Helping Women Cope With Grief

Grief -- fracturing of one's identity as a wife or mother, a loss of self-esteem, the distancing of friends and relatives, the onus of a society that regards one as "damaged" -- is commonly experienced by women who have suffered the loss of important attachments. Focusing on the plight of widows, women who have given up their children, and battered women, Silverman examines the transition of bereaved women from grief to the creation of new lives and new relationships. Illustrating her analysis with quotes from personal interviews, Silverman provides care givers with a clear framework for helping women -- and men -- who must reshape their lives following the severance of important relationships. Provocative questions lead readers to an understanding of the bereaved as they go through this reshaping and pinpoint areas where human services workers may find agency policies inappropriate. Practitioners can maximize their assistance to bereaved persons by utilizing the recommended methods. Silverman also makes the case that bereaved persons may benefit from associa tion with others who have suffered similar losses -- person-to-person or in mutual help groups -- in addition to professional care. In Helping Women Cope with Grief , human services workers, psychologists, counselors, physicians, researchers, and students in psychology, sociology, and women's studies will find a much-needed guide to understanding and assisting bereaved persons who must reorient their lives.Sullivan, Phyllis R. is the author of 'Helping Women Cope With Grief' with ISBN 9780803917354 and ISBN 080391735X.