August 9, 2016
The Purpose and Meaning of Ritual in the Life of a Bereaved Child
By Vicki Straughan, LMSW Donna Schuurman, in her book Never the Same: Coming to Terms with the Death of a Parent, states that rituals are ceremonies that help us mark significant events. Rituals of remembrance give meaning to the life that was, as well as the lives that are. Pausing to mourn and remember a […]
July 19, 2016
The Unique Complications of Grief After a Suicide
Every grief has its own unique complications. Whatever the mourner struggles with most emotionally, mentally, physically or spiritually is that mourner’s grief complicators. But, for the thousands of mourners affected by the estimated 32,000 suicides a year in the U.S., the grief of suicide is uniquely complicated. For survivors, grief can be overwhelming and the healing […]
July 12, 2016
When a Death Occurs in the Life of a Child
If you are a parent or loved one who must tell a child the news of someone’s death: Tell the child in terms that he or she can understand that the person has died using age appropriate language. “Susie was very sick, and her body couldn’t go on working, so she died.” “Your mom was […]
