Letter Writing as a Clinical Tool in Grief Psychotherapy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13629708 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lene Holm Larsen (0000-0002-0383-0750, Research Department, Danish National Center for Grief, Copenhagen, Denmark, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 89 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 222-246 |
| Publication date | 2022-02-13 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0030-2228 • E-ISSN: 1541-3764 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00302228211070155 |
| PMID | 35156445 |
| OpenAlex | W4213022329 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 9 |
| References cited | 81 |
The benefits of expressive writing have been explored since at least the 1980s. The effect of expressive bereavement-related writing has been studied primarily in college students, yielding inconclusive results. Nonetheless, recent effective, integrated psychotherapy protocols, targeting complicated and prolonged grief, include writing assignments, typically in the form of letters. The present paper explores how and why letter writing might be effective and meaningful as a therapeutic tool in the context of grief psychotherapy. It describes how working with letters, addressed to the deceased, might help facilitate self-disclosure, promote exposure to what is avoided, confront unfinished business, encourage continuing bonds, and help achieve a coherent narrative around experiences with the loss. As a therapeutic tool, letter writing has the potential to be helpful to many bereaved people, as it is a simple, effective, and meaningful way to access and work with relevant clinical material in the context of psychotherapy
Art · Context (archaeology · Grief · Literature · Narrative · Psychotherapist · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · History · Mental Health via Writing · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology
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Grief Attack Questionnaire
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Cognitive, Emotional, and Language Processes in Disclosure
Bereavement by suicide as a risk factor for suicide attempt
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Self-Concealment
Resilience to Loss and Potential Trauma
Complicated Grief
Prevalence of prolonged grief disorder in adult bereavement
A Cognitive-Behavioral Conceptualization of Complicated Grief.
Complicated grief and related bereavement issues for DSM-5
Self-Concealment
Disclosure of traumas and immune function
The prevalence of prolonged grief disorder in bereaved individuals following unnatural losses
Concurrent Treatment for PTSD and Prolonged Grief Disorder
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Let’s Talk About It”
The special grief following drug related deaths
Efficacy of Writing for Recovery on Traumatic Grief Symptoms of Afghani Refugee Bereaved Adolescents
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Bereavement-Related Regret Trajectories Among Widowed Older Adults
The Unfinished Business in Bereavement Scale (UBBS)
Lost Children, Living Memories
Unfinished Business in Bereavement
The Meaning of Loss Codebook
Bereavement-related regrets and unfinished business with the deceased
Effects of Directed Written Disclosure on Grief and Distress Symptoms Among Bereaved Individuals
Internet-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Complicated Grief
The Dual Process Model of Coping With Bereavement
Accelerating the coping process
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| Unique citing works | 9 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2,25 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2026 (5) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 8 |