Solution Focused Practice in End-of-Life and Grief Counseling

[T]his is a book about possibilities-not finalities...about all the different ways that people deal with loss and bereavement and how solution focused brief therapy can be helpful in making sense of the experience that people go through when facing death. -- Harry Korman, MD. Solution focused practice challenges the conventional approach to bereavement counseling by emphasizing solution building over simple problem-solving. Joel Simon, with over 16 years of experience in the field, demonstrates how this therapy can help clients think of possibilities, rather than limitations, when facing death or the loss of a loved one. This book presents a general overview of solution focused practice, tools, and methodologies for practitioners. Simon also provides real-life vignettes and verbatim transcripts from actual patients in end-of-life or bereavement counseling. This book provides insight into the philosophy and practice of solution focused therapy, as applied to clients with life-limiting conditions and their loved ones. Key topics discussed: The use of language in solution focused practice: theory, meaning making, and the role of emotions; Tools of solution-building, with questions, troubleshooting guidelines, and tips for evaluating outcomes; The distinction between problem-solving and solution-building; Co-constructing goals with clients; Applying solution focused principles to hospice, grief, and bereavement practice. This resource serves as an invaluable tool for social workers, hospice workers, psychologists, and other bereavement and grief-counseling professionals.;chapter