Illuminating the impact of loss and grief on our psychological and emotional lives, this book provides vital guidance to ease painful transitions and facilitate healing. The author emphasizes that dealing with the death of a loved one involves more than picking up the pieces and moving on: rather, healing is an ongoing journey on which grief is a constant companion. For those in a supportive role, the focus is on helping the bereaved to navigate the grieving process and, ultimately, to reclaim joy as well as sadness as an integral part of life. Filled with personal narratives and examples, the book demonstrates effective ways to help survivors cope with commonly experienced issues, problems, and concerns. This compassionate and hopeful work is essential reading for anyone working or living in the presence of grief. The book begins with a clear overview of death, dying, and bereavement issues, interweaving contemporary clinical perspectives and research findings with evocative firsthand accounts. Described are the variety of contexts in which death may occur, as well as the unique ways that grief may be experienced. Chapters address such topics as the differences between unanticipated and anticipated death and challenges that may emerge around end-of-life issues and care of the dying. Included are in-depth discussions of different kinds of loss, including the death of a child, sibling, parent, spouse, or extended family member or friend. Each chapter is introduced by a personal account from an individual who has suffered that kind of loss, and concludes with a case example derived from the author's clinical practice. Throughout, innovative ideas are presented for helping individuals and families share their stories, find meaning in their experience, and create funerals and other rituals. This book provides essential insights and strategies for practitioners working with families, including psychologists, family therapists, psychiatrists, social workers, and counselors; physicians and nurses in palliative care settings; and hospice professionals, as well as students in these areas. While written for professionals, the book's lucid, personal style and sensitive coverage of universal themes will also make it suitable for many general readers. SHORT COPY Illuminating the impact of loss and grief on our psychological and emotional lives, this book provides vital information to ease painful transitions and facilitate healing. The author emphasizes that dealing with the death of a loved one involves more than picking up the pieces and moving on: rather, survivors live indefinitely in the presence of grief. For those in a supportive role, the focus is on helping the bereaved to navigate the grieving process and, ultimately, to reclaim joy as well as sadness as an integral part of life. The book explores pathways to recovery from different kinds of loss, including the death of a child, sibling, parent, spouse, or extended family member or friend, as well as challenges that may emerge around care of the dying and issues at the end of life. Personal accounts and therapeutic case material are interwoven with practical suggestions for helping individuals and families share their stories, find meaning in their experience, and create funerals and other rituals. While written for professionals, the book's lucid, personal style and sensitive coverage of universal themes make it suitable for many general readers as well. "Death and loss are the most profound challenges that families face, and are further complicated by agonizing dilemmas concerning end-of-life decisions. This timely volume brings clarity and wisdom to the issues confronting families and family therapists, drawing from the author's rich clinical experience as well as her own personal journey. Novice and experienced clinicians will find this book of enormous value in their practices and in the presence of grief in their own lives."--Froma Walsh, PhD, University of Chicago and Chicago Center for Family Health "Becvar has succeeded in writing a humane and highly informative book. Her writing arises from personal as well as clinical experience, which contributes to the book's warm and engaging tone. In contrast to most existing works on the subject, the book includes many firsthand accounts that bring to life such themes as the search for meaning and the need to reclaim joy. These narratives inspire hope and show how we can grow as human beings from this universal form of suffering. I will not hesitate to make this book 'required reading' for clients in the midst of grieving, particularly those with few supports in their lives."--Dolores Gallagher-Thompson, PhD, ABPP, VA Palo Alto Health Care System and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine "From a veteran family therapist and author, this book provides a wise, comprehensive, and sensitive approach to a universal human experience. Clearly illustrating the