Understanding and Supporting Bereaved Children: A Practical Guide for Professionals

by Andy McNiel MA, Pamela Gabbay EdD, FT

Overview

This practical guide provides a framework and useful techniques for helping bereaved youth in numerous settings

This welcomed addition to the field of childhood bereavement is brimming with innovative yet practical interventions for human service professionals helping grieving youth in a variety of settings. Written by noted experts with over 40 years of combined experience, this comprehensive “how to” book provides both a framework for understanding how grief impacts the lives of children, and models, techniques and interventions for individual, family, and group counseling.

The book is based on best practices and the authors experience working with grieving families. It includes hands-on tips for interacting with and helping grieving children. Specific guidelines are provided for individual and group support including practical methods for creating meaningful spaces for young people to find help, encouragement, and healing. The book’s developmental, environmental, cultural, and social considerations equip professionals with the tools to better understand the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual reactions of their young clients. Additionally, the book offers insightful information on professional accountability, ethical concerns, educational recommendations and training. Professionals who work with bereaved children daily and those who occasionally encounter them in their practice will find a wealth of resources in this book.

Key Features:

• Brimming with innovative, practical interventions to support grieving children and teens
• Provides individual, family, and group counseling models, techniques, and interventions
• Embodies strategies for working with bereaved youth that can be used in a variety of settings, including mental health, health care, schools, and faith communities
• Offers a framework for understanding how grief impacts the lives of children

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826140494
Publisher:	Springer Publishing Company
Publication date:	07/27/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	8 MB

About the Author

Andy McNiel, MA, is a co-owner of Satori Management and Consulting, LLC, providing education and consultation to the death, end-of-life, and bereavement fields.

Pamela Gabbay, EdD, FT, is a co-owner of Satori Management and Consulting, LLC, providing education and consultation to the death, end-of-life, and bereavement fields. Dr. Gabbay is an adjunct faculty member at Brandman University in California and is a member of the training corps for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Donna Schuurman

Preface

Chapter 1 - Understanding Childhood Grief and the Bereavement Professional's Role

Chapter 2 - Impact of Grief on Children

Chapter 3 - Suicide, Homicide, Sudden Death, and Illness

Chapter 4 - Death of a Parent

Chapter 5 - Death of Other Family Members

Chapter 6 - Factors that Promote Health in Grieving Children

Chapter 7 - Modes of Helping

Chapter 8 - Grief Support Settings for Bereaved Children

Chapter 9 - Activities that Engage Children

Chapter 10 - Professional Accountability and Ethical Considerations

Editorial Reviews

"Understanding and Supporting Bereaved Children: A Practical Guide for Professionals by Andy McNiel and Pamela Gabbay is now required reading for my graduate student intern cohort here in Boston. I find it so useful and clear. It serves as a great introduction to those new to the field, and as a helpful affirmation to those of us who have been doing the work for a while!"

Heart Play Program - Jennifer Wiles

"This book is exactly what the authors intended it to be: a practical guide for professionals who work with bereaved children. Andy McNiel and Dr. Pamela Gabbay have written a comprehensive text that clearly demonstrates their many years of knowledge and experience working in the bereavement field. The authors have put together a book filled with solid information relevant to current practice in the field of Thanatology as well as excellent examples that link scholarly information to practical use. They also provide many wonderful activities in the book which can be used by professionals who work with bereaved children. As a professor at a Monmouth University teaching a course in grief counseling, my students use this as their required text for the course. They have given very positive feedback on this book and appreciate the clear, concise way in which the information is portrayed. This book is a must for professionals wanting to know more about how to work with bereaved children."

Common Ground Grief Center - Lynn M. Snyder