Helping Bereaved Children, First Edition: A Handbook for Practitioners

From the editor of the widely acclaimed Play Therapy with Children in Crisis, this new volume explores a related and still neglected area - childhood bereavement. Drawing on the clinical experiences of mental health professionals who work with bereaved children, this handbook presents not only the theoretical principles that guide interventions, but also detailed descriptions of the helping process. The book brings to life a variety of counseling techniques and therapeutic interventions for helping children who have suffered a loss. Full-length clinical examples illustrate an array of treatment strategies for working with children at various developmental stages and with different kinds of bereavement. Solidly grounded in developmental psychology, the book presents a range of intervention approaches from counseling to therapy. A unique, two-column format provides the reader with not only the content of the sessions, but also the practitioner's accompanying thoughts and rationale for intervention. Part I presents a theoretical framework that offers insight into the child's view of death, and guidance for assessment and treatment. A number of reproducible forms are provided for recording significant information about the child's background, the situation surrounding the death, and the child's potential support systems - family, community, and religious. Part II Focuses on children's reactions to the death of family members. A wide range of situations are examined, From the anticipated, timely death of a grandparent to the traumatic murder-suicide of both parents. A variety of treatment modalities are presented, including family therapy, individual play therapy, and group bereavementcounseling. The third part covers deaths that affect communities of children, such as the death of a neighborhood friend, classmate, or teacher. Because children's ages and personal histories affect their responses to death, the book demonstrates the need for multilevel interventions

"A gem that must be in the library of all health care professionals and school and recreational personnel who work with children. So much comprehensive and practical wisdom is superbly expressed in this single volume!" --From the Foreword by Earl A. Grollman, D.D., author of Talking about Death: A Dialogue between Parent and Child "This is an eminently practical book filled with sound theory, illustrative cases, and well thought out, clinically based approaches to helping children cope with loss. It deserves a place on the bookshelf of any practitioner who assists bereaved children." --Kenneth J. Doka, Ph.D., College of New Rochelle, President 93-94, Association for Death Education and Counseling "The impact of death on children and how to assist in the healing process is one of the least understood concepts in the field of mental health. Helping Bereaved Children: A Handbook for Practitioners is a vitally needed text that will fill a large gap in the training of those who will encounter grieving children in their work including therapists, child care workers, teachers, pastors, school counselors, and youth workers. We cannot afford to poorly handle or inadequately address the needs of the many children impacted annually by a significant loss. I highly recommend that this book be in the library of every professional who works with children." --Donna L. Schuurman, Ed.D., Executive Director, The Dougy Center for Grieving Children "This book will provide an excellent resource for those working with bereaved children. The detailed case discussions are especially valuable for the therapist in training." --J. William Worden, Ph.D., Co-Director, Child Bereavement Study, Massachusetts General Hospital "Dr. Nancy Boyd Webb has compiled a timely, extremely useful book for social work students, teachers and practitioners in virtually any setting....a well researched, well organized book that flows so easily that one forgets that the book was not written by her exclusively.... One of the book's unique features is the number of reproducible forms, with the publisher's permission, for recording significant data about the child's background, the events surrounding the death and the child's potential support systems. These forms are excellent teaching tools and welcome additions to clinical practice.... The wealth of material contained in this book will enable many students and clinicians who must serve bereaved children now, without the benefit of formal training to confront this enormous challenge with greater sensitivity and insight. This book is likely to become a popular reference text for most health and mental health professional who work with children and families." --Susan Bendor, D.S.W. Associate Professor, Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University "There have been a scant few books published that could serve as a primary resource for the individual who is preparing to provide support to bereaved children. "Helping Bereaved Children," edited by Nancy Boyd Webb, is a book that more than adequately fills the gap..." --"The Thanatology Newsletter" "Not only is this book strongly recommended for those who are preparing to become counselors/therapist, but it should be required reading for all counselors/therapist who are currently engaged in providing support or therapy to children in crises." --"The Thanatology Newsletter" "A practical, useful, and inspiring handbook, which will assist all mental health practitioners in counseling or providing therapy for children who have become, to