Clinical Handbook of Bereavement and Grief Reactions by Eric Bui

Author:Eric Bui
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

Phase 1: Reopening the Story

Sessions 1 and 2: Introducing the Loved one

After orienting clients to the practical issues of confidentiality and structure of the therapy protocol, the therapist honors the narrative nature of attachment [35], by encouraging them to introduce their loved ones, describing not only their death but also the relevant aspects of their lives. Philosophically, this invitation to flesh out and appreciate the relational story of the life of the deceased constitutes an act of resistance to the dominant cultural narrative of death as loss, expunging the existence of the person and requiring detachment or “letting go” as the only approved form of resolution of bereavement. Practically, this opening move also begins to access the broader account of a shared life as well as a synoptic story of the death, as both will provide orientation for subsequent phases of therapy. Thus, clients are invited to describe who their loved ones were as persons, as members of the family, and especially in relation to them, in a way that accentuates their unique qualities, strengths, and life experiences. Some questions that may be used to prompt this discussion include Who was ___ to you? What did having ___ in your life mean to you? Are there particular stories that ___ would want us to know about her life? and What might ___ say he appreciated about you, and how you might deal with the challenges you are facing now? Moving from surface to depth, the therapist encourages clients to share particularly meaningful words and scenarios reminiscent of the deceased to call forward relational connections that could mitigate the pain of the loss, a theme considerably developed in later therapy modules.

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