Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy: A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner, Fourth Edition

Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy: A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner, Fourth Edition

By: J. William Worden PhD ABPP  

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Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5

"This book is the 'Bible' for those involved in the field of bereavement work...It is a straightforward, tightly focused, practical, soundly reasoned, compact working text." --William M. Lamers, Jr.,MD., The Lamers Medical Group

"If you had one book dealing with grief counseling available to you, this is the one you should select." --Caregiver Quarterly

In this updated and revised fourth edition of his classic text, Dr. Worden presents his most recent thinking on bereavement drawn from extensive research, clinical work, and the best of the new literature. Besides addressing a number of new topics, the book includes the best vignettes from the first three editions to bring bereavement issues to life for students and practitioners.

Publisher: Springer Publishing Company

Customer Review: 5 out of 5
If I could only purchase one book on grief & loss - this would be it - Brilliant book. I am a social work professional. I found this book to be evidence based with relevant research, history on the topic including interesting stuff on the debate around terminology that has been happening in anticipation of DSMV. However, great strength is that it is also designed for practitioners and has detailed suggestions to enhance practice as well as great advice on self care and training. I've read and trained others on this topic and this is one of three I currently recommend to those I train.

Customer Review: 4 out of 5
worth buying - this book was used, it was in good shape and i recieved it in three days of my placed order.

Customer Review: 4 out of 5
Good, but the sexist parts need to be removed. - The author needs to go back and review this book for sexist statements and ideas that may not have been noticeable in the first edition but sure speak loudly now. For example, at one point he speaks of when a parent dies a child loses EITHER the breadwinner OR the homemaker. What about all us single working mothers? It's as if he's in a time-warp and I found these type of statements, which were mostly subtle but clearly evident of sex role stereotyping, throughout the book. However, all-in-all the book is extremely informative with regard to human emotions and counseling strategies for the practitioner. He discusses the fact that people have let go of the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross stages of grief model (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance), a change that I was unaware of but of which I have also recently read about in my professional journal. He points out that clinicians need to avoid harboring fixed ideas, such as stages, in formulating helping strategies. I also would hope that future editions speak more to marginalized types of grief, such as miscarriage of pregnancy, grief in the workplace (the standardized amount of leave for loss of an immediate family member is 3 days), and even pet loss. In fairness, I do realize that he is not trying to lobby for social change but to look at this issue on a best outcome focus for the client. I think the book's focus inadvertently highlights the fact that there are countless little unsung griefs in life which deserve a clinician's unconditional understanding of the individual's unique inner experience and outward expression of their grief. Of course, the author can't speak to every form of grief specifically, but I just had a colleague devastated by the death of her 17-year-old cat, and that type of grief is not uncommon and is often misunderstood, which can definitely shrink the availability of support. He also clarifies what to look out for in terms of grief that is not healthy, and how to deal with a support system that has become toxic because of others' frequently mistaken beliefs that the grief has gone on too long. Here's to the 6th Edition.

Customer Review: 5 out of 5
If you work close to death, you better have it - This is a great book. Very easy to understand. Scientific and human at the same time. If you are a health professional or a social worker or a church minister, you should read it and always have it close.

Customer Review: 5 out of 5
Great Refresher - So far I have found this book a great reminder and refresher of the important details of Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy. The book also provides references used after each section for further follow up if desired. Very easy read.

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