Responding to loss can often present major difficulties, not only for the people directly affected, but also for care professionals across wide spectrum of settings. Despite the significance of these issues, the subject matter is often neglected. This manual helps to put that right by offering trainers and tutors a basis of understanding loss and grief and how best to respond. Topics include the dual process model, the idea of stages, tasks of grief, the role of culture, ritual, religion and spirituality, loss and the workplace, difficult and complicated grieving and finding new meanings.
Bernard Moss is Professor Emeritus of Social Work Education and Spirituality at Staffordshire University, where he began working with social work students in 1993. His particular teaching interests have focused on communications skills, studies in death, dying and bereavement, and mediation studies. He was formerly Director of the Centre for Spirituality and Health at Staffordshire University, and made significant contributions to debates on this important theme. Dr Neil Thompson is an independent writer, educator and adviser whose work is rooted in existentialist philosophy. It is this intellectual background, combined with his decades of experience in social work, that has given him not only an interest in spirituality, meaning and values, but also a commitment to promoting best practice in relation to such matters.
Contents includes: Introduction About this manual Part One: Setting the context What is loss? Setting the context What is grief? Approach 1: The Dual Process model Approach 2: The idea of stages Approach 3: The tasks of grief Approach 4: Finding new meanings What is mourning? How do people deal with grief and loss? Religion and spirituality Exploring different cultures Grief: How can things go wrong? Difficult and complicated grieving What can we do to help? You and your workplace Part Two: Training and development Introduction Exercises overview A note on timing Exercise 1: Welcome Exercise 2: Ground rules Exercise 3: Great expectations Exercise 4: Listing the losses Worksheet 1: Listing the losses Exercise 5: Wishful thinking! Worksheet 2: Codes of practice Exercise 6: Creating a poster Exercise 7: Trying to make sense of it all Worksheet 3: Trying to make sense of it all Exercise 8: Out of the ordinary! Worksheet 4: Out of the ordinary (1) Worksheet 5: Out of the ordinary (2) Exercise 9: Where do i feature in all this? Worksheet 6: Where do i feature in all this? Exercise 10: The DOs and DON'Ts of helping Worksheet 7: Responding to loss Exercise 11: Celebrating diversity Exercise 12: My boss really cares Exercise 13: It's got nothing to do with us Worksheet 8: It's got nothing to do with us Exercise 14: The conspiracy of silence Worksheet 9: The conspiracy of silence Worksheet 10: The conspiracy of silence Exercise 15: Men are from Mars... Worksheet 11: Men are from Mars... Exercise 16: Leaving was hard... but coming back was even worse Worksheet 12: Leaving was hard... but coming back was even worse Case study: Leaving was hard... but coming back was even worse Exercise 17: Oh my god! Part Three: Conclusion Guide to further learning Appendix List of resources Worksheets Handouts
