Creative Interventions in Grief and Loss Therapy

Get the tools to help the grief that comes when a dream dies

Every person at one time or another suffers when his or her dreams are shattered. Creative Interventions in Grief and Loss Therapy: When the Music Stops, a Dream Dies provides truly innovative approaches to therapeutically help individuals work through and survive grief and loss. Leading experts explore creative interventions for common, yet emotionally devastating problems faced by those weathering the storms of grief after their dream has been destroyed. Therapists and counselors get the effective tools to creatively help people through the difficulties of dealing with death, addiction, trauma, changes in life circumstances, divorce, heartbreak, miscarriage, co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder (COD), suicide, adoption, and issues with children.

The chapters in this innovative volume cite existing research on specific grief and loss issues and illustrate a clinical application for each situation using various creative mediums such as music, writing, or ritual. Each approach can be expanded and modified with care by clinicians of all types to better help clients through the process. This resource is extensively referenced.

Topics in Creative Interventions in Grief and Loss Therapy include:

• how storytelling, journaling, and correspondence can be used to process the experience of a counselor’s loss following the death of their client

• using psychodrama and the utilization of empty chair techniques to address addiction related grief and loss

• the use of rituals as an intervention to help clients trauma and loss during times of natural disasters

• the process of gatekeeping by counselor educators

• Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) as an approach to help student athletes deal with life after the sport

• a literary exercise to help clients work toward forgiveness after divorce

• using books, songs, and projects to assist clients experiencing grief after the death of their adolescent child

• creative strategies to aid clients through the grief and loss of love

• effective interventions to assist clients through loss from miscarriage

• using music, videography, visual arts, literature, drama, play, and altar-making in the grief process

• innovative interventions for individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder

• suicide high risk factors—and a Pre-suicide Preparation Plan that mental health practitioners can implement

• creative intervention for the client who is adopted using super heroes and science fiction

• therapeutic storytelling for children in grief

Creative Interventions in Grief and Loss Therapy: When the Music Stops, a Dream Dies is a creative, reaffirming resource perfect for mental health professionals, therapists, counselors, social workers, educators, and students.