The Understanding Your Grief Support Group Guide: Starting and Leading a Bereavement Support Group 1st edition by Wolfelt PhD, Alan D. (2004) Paperback
This guide to facilitating support groups offers bereavement caregivers practical strategies for creating and maintaining a productive environment for mourners. Logistical considerations such as setting up and publicizing a new group are discussed, as is the importance of prescreening new members. Tips for creating a set of ground rules are provided, and the pros and cons of creating structured and unstructured meetings are considered. Responding constructively to problems in the group is also discussed, with helpful, time-proven models provided for evaluating group and individual progress.
I have facilitated bereavement groups for a number a of years and learned many new ideas from this book. It also served as a refresher for some points that I had forgotten. I highly recommend it for anyone considering beginning in bereavement support.
The book provides practical strategies for a safe and supportive environment for mourners. I especially appreciated the tips for establishing ground rules and the balanced discussion on the pros and cons of structured versus unstructured meetings.
Thoughtfully written and presented - Wolfelt is careful to identify the difference between discussion group facilitation and support group facilitation. And though the information on being a facilitator is through, he does not overemphasize nuts and bolts at expense of content.
This might have been more helpful reading this in conjunction with the other two books in the series. Still some good tips on leading grief support groups.