A phenomenological exploration of using a children’s picture book in the context of bereavement therapy

............................................................................................................... 3 Definitions ............................................................................................................ 4 Disseminated findings ........................................................................................ 5 Copyright statement ............................................................................................ 6 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER .................................................... 11 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 11 1.1 Background to the study ........................................................................................ 12 1.2 Researching children’s experiences ...................................................................... 14 1.3 Research challenges for child bereavement services ........................................... 15 1.4 Permission to work with a bereaved family .......................................................... 17 1.5 Rationale for choice of book .................................................................................. 18 1.6 Principle aim of the study ..................................................................................... 18 1.7 Influence of the chosen theoretical framework ...................................................... 19 1.8 Analysis method to complement theoretical underpinnings .................................. 19 1.9 Résumé of Michael Rosen’s SAD BOOK ............................................................. 21 1.10 Thesis outline ....................................................................................................... 26 1.11 Summary ............................................................................................................... 26 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW: Grief and Bereavement .................... 28 2.0 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 28 2.1 Grief and bereavement ....................................................................................... 29 2.1.1 Defining grief and bereavement ............................................................................ 29 2.1.2 Professionalisation of death .................................................................................. 31 2.1.3 Theories of grief .................................................................................................... 32 2.1.4 Unrepresented populations .................................................................................. 36 2.1.5 Development and recognition of multi-faceted grief .............................................. 37 2.2 Child bereavement ................................................................................................ 39 2.3 Child bereavement groups .................................................................................... 52 2.4 Bereavement and people with learning disabilities .............................................. 54 2.5 Summary ............................................................................................................... 63 CHAPTER THREE LITERATURE REVIEW: Therapeutic Use of Literature about the Subject of Grief and Bereavement ............................ 65 3.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 65 3.1 Access to information on grief and bereavement for young people ...................... 65 3.1.1 Exploration of information within a group setting ................................................... 68 3.2 The use of literature to support young people’s understanding of grief and bereavement .................................................................................................. 69 3.2.1 Bibliotherapy .......................................................................................................... 70 3.2.2 Publications with a Christian focus ........................................................................ 80