Support Group Curriculum for Grieving Adolescents

Jacqueline A. Brown is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Montana. She has multiple years of experience supporting bereaved and traumatized youth in schools and other settings, and was co-editor of the book Supporting Bereaved Students at School. She has co-written chapters and peer-reviewed articles on this topic, such as "School Psychologists' Training and Experience in Providing Grief Support". Dr. Brown has contributed to grief handouts published by the National Association of School Psychologists, as well as podcasts on grief aired by the National Association of School Psychologists and the International Baccalaureate Organization. Renée Bradford Garcia is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice near Austin, Texas. She has more than 30 years of experience supporting children, adolescents, adults, and families as they navigate grief, trauma, and life's many transitions. As a former hospice bereavement counselor, she brings compassion anddepth to her work with those facing loss and change. She is a clinical supervisor and certified EMDR therapist, blending evidence-based methods with a strengths-based, relational approach. She is the author and co-author of several professional resources on grief and trauma, including Children & Loss and Trauma and Grief Assessment and Intervention.

• AcknowledgementsIntroductionChapter 1: Understanding Grief and the Mourning ProcessChapter 2: Affirming Grief Experiences Across Diverse GroupsChapter 3: Types of Death and Group SettingsChapter 4: Guidance for Families and TeachersChapter 5: Self-Care for Mental Health ProfessionalsChapter 6: Identifying and Pre-Screening Group MembersChapter 7: Nuts-and-Bolts for a Successful GroupSession 1: Finding Our Vibe: Building Trust and ConnectionSession 2: How We Got Here: Sharing Our StoriesSession 3: Dealing with the Aftershocks: Talking about Grief Reactions Session 4: We Can Do This: Developing Coping StrategiesSession 5: My Way of Grieving: Understanding Our Unique Grief ProcessSession 6: Heartfelt Histories: Sharing Memories of Our Loved OneSession 7: Your Tug-of-War Within: Addressing Ambivalent FeelingsSession 8: Embracing Your New Normal: Adjusting to Life After the DeathSession 9: Getting Through Tough Times: Handling Grief on Special DaysSession 10: Embracing the Journey: Group Termination and Saying Good-ByeAppendix A: Tenets of the Strengths-based Framework of Grief and its Application to YouthAppendix B: Screening QuestionsAppendix C: Tips for Families and Teachers Appendix D: Journey through Grief ScaleAppendix E: Grief Tide Scale Appendix F: Warm-up and Closing ActivitiesAppendix G: Session HandoutsActivities Index