ABSTRACT
Chapter 9 highlights some of the key elements of forming a therapeutic alliance with bereaved families. According to Weber and Levine (as cited in Mikesell, Lusterman, & McDaniel, 1995), to achieve maximum benefit, the implementation of professional bereavement counseling should be well-timed and offered soon after the child’s death. A further articulation of the principles underlying effective interpersonal communication, this chapter emphasizes the necessity for therapists to engage bereaved families at their current level of functioning. In this way, it is important to consider not only their diverse grieving styles, cultural and religious backgrounds, and nature of the relationship to the deceased, but their attitudes toward receiving help. These therapeutic interventions should focus actively on problem-solving through difficulties, tolerating normal differences in the expression of grief, communicating emotions openly and honestly, and finding support from one another. At the same time, they must be designed to create opportunities for families to connect around their grief-related experiences, thereby reflecting more than a mere psychoeducational process.