put it in the editor's words, 'bereaved suddenly, traumatically or naturally.'" --The American Journal of Family Therapy "Webb does an admirable job of providing essential information about children and encounters they have with the death of family and community members and describing interventions designed to help children cope with their grief...Webb's strengths as an editor show clearly in the chapter format and its consistent use in each chapter, as well as in her ability to select competent and knowledgeable writers on each topic...a first-rate resource for professionals...Anyone who is not thoroughly familiar with these areas of study and intervention would gain from reading it. In addition, faculty training child and family helping professionals should consider it a possible text for relevant courses." --"Contemporary Psychology" .,."an excellent guide for handling a profoundly disturbing problem--children and their reaction todeath...Webb has complied an excellent resource for practitioners and students...This book should be immensely helpful to practitioners who work with bereaved children and consequently of great benefit to the children themselves." --"Journal of Contemporary Human Services" "Dr. Nancy Boyd Webb has complied a timely, extremely useful book for social work students, teachers and practitioners in virtually any setting..well researched, well organized book that flows so easily that one forgets that the book was not written by her exclusively...One of the book's unique features is the number of reproducible forms, with the publisher's permissions, for recording significant data about the child's background, the events surrounding the death and the child's potential support system. These forms are excellent teaching tools and welcome additions to clinical practice...the wealth of material contained in this book will enable many students and clinicians who must serve bereaved children now, without the benefit of formal training to confront this enormous challenge with greater sensitivity and insight. This book is likely to become a popular reference text for most health and mental health professionals who work with children and families." --Jewish Social Work Forum "A comprehensive guide for therapists working with bereaved children...offers both sensitive and practical interventions for therapists who work with bereaved children. "Helping Bereaved Children "is an excellent resource and guide for students who are just beginning their career in the field of counseling, as well as a refresher for more seasoned professionals." --"Social Work in Health Care" "Webb has done an excellentjob of coordinating the work of contributors. Each chapter begins with a brief review of related literature and the approach used, presents case vignettes with backgound information, and summarizes the therapy....A moving account of how children grieve and a particularly poignant and useful model for the internal dialogue which therapists employ." --"Child Development Abstracts & Bibliography" "This book draws on the clinical experiences of mental health professionals who have counseled and treated bereaved children, and illustrates an assortment of therapeutic techniques and treatment strategies. Case studies describe how play therapy and grief counseling can help children cope with the death of family members, classmates, or teachers." --"Journal of Social Work Education" "It is, as Earl Grollman writes in the foreword, a gem! The concern many of us share about what is happening to our children should compel us to find quality resources related to grief and loss. This is one volume which should be on the list." --Minnesota Council on Family Relations "A good reference...The book includes lots of useful material: assessment forms, family and play therapy models and lists of training and certification programs and other references." --"Youth Today" "An excellent resource for anyone communicating with a child who has been impacted by the death of another. The book was written most specifically to assist mental health practitioners in their therapeutic endeavors with bereaved children. Because of this approach, this book would also be extremely useful for physicians, nurses, school and religious counselors, and indeed, any person wishing to alleviate the pain and sufferingof a bereaved child. The primary strength of this book is the thoroughness of its content. The presentation is very well organized, enabling the reader to locate any information he or she might be seeking....There are excellent guidelines for the initiation and implementation of bereavement support groups for children. There are practical guidelines and examples of how to deal with groups of children in situations when there has been a loss in the school or community, including a discussion of the extra attention valuable to specific children within these groups. I would highly recommend "Helping Bereaved Children,."..This book is current, scientifically sound, organized for quick reference, and easy to understand. The contents are rich in practical and useful information as well as the inclusion of extensive reference materials. It would be an invaluable addition to any health professional's resource library." --"The Hospice Journal" "A timely and worthwhile resource....Readers with varying levels of clinical experience will find [this book] valuable....[It] fulfills the promise of good handbooks: supplying the reader with a ready sampling of nearly every concievable situation one might encounter in clinical practice." --"Journal of Pediatric Psychology"