Sibling Loss Across the Lifespan brings together researchers, clinicians, and bereaved siblings to explore sibling loss. Unique in both form and content, the book focuses on loss within five key age ranges—childhood, adolescence, emerging adulthood, adulthood, and late adulthood—and losses within a special topics section that addresses areas of interest across multiple age groups. In addition to chapters from researchers and clinicians, the book includes personal stories from bereaved siblings who describe the lived experience of this loss.
Sibling Loss Across the Lifespan brings together researchers, clinicians, and bereaved siblings to explore sibling loss. Unique in both form and content, the book focuses on loss within five key age ranges—childhood, adolescence, emerging adulthood, adulthood, and late adulthood—and losses within a special topics section that addresses areas of interest across multiple age groups. In addition to chapters from researchers and clinicians, the book includes personal stories from bereaved siblings who describe the lived experience of this loss.
Praise for the First Edition: "[This book] represents a significant advance because it looks at the issues from a bio-psychosocial perspective. To a social worker who has worked mainly in a medical and nursing environment, this is a great step forward." --Bereavement Care "[Offers] valued sensitivities, knowledge, and insights, and most importantly, age-appropriate interventions for a range of significant losses....Counselors will want to keep this indispensable work close at hand." -Kenneth J. Doka, PhD, Author, Counseling Individuals With Life-Threatening Illness This unique text for undergraduate and masterís level social work and counseling courses on loss, grief, and bereavement is distinguished by its biopsychosocial perspective and developmental framework. The book addresses grieving patterns and intervention strategies according to the life trajectory and provides clinical intervention tools and strategies for coping according to the developmental stage of an individual. It incorporates losses beyond death loss, with special focus on losses related to maturational development. The second edition reflects new research that has clarified and underscored the value of theories examined in the first editionóparticularly in the areas of continued bonds, disenfranchised grief, and ambiguous grief. It describes how grieving is influenced by biological responses to stress, psychological responses to loss, and social norms and support networks. The second edition includes significant new information on trauma and resilience and addresses the use of mindfulness practices with grief and loss. It focuses on the changing role of technology including expressions of grief and loss in social media and public forums. Updated information is provided regarding hospice and palliative care, , along with housing issues in aging. A completely new chapter examines grief and loss counseling with emerging adults, and changes in the DSM 5 are covered as well. Additional new features include chapter objectives, discussion questions, an instructorís manual, PowerPoint slides, and updated resources. New to the Second Edition: New information on trauma and resilience Using mindfulness practices with grief and loss Updated theory and empirical findings The changing role of technology in grief Expressions of grief and loss in social media and public forums Transitions due to economic and health changes Changes in the DSM 5 New chapter on emerging adults (ages 18-25) Instructorís manual and PowerPoint slides New information on hospice, palliative care and aging Housing issues in aging/disability New information on issues facing young and older US veterans and families Updated resources Chapter objectives and discussion questions Key Features: Uses a developmental framework for grief and loss Incorporates notions of loss beyond death, including unique maturational losses Integrates new grief theories with empirical findings and intervention techniques Utilizes neurobiological and biological information within a counseling text Focuses on non-pathologizing approaches to sadness, loss, and grief
When one begins to examine the existing literature dealing with siblings, one soon becomes aware that many separate domains of sibling research exist and that there is little connection between them; for example, sibling relationships in early childhood, genetic and environmental influences on individual differences between siblings, dysfunctional sibling relation ships, adult sibling helping relationships, sibling violence and abuse, and so on. The author's aim in writing this book was to attempt to bring together for the first time studies from diverse areas of sibling research into a single volume. The book is a summary and integration of the various domains of sibling studies, extending across the life span where studies exist to make this possible. Although many gaps in the sibling research literature within and between domains of study and over the life span still exist, it is hoped that this book will motivate others to help fill in the gaps by suggesting direc tions where further research is needed.
