Understanding Bereaved Parents and Siblings A Handbook for Professionals, Family, and Friends

Understanding Bereaved Parents and Siblings is based on lived experiences and provides insight, ideas, and inspiration on how to support the bereaved, how to talk to them about their experience, and how to help people manage their own shock or grief.

Part I of the book contains ten stories from parents and six from siblings sharing their experiences. Each narrator discusses their relationship with the person who died; what led up to the death; the impact of the loss on the speaker; as well as what helped and what hindered them in their grief. Part II is aimed at professionals and draws on various topics such as grief and bereavement models, transgenerational loss, resilience, protection, and creative ways of working with grief.

The book will be an essential read for the bereaved and the professionals, family, and friends who are supporting them.

Introduction; Part I; 1: We are forever changed by this experience; 2: "Stillbirth is such a taboo subject": Claire’s story remembering her daughter Emilie; 3: "How many children do you have? It's just something I hate": John’s story remembering his daughter Emilie; 4: "There was this crowd of women all wailing":Elisa’s story remembering her daughter Ellen; 5: "Nobody foresaw that she would die so quickly":Joanne’s story remembering her daughter Rebecca; 6: "Goodbye, have a good evening, take care": Julia’s story remembering her daughter Pippa; 7: "I'm sorry to say he's dead": Steffy’s story remembering her son Jason and her brother Matthew; 8: "They laughed at me and said, you've got to be joking":Nancy’s story remembering her daughter Angel; 9: "I think I was in shock for a year": Carol’s story remembering her son David; 10: "Tell mum not to worry. I'm going to the pure land": Susan’s story Remembering her son Michael; 11: "What more could we have done?": Wilf and Kath’s story remembering their son Michael; 12: "Her horror penetrated me": John’s story remembering his brother Jamie; 13: "They’re just living in their lovely little bubble and my bubble burst":Rose’s story remembering her older sister Lizzie; 14: "Everything was coming together for him": Shireen’s story remembering her brother Tariq; 15: "Don’t judge my life on the chapter that you came in on": Beth’s story remembering her brother Jim; 16: "Jacky was my most significant security base": Edward’s story remembering his brother Jacky; 17: "I think you have a sister": Sally’s story remembering her sister Rose; 18: The ABC of grief; 19: Living with loss; 20: Transformational loss; Part II; 21: Models of grief and bereavement; 22: Transgenerational loss andFamily Constellations; 23: Resilience, grief, and grief disorder; 24: Protection and self knowledge; 25: Creative ways of working with loss.

Cathy McQuaid is a bereaved mother. She is also a researcher, psychotherapy supervisor, and trainer. She decided to use her skills to undertake a research project to help her understand her own grief and the responses and behaviours of those around her. This book is the outcome of that research.