Helping Teens Work Through Grief [Paperback]

Mary Kelly Perschy (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1560325585 | ISBN-13: 978-1560325581 | Publication Date: April 1, 1997 | Edition: 1

The second edition of Helping Teens Work Through Grief provides a more complete and updated manual for facilitators of teen grief groups. It includes additional background information about developmental aspects of teens, the process of grief, aspects of trauma and its effects on teens, the value of a group, determining the group-appropriateness of particular teens, and parental involvement. The many details involved with beginning a group - publicity, interviews, registration, structure, closure, evaluation, and follow-up - are listed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a wonderful resource -- a must-have book for facilitators of teen groups. It is not simply a book of "touch-feely" excercises but a theoretically grounded and sound guide to the complex process of grief. These activities will assist adolescents in understand their range of reactions and experiences in grief.." -- Kenneth J. Doka, Ph.D., Professor, The College of New Rochelle, Senior Consultant, The Hospice Foundation of America

About the Author

Mary Kelly Perschy, M.S. has been involved with grieving teens since 1984 when there was little information readily available about teen grief. In her varied career, Perschy has served as an administrator (of Bereavement Services at Hospice of Howard County), trainer, counselor and facilitator of grief groups at hospices and schools in the Baltimore metropolitan area.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 150 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560325585
• ISBN-13: 978-1560325581
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,156,521 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A treasure trove of ideas and information on teen grief., July 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Helping Teens Work Through Grief (Paperback)

I am writing this book review from the standpoint of an adult with many years of experience providing bereavement services, reflecting upon my own experience as a teenager grieving the death of a close family member. It is from this same vantage point that Mary Kelly Perschy has written Helping Teens Work Through Grief. In my case, it was my 19-year-old sister Bev who lost her life to cancer. At age 16, Ms. Perschy embarked on the journey of grief after the death of her mother. The fruit of her personal and professional experience is this most useful manual which she tells us, "is written for adults who are willing to connect with grieving teens, including counselors, trained hospice volunteers, religious youth staff, teachers and mentors."

Any Hospice Team, school or youth organization planning to offer bereavement support groups for teens will want to include this book in their library. Much of the information imparted could easily be adapted for work! ing individuallly with a teens as well.

The busy bereavement professional will be glad to discover that the nuts and bolts of initiating, organizing, leading and evaluating a group support program for young people are laid out in this book. The goals and objectives of each chapter are clearly outlined and the wealth of activities and other resource materials are easy to access. What is more, the reader is walked through each activity in detail, which is what makes this such a marvelous "how to" guidebook. I have found the symbolic "My Coat of Arms" a wonderful discussion tool with teens. Numerous other dynamics utilizing music, clay, drawing, painting, writing, movement and discussion are also included.

Ms. Perschy places a great deal of emphasis on the importance of creating a "safe place" for the grieving teen to share his/her loss with peers and shows us just how to go about it. There is also a welcome emphasis on the importance of wor! king with their children, and the use of peer facilitators ! as well as adults.

As a busy bereavement clinician and programmer, I was delighted to find a full chapter devoted to publicizing the group complete with sample press releases, fliers and forms. Equally gratifying are the detailed chapters on evaluation and follow-up.

Somewhat disappointing was Ms. Perschy's lack of direction on the optimum size of groups and the range of the ages. She likewise failed to take a definite stand on the number of sessions a group should run, preferring to leave that to each programmer's discretion.

The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen once described teen years as a time of "temporary insanity". How much more out of control, crazy, and alone does a young person feel when a loved one dies? The crazy quilt image which the publisher has chosen for the cover of Ms. Perschy's book is an apt metaphor for teen grief. Adults who care enough about reaching out to troubled teens will find this manual a most useful tool.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent educational resource, March 8, 2007

By 

J. Eiserle (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Helping Teens Work Through Grief (Second Edition) (Paperback)

As an amateur in the education system, I had no experience working with grieving teenagers and didn't know where to start. This resource was referred to me by a friend and classmate also studying to be a school counselor, and after I purchased it, I felt confident in leading a group to help kids work through their pain. I would recommend it for anyone who would like group counseling experience or who would just like to offer this much-needed service to their already-existing group counseling techniques.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for teens, March 5, 2010

By 

A. Piedade (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Helping Teens Work Through Grief (Second Edition) (Paperback)

Im a social worker and was a bit concerned that as a US publication it might not be appropriate in the Australian context. However, this fear was not substantiated. Loads of ideas and well worth the price. Like all books, careful selection of activities for the particular teen or group of teens would be my recommendation.