Loss, Grief, and Attachment in Life Transitions

Jakob van Wielink, MA, is an international grief counselor and executive coach. He is a partner at De School voor Transitie in the Netherlands, a faculty member at the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition in the USA, and is affiliated with IMD Business School’s (Advanced) High Performance Leadership Program in Switzerland.Leo Wilhelm, MSc, is a grief counselor, author, executive coach, and advisor to De School voor Transitie in the Netherlands.Denise van Geelen-Merks, MSc, is a psychologist, coach, and couples therapist, and is licensed for systemic work in the Netherlands.

"Loss, Grief, and Attachment in Life Transitions is an essential book for any grief therapist. Securely rooted in the most current concepts and theories of grief, Jakob van Wielink and his colleagues offer both an expansive view of grief as well as a plethora of techniques for therapists aiding clients who are faced with impactful change and transition. Therapists will find in this book useful case studies and dialogues with clients that illustrate their sensitive approach. This is a must-read for clinicians."—Kenneth J. Doka, PhD, professor in the graduate school at College of New Rochelle and senior consultant with the Hospice Foundation of America, USA"This book fits very well into the growing literature demonstrating the applicability of an attachment-informed grief counseling framework to the understanding of non-death loss and its treatment. The authors make a compelling case for the need to address loss as an unavoidable feature of life that, depending on how it is met, can be an enervating or energizing force, inhibiting or promoting personal development and growth." — Phyllis Kosminksy, PhD, LCSW, counsels bereaved individuals in her private practice in New York and at The Center for Hope in Darien, Connecticut, USA. She is co-author of Attachment-Informed Grief Therapy: The Clinician’s Guide to Foundations and Applications"Building on a good understanding of current knowledge of the psychology of loss and change, the authors have developed a variety of practical and useful exercises and insights with case studies to show how counsellors can help clients to tackle complex and formerly intractable problems." — Colin Murray Parkes, OBE, MD, FRCPsych., LLD, consultant psychiatrist emeritus at the St Christopher’s Hospice, Sydenham, UK

• Introduction 1. Exploring Loss 2. To Welcome and Connect 3. About Attachment and Bonding 4. About Sharing Intimacy and Outlining Sexuality 5. About Separation and Loss 6. About Grief 7.About Meaning Reconstruction 8. Resilience: About Coping, Trauma, and the Brain 9. Grief in the Context of Work 10. Dialogue: Putting Loss into Perspective