Grief therapy and family systems

Abstract

In the past few years, there has arisen an increasing interest in bereavement in general and grief therapy in particular. Books and several articles have been published concerning bereavement and various ways of coping with it (Vollman, 1971; Volkan, 1971; Parkes, 1975, 1983; Worden, 1984). Since most significant losses occur within the context of a family unit it has often been found important, as Murray Bowden (1978) indicated, to consider the impact of death on the entire system. The purpose of this paper is to present a strategic hypnotherapy approach that has been used successfully with grief symptomology based upon a family dynamics perspective.