ABSTRACT
The presence of family is a primary resource of resilience because of the ingredients of kinship resilience, familiar stabilizing patterns of verbal and nonverbal interactions that restore the sense of safety, cohesion, and hope for survival that have developed over years within the family matrix. This chapter outlines practice guidelines to include family members in restoration after the violent death through a supportive family assessment and specific sessions during intervention. Since 20% of homicides are perpetrated by one family member upon another, the chapter focuses on strategies for reinforcing resilience in remaining family members. To cause a violent death may be the most supremely disrespectful act of all, an active repudiation of the life of the victim and the life of the family. The gathering of family members to promote kinship resilience is basic in supporting a traumatized family.
