Clinical Implications of Family Meaning-Making in Bereavement

Grief is rarely an individual experience, and the impact of a loss can extend far into a family system, and usually has complex and lasting consequences for each member of a family and the family unit as a whole, and the struggle to make sense of a loss, any loss, is often the most difficult part of the grieving process. Drawing from her own extensive clinical background, Dr. Nadeau presents a clinical framework for incorporating the meaning-making process into family discussions both in and out of the therapy room. A powerful vignette, the story of "Laura," an eleven-year old girl who died in her father's arms after falling from her horse during a routine day of riding, forms a central thread for the book, and subsequent chapters will use her family's experience to further ground the clinical implications of the material into a real life illustration. This volume will help practitioners from all backgrounds and disciplines to work with families and family members struggling to make sense of a loss.