Grieving Parents Support Network

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Content

Rachel Crawford 2Below you can find the table of content for the book “Grieving Parents: Surviving Loss as a Couple”
Introduction (Click here to read the Introduction Chapter)

1. I Feel Your Pain

  • Your child has died
  • The world continues but mine is shattered
  • Why? Why her? Why him? Why us? Why me? Why now?
  • The unplanned journey of a couple with grief and loss
  • Special and unique
  • The post-loss person
  • Happy and grieving?
  • When does it end?

2. Things Will Get Better

  • I have been there…
  • What I have found…
  • My professional background
  • Self Acceptance and Understanding
  • …And I am still walking this path

3. The Couple Grief Integration Mode

  • Navigating this book
  • The 5 steps to survive your loss as a couple
  • The Couple’s Grief Integration Model
  • Overview
  • Step 1 -> ALLOWING
  • Step 2 -> AWARENESS
  • Step 3 -> ACKNOWLEDGEING
  • Step 4 -> ADJUSTING
  • Step 5 -> ABSORBING & INTEGRATING
  • Final words

4. Understanding Grief

  • My grieving experience
  • Definitions – Understanding Grief

5. Different Ways of Grieving

  • Reactions and Responses to Grief
    • Emotional reactions
    • Physical reactions
    • Cognitive reactions
    • Behavioral reactions
    • Spiritual reactions
  • Different Ways of Grieving
    • Intuitive and instrumental grieving
    • Male and female grieving
    • Cultural differences
    • Children and Teens grieving

6. Couples and Grief

  • What determines grief?
  • Effect on the couple’s relationship
  • Grieving as a couple

7. Grief Theory

  • What the reader will learn
  • Grief models – grief theory household names
  • The important thing about all grief theories

8. Communication

  • Let’s talk about it
  • Feelings and Emotions
  • Ask for what you need
  • Learning To Talk To Each Other
  • Tell Your Story – Acknowledge Your Loss

9. Support

  • Much needed support
  • Supportive people around you
  • Counseling / Psychological support
  • Faith, spiritual or religious support

10. Your Inner Support

  • The Inner Game of grief
  • Your representation and memory of loss
  • Making, changing and creating meaning
  • Bring awareness to meaning making
  • Bringing awareness to meaning making
  • Existential crisis
  • Resilience
  • Resourceful response to loss

11. Support from within the Relationship

  • The couple’s strength
  • Helping him or her grieve

12. Supporter for Grieving Parents

  • The things not to say or do
  • Things to say or do instead
  • Wishes of an angel’s mum and dad
  • Fire fighter or builder?

13. Questions Need Answers

  • Why? Why did our baby/child die? Why did this happen?
  • Will we survive this? How will we cope? What to do next?
  • Why do people react the way they do? Why don’t they talk to us?
  • How can I help him/her grieve?
  • Will this happen again? What about our subsequent pregnancy?
  • What if my partner is not the biological father/mother?
  • What to do with all these questions?

14. You Are Not Alone – Suggestions from Bereaved Parents for Bereaved Parents

  • What I would change
  • The gems of wisdom

Recommended Reading on Grief Theory

Other Suggested Reading

Online Resources