WEBSITES
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has a number of very good short articles that can be used as a quick refresher. One relates to bereavement by suicide.
Cruse Bereavement Care runs rd4u – “the road for you” – which is a website where young people can find their own help, their own road through their loss.
The Healing Place, although American in origin, offers quite a few useful materials, such as a list of signs that grieving has become problematic and a good sheet about children attending funerals, with checklists of information they should be given and possiblities for them taking part.
Grief and Bereavement by Karen Horinek is a Powerpoint presentation that includes diagnosing the difference between depression and grief – something we can sometimes get wrong.
Young People, Bereavement and Loss is a well written literature review of the disruption caused to a child’s life by death, focused on Western society and the UK in particular. Interesting idea that it is not all unmitigated loss but that change brings opportunity for good things too.
BOOKS
Interventions with Bereaved Children
Susan Smith and Margaret Pennells (eds )
Jessica Kingsley Publishers 1995
ISBN 978-1853022853
This book differs from workbooks in that there is much discussion along the way, but it has a wealth of resources. You can check the contents on Amazon’s “Look inside” feature. It covers individual, family and groupwork, and interventions with other groups such as those with learning difficulties, those from other cultures, schools who have had a tragedy, and families with HIV issues. Plus a few chapters from the USA. I find this book really useful.
Grief in Children and Grief in Young Children
Atle Dyregrov
Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2008
ISBN 978-1843106128 and 978-1843106500
A thorough grounding in practice that is based on research into what these young children need from adults, in the light of their age and development. A “must read”.
The Children Who Lived
Kathryn and Marc Markell
Routledge 2008
ISBN 978-0415957656
Activities, discussion and games connected to a very detailed study of the seven Harry Potter books plus a few others. For those counsellors and clients who know these books, it will be a useful – and different kind of – resource. There is a CD with all the activity sheets.
Grief Encounter
Shelley Gilbert
Grief Encounter Publications 2004
ISBN 978-0954843403
Shelley Gilbert wrote this workbook “to encourage conversation about loss” between adults and children. It is very good. You can read more at www.griefencounter.com
Supporting Young People Coping with Grief, Loss and Death
Deborah Wweymont, Tina Rae
Paul Chapman Publishing 2006
ISBN 978-1412913128
This is a 12-part course for classes or groups and ranges wide on loss (eg through divorce, refugee status) and grief (eg other religions’ rituals). Includes a CD. It focuses on emotional literacy and includes a range of worksheets and topics for group discussions, for example the pros and cons of cremation or burial; and complex issues such as suicide, murder, assisted death, drugs and the like. In other words, not only for counsellors running groups, but teachers and other facilitators in schools or youth groups.
OTHER
Training
The Child Bereavement Charity runs regular training days, and has information for professionals and bereaved families, and also a shop.
DVD
The Legacy of Unresolved Loss. A family systems approach in 26 minutes (covering eight sessions), available from psychotherapy.net. UK postage is reasonable.
