Customer Reviews

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

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4 star:		(3)
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Dr. Worden's latest edition of his now classic handbook offers updated research, further refinement of the task model, and greater clarity regarding the mediators of the grief process. He presents a very balanced look at efforts to define complicated mourning and offers timely commentary on the proposed changes to the next DSM. From advanced psychotherapists, to students, and even lay people interested in grief, all will find his book enlightening. It is rare to come across a book that has such broad appeal on such an important topic. There are many choices on the topic of grief, but few if any are as well researched and thoroughly conceptualized as Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy: A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner, 4th Edition.

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.

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.

This book has been on my book shelf for years as one of the best references I've ever found on the grieving process. It's an academic and theoretical book written for professional counselors rather than people who are grieving. It provides the best theoretical foundation I've ever seen.

I recommend it as essential reading for professional counselors but not for those who are actually grieving.

Susan L. Fuller
Author of How To Survive Your Grief: When Someone You Love Has Died

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.

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.

This is a wonderful addition to any individual's library doing or planning to do therapy/healing work in relation to grief, death & dying. The approaches are sensitive and insightful.

super fast delivery
excellent condition

really happy with it,
thanks a lot!!

this book was used, it was in good shape and i recieved it in three days of my placed order.

Hello- Thank you so much for the purchase of this book. It is essential to my education as a Masters in Social Work student. I know that it will help me in my class as well as in my practice in the future. Again thank you. Amanda