NCJ Number
120595
Date Published
1989
Length
171 pages
Annotation
This book was written to assist mental health practitioners who want to expand practice in the fields of thanatology and victimology. The use of grief therapy is suggested as a method by which practitioners can assist those who have been victimized by the murder of a loved one.
Abstract
Most therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists have received little to no training in working with psychological trauma due to sudden, intentional death. Furthermore, little attention has been paid to the experiences of surviving family members and friends of a murder victim. Many bereaved homicide survivors are simply told to get on with their lives or are given antidepressants and sedatives to deal with the situation. Following a discussion of survivor needs, individual versus group therapy, mutual support groups, and professional training, guidelines are outlined for establishing a group treatment program for homicide survivors. These guidelines encompass needs assessment, community awareness, victim advocates and victim rights community groups, public mental health agencies and other relevant State and national agencies, funding, and program design. The dynamics of loss, characteristics of grief and bereavement, and issues complicating the bereavement process for homicide survivors are reviewed. Assessment and treatment issues are also examined, including post-traumatic stress disorder, secondary victimization, group treatment issues, and therapeutic techniques. The design of a 12-session group grief therapy program is detailed. Appendixes contain documents found useful in developing the Homicide Survivors Group, Inc., in Pinellas County, Fla. 223 references and reference notes.