Helping Bereaved Children: A Handbook for Practitioners

Author(s): Nancy Boyd Webb

Children & Adolescents | Grief & Loss

This acclaimed work describes a range of counseling and therapy approaches for children who have experienced loss. Practitioners and students are given practical strategies for helping preschoolers through adolescents cope with different forms of bereavement, including death in the family, school, or community. Grounded in research on child therapy, bereavement, trauma, and child development, the volume includes rich case presentations and clearly explains the principles that guide interventions. Eleven reproducible assessment tools and handouts can also be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. New to this edition: significantly revised and updated to reflect new information and approaches; 9 new topics covered covers additional types of loss: war-related death in the family, deaths connected to natural disasters, and the loss of a pet additional therapy modalities: cognitive-behavioral therapy and play therapy; conjoint caregiver--child treatment; and bereavement groups and camps addresses how to help parents and teachers meet bereaved children's needs.


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"This is an essential update and revision for our changing world. Grounded in developmental theory, the book provides detailed and phase-specific guidelines for assessing and helping bereaved children in a variety of contexts. Perhaps the most compelling characteristic of the book is the use of thorough case presentations that illustrate interventions such as sand play, art therapy, storytelling, role play, and puppetry, in individual, family, and group modalities." - M. Carlean Gilbert, Loyola University Chicago, USA "Renowned scholar and author Nancy Boyd Webb's revised Handbook is strategically comprehensive in scope and abundant in practice tools. Chapters provide resources for culturally competent, developmentally appropriate child- and family-focused practice." - Rowena Fong, University of Texas at Austin, USA "This remarkable book balances theory and practice for any reader who has accepted the challenge of entering the lives of troubled families. It is a wise and reliable guide that covers not only loss in the family, but other types of bereavement as well. Indispensable for therapists and human service providers." - Robert Kastenbaum, Arizona State University, USA "With strong attention to child development, the quality of the child's relationship to the deceased, and both the supports and challenges posed by family and community, this book is a valuable resource for students, instructors, and experienced clinicians. The contributors address a wide range of circumstances and types of loss that are prevalent in today's diverse practice world. Methods of assessment and intervention are woven throughout. Resources of many kinds are offered, along with guidelines for clinician self-care to limit the secondary impact of doing this difficult work." - James W. Drisko, Smith College, Massachusetts, USA "A necessary book for child and adolescent practitioners. Webb has brought together experts who cover a range of classic and cutting-edge topics and who consistently communicate an understanding of the holistic nature of grief. The book is packed with practical resources, including clinical material, sample forms, and tables. This text will be an excellent fit for my graduate-level course on children and death. The range of topics, the case examples, and the discussion questions at the end of each chapter are unique and refreshing elements." - Heather L. Servaty-Seib, Purdue University, Indiana, USA

Edited by Nancy Boyd Webb, DSW, BCD, RPT-S, University Distinguished Professor Emerita of Social Work, Graduate School of Social Service, Fordham University, New York, USA

Part I: Introduction. Webb, The Child and Death. Webb, Assessment of the Bereaved Child. Part II: Death in the Family. Carey, The Death of a Grandparent or a Parent. Davies, Limbo, The Grief of Siblings. Crenshaw, Lee, The Disenfranchised Grief of Children. McCormack, Webb, Suicide in the Family: Helping Child and Adolescent Survivors. McMahon, The Loss and Death of a Pet. Scott, War-related Deaths in the Family. Part III: Death in the School and the Wider World. Bullock, The Terminally Ill Child in School and the Sudden Death of a Teacher. Anewalt, Violent, Traumatic Deaths in Schools and Community Responses. Nader, Children's and Adolescents' Exposure to the Mass Violence of War and Terrorism: Role of the Media. Salloum, Deaths Connected to Natural Disasters. Part IV: Interventions with Bereaved Children. Shelby, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Play Therapy for Childhood Trauma and Loss. Van Horn, Conjoint Caregiver-child Treatment Following a Parent's Death. Ruffin, Zimmerman, Bereavement Groups and Camps for Children: An Interdisciplinary Approach. O'Toole, Storytelling with Bereaved Children. Part V: Help for Counselors, Parents, and Teachers. Maschi, Brown, Professional Self-care and Prevention of Secondary Trauma. Webb, Guidelines to Help Parents and Teachers of Bereaved Children. Resources: Selected Training Programs and Certifications. Suppliers of Play Materials. Bereavement Resources. References on Religious/Cultural/Ethnic Practices Related to Death.

General Fields

  • : 9781606235973
  • : Guilford Publications
  • : Guilford Publications
  • : April 2010
  • : United States
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Nancy Boyd Webb
  • : Hardback
  • : 3rd Revised edition
  • : 155.937083
  • : 408
  • : Illustrations