Customer Reviews

Remembering Lives: Conversations With the Dying and the Bereaved (Death, Value and Meaning)

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Narrative therapy is an approach which social service professionals in a counseling capacity can use to help their clients discover other aspects of ther own story than that which they perceive as problematic. Lorraine Hedtke's book applies this approach to counseling the bereaved who have lost an important person in their lives, by helping them to realize that the relationship formed with that deceased person does not die with physical death, but remains a formative factor in the bereaved's sense of self and life going forward. She encourages the bereaved to think of their circle of friends and family as a "club" of which they are all "members", and to consider the deceased as an ongoing "member" of the club, albeit in a different way than prior to the death. It's an approach that boosts the importance of relationships, plays down the need to "say goodbye" to the deceased, along with all of the "tasks" that have become part of the grief counselor's bag of techniques. It's a helpful read, and narrative therapy can become a valuable tool when used in a balanced way. We are all people of story, and the tenor of the story which dominates our perception of self and others can change how we think and feel.
Ann P. White, LCSW

An excellent book, well priced and delivered in a speedy manner. Invaluable in my work with those with life limiting illness, and their families.