Writing in Bereavement is a practical creative handbook that will assist counsellors, volunteers and others in their work with bereaved adults. Writing is a powerful outlet for the emotions that accompany grief and it is therefore a valuable therapeutic tool to help those who are bereaved communicate their experiences and adjust to life after their loss. Jane Moss provides imaginative creative writing exercises for groups and individuals, using a variety of genres and literary forms and techniques. She offers advice on how to plan and run successful workshops with the bereaved, and how to evaluate their effectiveness. Using the techniques in this book, counsellors can help grieving individuals find a voice to cope with profound changes in their life, complete unfinished conversations, write for remembrance, use creativity as a respite from sadness, and finally begin to move forward from grief and imagine the future
Foreword. Acknowledgements. Preface. Introduction. 1. Writing in Bereavement - An Overview. 2. Establishing a Writing Group. 3. Starting to Write. 4. Journal Writing in Bereavement. 5. Working with Form. 6. Writing Through Grief. 7. Life Writing. 8. Reflecting on Change. 9. Writing for Memorial. 10. Endings. 11. Feedback and Reflection. 12. A Reflexive Journal. 13. Workshop Plans. 14. Postscript. Further Reading. References.
'Here is a wealth of ideas and inspiration for those of us aspiring to work creatively with bereaved people using the written word. I found my creative juices begin to flow as I read the ideas for the exercises and how to use them. These will be of enormous benefit for those wanting to start working in this way and will provide added incentive and encouragement for those who already use creative tools. I could use the ideas not only with the bereaved person but also with volunteer supporters in their supervision. The example of the fictional Greenbank writing group will be of special interest to those who want to offer support groups for bereaved people and there is much practical help offered for setting up such a group. I am sure this will prove to be a truly useful volume to have for reference and advice for those of us working in the field of bereavement support and counselling.'- Dodie Graves, counsellor, bereavement service co-ordinator and author of Talking with Bereaved People and Setting Up and Facilitating Bereavement Support Groups'Moss helps mourners reach deeply into the wordless silence at the heart of grief, and render what they discover in language that is resonant with meaning and emotion. From acrostics to villanelles, and from the opening group warm-up to the final wind-down, she scaffolds a structure for Writing in Bereavement that fosters continuity and connection in life narratives rewritten by the experience of loss. Whether you work with bereavement support groups or in the intimate crucible of grief therapy, you will find in this book an indispensable muse to your clinical creativity.'- Robert A. Neimeyer, PhD, editor of Techniques of Grief Therapy: Creative Practices for Counseling the Bereaved
