Principles and Practice of Grief Counseling, Second Edition - Softcover

Harris, Darcy L.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0826171834 ISBN 13: 9780826171832

Publisher: Springer Publishing Company, 2015

Synopsis

Praise for the First Edition:

"ÖThis is the sort of text that I would be pleased to use in my classroom!ÖI would highly recommend this book. It is an important contribution to the field."

óGerry R. Cox, PhD, from the review in Illness, Crisis and Loss

This core, introductory textbook for undergraduate- and graduate-level courses is the first to combine the knowledge and skills of counseling psychology with current theory and research in grief and bereavement. Written by two internationally recognized leaders in the field, the second edition has been updated to reflect important new research and changes in the field, including insights on complicated grief, resilience after adverse life experiences, and compassion-based approaches to death, loss, and grief. It discusses the implications of the DSM-5's omission of the bereavement exclusion for the diagnosis of a major depressive disorder. A completely new chapter on the social context of loss addresses social messages, grieving rules, workplace policies, and the disenfranchisement of many aspects of normal, healthy grief. New case scenarios further enrich the second edition.

The text describes the unique aspects of grief as a normal response to losses, both death- and nonñdeath-related, and views the goal of counseling bereaved individuals as one of facilitating the unfolding of the healthy and adaptive aspects of the process as it manifests itself within each client. Specific counseling practices that facilitate successful interventions are discussed, particularly that of "presence," considered by the authors to be the primary therapeutic stance when working with bereaved individuals. Case studies, discussion and reflection questions, and suggested additional resources are included in each chapter.

New to the Second Edition:

• New insights on complicated grief, resilience, DSM categorizations of grief, and compassion-based approaches to death, loss, and grief
• A completely new chapter on the social context of loss, including social messaging, grieving rules, workplace policies, and privacy issues
• New case scenarios
• Addresses the unique aspects of grief after a suicide or homicide
• Distinguishes grief/complicated grief from depression and trauma
• New information on the role and use of grief support groups
• Newly developed models of compassion-based response for counselors
• Application of current neuroscience research to grief counseling
• Use of technology and online counseling

About this title

About the Author

Darcy L. Harris, Ph.D., FT, is an associate professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Programs at King’s University College at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada, where she is the coordinator of the Thanatology Program. She also maintains a private clinical practice with a focus on issues related to change, loss, and transition.

Dr. Harris planned and developed the undergraduate degree program in thanatology at King’s University College, which provides students from around the world with the opportunity to study about death, dying, grief, and bereavement. She has implemented coursework in thanatology in the specific interest areas of critical theory, social justice, and the exploration of grief after nondeath losses. She is also adjunct faculty in the College of Graduate Studies at Western University. She has served on the board of directors for the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC), and she is the recipient of the Death Educator award from this organization. She is also a member of the International Work Group on Death, Dying, and Bereavement (IWGDDB).

Dr. Harris has written extensively and is an internationally recognized speaker, providing presentations and workshops on topics related to death, grief, and loss in contemporary society. Topical areas include the social context of grief in Western society, compassion and mindful awareness in the context of loss and grief, and non-death loss and grief. Her books include Handbook of Social Justice in Loss and Grief, Counting Our Losses: Reflecting on Change, Loss, and Transition in Everyday Life, and Non-Death Loss and Grief: Context and Clinical Implications, and she is the co-editor of Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society: Bridging Research and Practice. She has also authored numerous book chapters and articles in related areas.

Howard R. Winokuer, PhD, LPC, NCC, FT, is the founder of the Winokuer Center for Counseling and Healing in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he maintains a full-time clinical practice. He completed his PhD in 1999 at Mississippi State University, where he developed the first course in grief counseling skills. As the founder of TO LIFE, a not-for-profit educational and counseling organization, he was the associate producer of seven PBS specials and helped pilot one of the first teen suicide prevention programs in the southeastern United States. He has taught numerous courses and has been a guest lecturer at many colleges and universities, including New York University, Rochester University, the University of North Alabama, Queen’s University, Appalachian State University, and the University of North Carolina.

Dr. Winokuer has conducted workshops and seminars throughout the United States as well as nine foreign countries, including programs for St. Christopher’s Hospice and St. George’s Medical Center, London, UK; The National Assistance Board, Barbados; and the United States Embassy at The Hague, Netherlands. He wrote a bimonthly column in The Concord Tribune, “Understanding Grief,” and hosted a regular radio show on WEGO, Life Talk. He was a consultant to WBTV, the local CBS affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina, after the tragedy of September 11 and has been the mental health “professional on call” for Fox TV’s news show The Edge. He has recently appeared on the radio show Healing the Grieving Heart and has been interviewed by the American Counseling Association Journal and Counseling Today, as well as in the Staten Island Advance, The Houston Chronicle, The Charlotte Observer, The Detroit Free Press, and The Chicago Tribune. He also led an international delegation of funeral directors to Russia and Holland to study death and funeral practices in those countries.

Dr. Winokuer has been actively involved in the field of dying, death, and bereavement since 1979. He has presented workshops and seminars to many organizations, including the National Funeral Directors Association, the University of North Carolina’s Department of Neurological Surgery, the Tennessee Health Care Association, and the Presbyterian Hospital. He also developed the crisis management plan for the Cabarrus County School System. He has been an active member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) for almost three decades and is a past president of the organization. In his almost 30 years of membership, he has chaired the national public relations committee, co-chaired the 2000 and 2003 national conferences, served on the board of directors, co-chaired the 2011 international conference that ADEC co-hosted with the International Conference on Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society, served as president, and was one of the co-editors for Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society: Bridging Research and Practice.

Review

This is a thoughtful book about grief counseling and support. It is clear and accessible and useful for professionals who are just at the beginning of their career, or seasoned counselors who wish to reflect and extend their own learnings. In general, the book weaves theory and practical implications in a way that is accessible and practical. There is an excellent glossary at the end of each chapter that serves as a summary of terms. In summary, the book encompasses both solid scholarship combined with wise counsel that is the domain of excellent counseling. This book draws attention to the privilege of this work and the strength and resilience of the human spirit. This book would be a fine addition to any library. (Dr. Annie Cantwell-Bartl)

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0826171834
• ISBN 13: 9780826171832
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 288