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Articles

What Do You Say Before You Say Good-Bye? The Psychotherapy of Grief

Pages 279-290
Published online: 28 Dec 2017
 
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Relational loss, death, and mourning are all part of life and human relationships. Protracted and compounded grief occurs when something interferes with the normal grieving process. The psychotherapy of grief is described and two primary relational approaches are emphasized: face-to-face psychotherapy and the use of internal imagery via the empty-chair technique. In both approaches, the aim is to provide a balanced expression of affect, including emotional pain, anger, resentment, appreciation, and love. Several case examples are provided.

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Author information

Richard G. Erskine

Author Biography
Richard G. Erskine, PhD, began his professional career as a child psychotherapist, received intensive supervision in client-centered therapy, studied gestalt therapy with Fritz and Laura Perls, and is a Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (psychotherapy) and a licensed psychoanalyst. He can be reached at Suite 802, 1470 Pennyfarthing Drive, Vancouver, British Columbia V6J 4Y2, Canada; email: ; website: www.IntegrativePsychotherapy.com.