ABSTRACT
As a young clinician armed with comprehensive knowledge of grief theories and a scholarly understanding of the empirical evidence available on death and dying, the senior author went forth into an initial therapy session with a 28-year-old client who was seeking assistance in dealing with the murder of her parents three months prior. The initial plan was to formulate a treatment program based on a “stage model” of grief and to provide support and reassurance through a calm and self-assured presence. This self-confidence was quickly challenged by the disparity between the textbook depictions of grief and the presenting symptomatology.