Note to Readers: Publisher does not guarantee quality or access to any included digital components if book is purchased through a third-party seller. The third edition of this unrivaled text on loss, grief, and bereavement continues to provide a unique biopsychosocial perspective and developmental framework for understanding grieving patterns. Organized by a lifespan trajectory, this text describes developmental aspects of grieving, linking these theories to effective clinical work. Biopsychosocial developmental theories, including neurobiological and genetic information, frame chapters that include recent research on how people of that age respond to varied loss situations, and intervention strategies supported by practice experience and empirical evidence are addressed. The new edition illuminates special considerations in risk and resilience for each life phase, systematically addressing issues of oppression, marginalization, and health disparities. It includes a new chapter on grief and loss as they effect individuals over 85 and covers spiritual development for each life phase. The book restructures the adult chapters to reflect major changes in theories on expanded lifespans, adds to content on evolving living arrangements for aging individuals, and expands coverage of common losses at different points in the lifespan. This new edition includes material on ageism and its impact on health and also examines the challenges faced by older adults in the LGBT community. Additionally, the third edition explicitly incorporates the rapidly evolving science of Adverse Childhood Experiences, addressing how ACEs intersect with grief and loss. Vignettes and case studies are incorporated into each life-phase chapter, illuminating the lived experience of grief. Thought-provoking discussion questions, chapter objectives, and additional resources for both students and instructors reinforce critical thinking and an Instructor’s Manual, Casebook (of prior chapter readings), and PowerPoint slides are available for download. A free eBook is included with every text purchase. New to the Third Edition: Adds Special Considerations in Risk and Resilience to every chapter Incorporates Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and their effects at various life stages Focus on neurobiological and genomic aspects of health Includes a new chapter on the Fourth Age – from 85 up Discusses spiritual development for each life phase Incorporates new case studies Restructures adult chapters to reflect major new theories about expanded lifespans Welcomes a new author who adds content on the third and fourth ages of older adulthood, ageism, and the experience of aging in LGBT communities Expands content on areas of marginalization – race, gender, financial resources, educational disparities, and more Expands content on evolving living arrangements for older adults Expands information on typical losses at different life stages Delivers expanded web materials including a casebook of prior readings from earlier editions, in addition to PowerPoint slides and class plans and activities in the Instructor Manual Key Features: Provides a complete overview of classic and current grief theories Delivers a standardized developmental approach to each age group for consistency Presents practical intervention strategies for different life stages Includes chapter objectives, vignettes, case studies, and narratives to illustrate specific forms of loss Delivers abundant instructor resources including instructor’s guide with sample syllabus and exercises, PowerPoints, class activities, and suggested resources
Living Through Loss provides a foundational identification of the many ways in which people experience loss over the life course, from childhood to old age. It examines the interventions most effective at each phase of life, combining theory, sound clinical practice, and empirical research with insights emerging from powerful accounts of personal experience. The authors emphasize that loss and grief are universal yet highly individualized. Loss comes in many forms and can include not only a loved one’s death but also divorce, adoption, living with chronic illness, caregiving, retirement and relocation, or being abused, assaulted, or otherwise traumatized. They approach the topic from the perspective of the resilience model, which acknowledges people’s capacity to find meaning in their losses and integrate grief into their lives. The book explores the varying roles of age, race, culture, sexual orientation, gender, and spirituality in responses to loss. Presenting a variety of models, approaches, and resources, Living Through Loss offers invaluable lessons that can be applied in any practice setting by a wide range of human service and health care professionals. This second edition features new and expanded content on diversity and trauma, including discussions of gun violence, police brutality, suicide, and an added focus on systemic racism.
"He was my best friend." "I feel like I've lost that one person I could always count on." Siblings know each other in ways friends and other blood relatives do not. They have shared bedrooms, bathrooms, holidays, family milestones, meals, and a way of growing up that those outside the family can never fully understand. The bond is intense, complicated, sometimes difficult, often wonderful and absolutely irreplaceable. When death interrupts what might have been a lovely, lifelong connection, the impact is tremendous. And yet, this loss is rarely the focus of research and is not well understood or recognised within society, leaving many siblings searching for appropriate support and validation. This book gives readers the opportunity to experience the intensity of this relationship through the eyes of three bereaved siblings. Their experiences, both before and after loss, are powerfully presented using a narrative style that allows the complexity and depth of their individual relationships to shine brightly. The author, a bereaved sibling herself, artfully weaves her story throughout, adding to the richness of the text. Through these collective stories, readers are invited to explore their own reactions and reflect on the many ways siblings affect each other over the long term. Bereaved siblings, clinicians, medical professionals, therapists, social workers, funeral directors, religious leaders, bereavement groups, and anyone who supports or knows a bereaved sibling will find benefit in this book. This highly readable text will both touch and inform readers.
