasises the importance of listening to children and helping them to create positive bonds that can sustain them as they go through their lives. It provides practical, creative approaches to support children in their time of bereavement and to those whose loved one is dying. By recognising feelings of pain, anger, and confusion through open and positive discussions, a child is able to build emotional resilience and create enduring memories of the person they have lost. The author explains the importance of developing continuing bonds between children and loved ones in times of bereavement and offers practical ways in which these bonds may be nurtured through creative activities, memory making, and personal storytelling.

Culture, Consolation, and Continuing Bonds in Bereavement presents Dennis Klass’s most important contributions to the scholarship of grief and bereavement. Journal articles, book chapters, and previously unpublished works cover more than 40 years of study and practice on the forefront of our understanding of individual, family, and community grief. The writings range widely, including explorations of continuing bonds and consolation, aspects of grief that were missing when Klass began his work, studies of grief across different cultures, and critical analyses of theories that were popular in grief scholarship but inadequately described bereaved parents’ experiences. The book ends with a previously unpublished case study of Charles Darwin, whose experience as a bereaved parent informed the worldview at the heart of his theory of natural selection. This collection of essays offers an integral understanding of how individuals move through grief and is a valuable addition to the library of anyone working with topics relevant to grieving adults, children, and adolescents.

The introduction of the continuing bonds model of grief near the end of the 20th century revolutionized the way researchers and practitioners understand bereavement. Continuing Bonds in Bereavement is the most comprehensive, state-of-the-art collection of developments in this field since the inception of the model. As a multi-perspectival, nuanced, and forward-looking anthology, it combines innovations in clinical practice with theoretical and empirical advancements. The text traces grief in different cultural settings, asking questions about the truth in our interactions with the dead and showing how new cultural developments like social media change the ways we relate to those who have died. Together, the book’s four sections encourage practitioners and scholars in both bereavement studies and in other fields to broaden their understanding of the concept of continuing bonds.

We tend to understand grief as a predictable five-stage process of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. But in The Other Side of Sadness, George Bonanno shows that our conventional model discounts our capacity for resilience. In ...

This practical guide provides a framework and useful techniques for helping bereaved youth in numerous settings This welcomed addition to the field of childhood bereavement is brimming with innovative yet practical interventions for human service professionals helping grieving youth in a variety of settings. Written by noted experts with over 40 years of combined experience, this comprehensive “how to” book provides both a framework for understanding how grief impacts the lives of children, and models, techniques and interventions for individual, family, and group counseling. The book is based on best practices and the authors experience working with grieving families. It includes hands-on tips for interacting with and helping grieving children. Specific guidelines are provided for individual and group support including practical methods for creating meaningful spaces for young people to find help, encouragement, and healing. The book’s developmental, environmental, cultural, and social considerations equip professionals with the tools to better understand the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual reactions of their young clients. Additionally, the book offers insightful information on professional accountability, ethical concerns, educational recommendations and training. Professionals who work with bereaved children daily and those who occasionally encounter them in their practice will find a wealth of resources in this book. Key Features: Brimming with innovative, practical interventions to support grieving children and teens Provides individual, family, and group counseling models, techniques, and interventions Embodies strategies for working with bereaved youth that can be used in a variety of settings, including mental health, health care, schools, and faith communities Offers a framework for understanding how grief impacts the lives of children

Personal Process in Child-Centred Play Therapy provides a very specific exploration of the play therapy process from the personal perspective of the play therapist. This volume examines the personal challenges, opportunities, losses and gains, and numerous obstacles that one has to negotiate through the course of both training to become a play therapist and working as a qualified clinician with children who have complex life difficulties. The book aims to offer a forum within which the role, function and process of the "personal" within play therapy can be explored. Bringing together a number of experienced play therapists, the book shares often deeply personal accounts of their experience of training and clinical practice. Chapters challenge the unspoken therapist taboos of shame, childhood trauma, vulnerability and grief, shining a light on the more hidden areas of therapist experience. Clinical issues around the unconscious process are also explored, but once again from the personal position of the play therapist, rather than the child. With a unique and distinct perspective on the therapeutic process, this book is specifically intended for both trainee and experienced play therapists, but will be relevant to all psychotherapists involved in working therapeutically with children and young people.