Grief Unseen: Healing Pregnancy Loss Through the Arts [Paperback]

Laura Seftel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2006

Approximately 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage, yet this remains a taboo topic and effective aftercare is rarely available for women who have suffered pregnancy loss. "Grief Unseen" explores the experience of miscarriage and the process of healing, offering a practical introduction to the medium of art as an aid in coming to terms with loss. An established art therapist and mental health counselor, Seftel shares her own experiences of miscarriage and recovery with the reader and provides uplifting accounts of the lives and creative work of well-known women who have survived pregnancy loss, including Frida Kahlo, Judy Chicago and Tori Amos. She describes the use of art and ritual as a response to loss in traditional cultures, and illustrates how these practices have been translated into modern Western cultures, through communities built either in person or via the Internet. The book also explains the various kinds of miscarriage, such as failed in vitro fertilization, ectopic pregnancy and stillbirth, and examines the emotional impact of each on women and their families. The second part of the book offers a wealth of practical creative exercises, using step-by-step processes to guide individuals, couples and groups through their creative responses. These exercises are suitable even for those with no previous artistic experience and are accompanied by an array of high-quality artwork examples. "Grief Unseen" will be an accessible and uplifting resource for women and families who have suffered pregnancy loss, and will be of great interest to practitioners in the fields of mental health and health care as well as art therapists and counselors.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This enjoyable book will be of interest to all midwives... -- Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health

Thoughtfully written...Beautifully integrating counseling theory with examples from creative art therapy... --Nursing Standard

From the Publisher

At least one in five pregnancies ends in miscarriage, yet pregnancy loss remains a taboo topic and effective aftercare is rarely available for those who have experienced it. Grief Unseen explains the different kinds of childbearing losses, such as failed fertility treatment, ectopic pregnancy, and stillbirth, and explores their emotional impact on women and their partners, and the process of healing.

An established art therapist and mental health counselor, Laura Seftel shares her own experiences of miscarriage and recovery, and describes the use of art and ritual as a response to loss in traditional and modern cultures. She presents a rich variety of artists who have explored pregnancy loss in their work, including Frida Kahlo, Judy Chicago, and Tori Amos, and shows how people with no previous artistic experience can generate creative responses as part of the healing process. The book includes step-by-step exercises in guided imagery, poetry, visual art, journaling, and creating rituals.

This accessible, positive resource will be useful to practitioners in the fields of medicine, mental health, art therapy, and counseling, as well as women and families who have suffered pregnancy loss.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 191 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Pub (March 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843108054
• ISBN-13: 978-1843108054
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,540,552 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique piece of work !, October 23, 2006

By 

Saartje "Sari" (the Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grief Unseen: Healing Pregnancy Loss Through the Arts (Paperback)

Laura Seftel did a tremendous job, writing this unique piece of work about people who experience pregnancy loss. Pregnancy loss often means an invisible loss, because we tend to keep early pregnancy a secret. People can easily remain silent about it because many of us are afraid to grieve and the people around us encourage us to move on. Also it is important to acknowledge that it is a real loss, is Laura's message. So for every loss, we need a healing process. We need to express our feelings and emotions and this takes a lot of time. This unseen grief has no shape, but Laura encourages us to develop personal forms of expression through the arts. By writing, making art and creating rituals we can materialize this loss and share it with others. In "Grief Unseen" we can find many examples of personal stories and all kinds of expression, of rituals and how we can get healed from this painful loss. There are many illustrations in the book by different artists, which makes it attractive and easy to read.
I can highly recommend this book for both people who experienced pregnancy loss and people who have loved ones who experienced it and want to become informed.