When a family member dies, often the response of children is overlooked or underestimated. This very important book makes tangible the range of emotions felt but not completely understood by children for the loss of a parent or sibling. It offers welcome channels of response that can help survivors to not only understand their feelings but also come to grips with the loss and get on positively with their lives. Barbara Snook offers insights into a range of people’s experiences with the loss of a family member. It normalizes the variety of experiences of grieving, that it is not a linear process, not something to get over, rather the impacts are lifelong and require developing ways to live with the grief. – Pauline Brown, registered psychologist This book is like a cocoon. It is beautiful from start to finish. The growth and transformation about such grief is anticipated and transparent yet mesmerising through its entire unfolding. It holds the reader, in the same way that siblings who have lost (and actually anyone who has lost a loved one) – need to be held and need to be seen, as they transit their own unique process. – Jenni van der Schoot, psychotherapist I recognise myself in the pages written by the brave contributors to this book, as will other readers who struggle with the complex and conflicting emotions of losing a loved sibling. Realising that others also struggle with grief and have feelings of guilt is a repeated thread in the stories that weave readers together, giving them the realisation that they are not the odd one out, but that their reactions are “normal” in a heart-rending situation. – Tilly Brasch, author of No Middle Name
"[Grief and Loss Across the Lifespan] represents a significant advance because it looks at the issues from a bio-psychosocial perspective. To a social worker who has worked mainly in a medical and nursing environment, this is a great step forward." --Bereavement Care "[Offers] valued sensitivities, knowledge, and insights, and most importantly, age-appropriate interventions for a range of significant losses....Counselors will want to keep this indispensable work close at hand." -Kenneth J. Doka, PhD Author, Counseling Individuals With Life-Threatening Illness "By taking a lifespan view, this book fills a gap in the literature on loss and grief and takes theory and practice in new and invigorating directions. It will be welcomed by those professionals of all disciplines who daily listen to and help re-write narratives of loss." -Jeffrey S. Applegate, PhD Professor Emeritus Graduate School of Social Work & Social Research Bryn Mawr College "[A] thorough, thoughtful, sensitive, and up-to-date contribution that may be the best book available today for teaching bereavement, grief, and mourningÖ.[H]ighly recommended for experienced grief professionals as well as for students." -Jeffrey Kauffman, MA, MS, LCSW, BD, CT, CAS, BCETS Psychotherapist in private practice, Philadelphia, PA "Walter and McCoyd have written a well-organized and comprehensive examination of grief and bereavement that will be useful to the seasoned professional as well as the student new to grief and loss. The historical analysis of grief theory from classic to postmodern is interesting reading and essential for a full understanding of grief and loss in modern society. " --Paige E. Payne, MS, MSW, LSW Support Services Manager PinnacleHealth Home Care and Hospice Harrisburg, PA Grief and Loss Across the Lifespan is unique in its treatment of grieving patterns and intervention strategies for different age groups. With this book, students and practitioners will learn how grief is influenced by biological responses to stress, psychological responses to loss, as well as social norms and support networks. The authors utilize a developmental framework, as each level of development from infancy through old age is addressed in four ways: Reviews normal developmental issues, abilities, and challenges for the age in question Analyzes how individuals of each age cope with serious loss of a significant other, and how they may experience life-threatening illness themselves Examines how significant others react to and mourn the death of someone in that age range Identifies the normative losses a person is likely to experience, and addresses protective and risky ways of coping with those losses The authors review important grief theories, such as postmodern and Dual Process Theory, and discuss current topics in grief, including continuing bonds, meaning making, ambiguous loss, and disenfranchised loss. With the help of this book, practitioners and students of grief counseling can learn to help patients of all ages understand that loss is at the heart of life and growth.
When T.J. Wray lost her 43-year-old brother, her grief was deep and enduring and, she soon discovered, not fully acknowledged. Despite the longevity of adult sibling relationships, surviving siblings are often made to feel as if their grief is somehow unwarranted. After all, when an adult sibling dies, he or she often leaves behind parents, a spouse, and even children—all of whom suffer a more socially recognized type of loss. Based on the author's own experiences, as well as those of many others, Surviving the Death of a Sibling helps adults who have lost a brother or sister to realize that they are not alone in their struggle. Just as important, it teaches them to understand the unique stages of their grieving process, offering practical and prescriptive advice for dealing with each stage. In Surviving the Death of a Sibling, T.J. Wray discusses: • Searching for and finding meaning in your sibling's passing • Using a grief journal to record your emotions • Choosing a grief partner to help you through tough times • Dealing with insensitive remarks made by others Warm and personal, and a rich source of useful insights and coping strategies, Surviving the Death of a Sibling is a unique addition to the literature of bereavement.
