Guest Dr. Deb Bernstein (drdebbernstein.com) endured the loss of her young brother, her young romantic love and most recently both her mother and father. As a clinical psychologist she has specialized in grief through research and through her 35 year private practice in Warwick, NY.
In this episode Dr. Deb and I discuss the following and more:
- The many and varied symptoms of acute grief and how long it lasts
- How our relationship with the deceased affects our grief, such as when we have mixed feelings about them
- How Elizabeth Kubler-Ross apologized about how her “Stages of Grief” were misconstrued
- How to respond to a grieving friend
- Strategies for coping
Some books and authors we brought up in our conversation include:
When the Bough Breaks: Forever After the Death of a Son or Daughter by Judith R. Bernstein, Ph.D.
Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy, Fifth Edition: A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner by J. William Worden PhD
The Other Side of Sadness: What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us About Life After Loss by George A. Bonanno Ph.D.