New Techniques of Grief Therapy Bereavement and Beyond

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