Presented by Robert A. Neimeyer, PhD
Date: September 4th, 12-1:30pm CT
Research suggests that much of the complicated and prolonged grief that frequently follows bereavement by suicide is mediated by its assault on the survivor’s world of meaning, and the attendant struggle to make sense of (a) the relationship to the deceased, (b) the death itself, and (c) the survivor’s own identity in its aftermath. Viewing this struggle through the lens of the Tripartite Model of Meaning Reconstruction in Loss, we will first consider common obstacles to integrating such loss adaptively within survivors’ meaning systems, and the implications this carries for the construction of the therapeutic relationship as well as specific interventions to address each impasse. Paradoxically, however, the same effort after meaning can be a catalyst for posttraumatic growth, which studies suggest is facilitated by identifiable psychological and social conditions. Illustrating these concepts with brief client videos, we conclude with general guidelines for conducting therapy with this traumatically bereaved population.
Learning Objectives
- Summarize evidence that meaning making mediates the impact of traumatic loss on bereaved survivors
- Discuss three narrative obstacles to meaning making in suicide loss, noting relevant signs and symptoms that serve as markers directing subsequent therapy to the client’s implicit needs
- List three therapeutic procedures that promote reaffirmation or reconstruction of client meanings and the character of the therapeutic relationship required for their safe administration with suicide loss survivors
