Loss, Trauma and Resilience: Therapeutic Work with Ambiguous Loss

Alllossesaretouchedwithambiguity.Yetthosewhosufferlosseswithoutfinalitybearaparticularburden.WhetheritistheexperienceofcaringforaparentinthegripofAlzheimer?orwaitingtolearnthefateofaspousegonemissinginadisastrousevent,thelossisdisastrouslycoupledwithalackofclosure.Bereftofritualsandsocialsupport,personswhoexperiencesuchambiguouslossesfindithardtounderstandtheirsituation,difficulttocope,andalmostimpossibletomoveaheadwiththeirlives.InLoss,Trauma,andResilience,Boss,theprincipaltheoristoftheconceptofambiguousloss,offersnewconceptsandclinicalpracticesforaddressingthiscriticalpsychologicalexperiencethat,inoneformoranother,touchesallofourexperiencesofloss.Bossdrawsonresearchandextensiveclinicalexperienceworkingwithfamiliesinordertoframeapowerfulbutflexibletherapeuticapproach.Thefundamentalgoalistoguidereadersinthetaskofbuildingresilienceinclientswhofaceofthetraumaoflosswithoutresolution.InPartIreadersareintroducedtotheconceptofambiguouslossandshownhowsuchlossesrelatetoconceptsofthefamily,definitionsoftrauma,andcapacitiesforresilience.OverthecourseofthesefirstthreechaptersBossupdatesandexpandsherearlierunderstandingofambiguouslossinawaythatnotonlyrefinesthecharacterofthephenomenonbutrelatesthephenomenontoothercriticalpsychologicalandtherapeuticcategories.InPartIIBossleadsreadersthroughthevariousaspectsofandtargetpointsforworkingwiththosesufferingambiguousloss.Frommeaningtomastery,identitytoambivalence,attachmenttohope?hesechapterscoverkeystatesofmindforthoseundergoingambiguousloss.Bossthenofferstechniquesforfosteringinclientsahealthyandsustainableposturetowardloss.Readersareencouragedtoleadclientstowardmodificationsoftheirmoretypicalinclinationstocontroltheirsituationandresolvealluncertainty.Thetherapeuticlessonistolearntolivewithambiguityandtherebynurtureresilienceinclientsandtheirfamilies.TheEpilogueaddressesthetherapistdirectlyandhisorherownambiguouslosses.Closingthecircleofthetherapeuticprocess,Bossshowstherapistshowfundamentaltheirownexperiencesoflossaretotheirownclinicalwork.InLoss,Trauma,andResilience,Bossprovidesthetherapeuticinsightandwisdomthataidsmentalhealthprofessionalsinnot"goingforclosure,"butratherbuildingstrengthandacceptanceofambiguity.Whatreaderswillfindisaconcretetherapeuticapproachthatisatoncedirectiveandopentothecomplexcontextsinwhichpeoplefindmeaninganddiscoverhopeinthefaceofambiguouslosses.