by Atle Dyregrov (Author)
Praise for the author:
'Dyregrov's writing is clear in its description, and explicit in its advice, and demonstrates that the daunting task of helping a child through grief is both manageable and rewarding'
- Bereavement Care
'This insightful text will be of great help to all who care for pre-school children - parents, kindergarten teachers, ministers of religion, police, welfare workers - the list is endless. If they learn the values reflected in this small book, then bereaved children everywhere will grow up with far fewer hang-ups about the only certainty in life.'
- from the foreword by Professor William Yule
It is a common misconception that pre-school children are not capable of experiencing grief in the same way that older children do. Grief in Young Children challenges this assumption, demonstrating that although young children may not express grief in the same way as older children, they still need to be supported through loss.
Illustrated throughout with case examples, the author explores young children's reactions to death and loss, both immediately after the event and over time. For example, young children may engage in `magic thinking', believing that wishing that someone were dead can actually cause death, which leads to feelings of guilt. Full of practical advice on issues such as how to keep children in touch with their memories, answer their questions, allay their fears and explore their feelings through play, this accessible book enables adults to work with children to develop an acceptance of grief and an understanding of death and loss.
This book is essential reading for parents, carers, counsellors and teachers, and is complemented by the companion volume Grief in Children: A Handbook for Adults, Second Edition, which caters for school-age children, also written by Atle Dyregrov and published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 95
Edition: 1
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Published: 15 Mar 2008
ISBN 10: 1843106507
ISBN 13: 9781843106500
Book Overview: Advice and guidance on appropriate responses to grief in young children
If you are an adult - counsellor or not - working with children of any age and can read only one book, make sure it is one of these two. Grief in young children is specifically about children from birth to school age. Grief in children covers all ages of children including some information about adolescents.
Both books are written in easy-to-understand language, yet backed by the author's years of clinical experience of working with bereaved children and their families in a variety of places and circumstances. Up-to-date research is interwoven into the text with numerous references for further reading. The many vignettes that share children's own personal experiences and confusions bring a poignancy to the writing... Each book can be read in a short sitting, or used as a quick resource on particular topics. Dyregrov's thorough understanding of the key issues affecting grieving children is clearly reflected in his writing like no other author I have read. I highly recommend both books.
-- Counselling Children and Young PeopleDr Atle Dyregrov is a clinical psychologist and Director of the Center for Crisis Psychology in Bergen, Norway, which he founded with a colleague in 1988. He is a member of the executive board of The Children and War Foundation and a founding member of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Dr Dyregrov is the author of numerous publications, journal articles, and books.
Professor Emeritus William Yule is a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of Applied Child Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London. He is Chair of the Children and War Foundation and Honorary Psychologist Advisor to the British Army. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies in 2005.