Grief and cognitive–behavioral therapy: The reconstruction of meaning.

Abstract

Neimeyer (1998) has argued for the application of a "new wave" of grief theory, involving the need for increased attention to the cognitive processes entailed in mourning. Indeed, within the evolving, general conceptualizations of grief, there is growing understanding of the adjustment to bereavement as one of meaning reconstruction or the rebuilding of previously held assumptions (e.g., Janoff-Bulman 6r Berg, 1998). In their consideration of postmodern understandings of grief, Silverman and Klass (1996) further noted that the meaning of the loss is negotiated and renegotiated over time. This represents a significant paradigm shift from the psychoanalytic emphasis on object loss, decathexis, and disengagement to the bereaved revisiting the experience and maintaining a constant, yet ever-changing, connection to the deceased. In effect, moving from a "going on" to an "ongoing" perspective of the loss. In our view, therefore, a therapeutic approach such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) seems most fitting as therapists assist bereaved individuals in exploring and articulating their ongoing construction of the relationship with the deceased.This chapter begins with a brief overview of the origins and assump-647

Guilt in Bereavement: A Review and Conceptual Framework

“…Its effectiveness in treating guilt has been found for trauma survivors (Kubany & Manke, 1995). It is also helpful in reducing destructive aspects of counterfactual thinking in bereavement, which usually relate to self blame for the death (Fleming & Robinson, 2001). One study we reviewed also found supportive evidence for its effectiveness in reducing guilt among suicide survivors (De Groot et al, 2007).…”

Internet-Based Treatment for Complicated Grief: Concepts and Case Study

“…Several reactions of complicated grief are described in the literature, including feelings of guilt, self-blame, anxiety and depression-related symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorders (Schut, de Keijser, van den Bout, & Dijkhuis, 1991;Zisook, Schneider, & Shuchter, 1990;Znoj & Maercker, 2004), and physical health problems (Rogers & Reich, 1988;Zisook, Shuchter, Sledge, Paulus, & Judd, 1994). Bereaved individuals often suffer from biased thinking (Fleming & Robinson, 2001), especially when analyzing the circumstances of and reasons for the death (Sherman & McConnell, 1995). In the wake of a traumatic death, many bereaved individuals experience interpersonal and intrapersonal social difficulties (Dyregrov, 2004).…”

The Impact of Peer Death on Adolescent Girls: An Efficacy Study of the Adolescent Grief and Loss Group

“…The cognitive style of each girl was assessed by how she described her thought process, feelings, and actions. Various coping strategies were introduced to include the continuation of journaling, the use of physical exercise and body movement, and cognitive restructuring by adding positive cognitions to replace or alter negative thought patterns (Fleming & Robinson, 2001). Group sessions three and four comprised this phase which parallels the group developmental stages of both power and control, and intimacy stages of group development (Garland et al, 1973) as well as those of "storming and norming" (Tuckman, 1965).…”