Counting Our Losses ─ Reflecting on Change, Loss, and Transition in Everyday Life

This text is a valuable resource for clinicians who work with clients dealing with non-death, nonfinite, and ambiguous losses in their lives. It explores adjustment to change, transition, and loss from the perspective of the latest thinking in bereavement theory and research. The specific and unique aspects of different types of loss are discussed, such as infertility, aging, chronic illnesses and degenerative conditions, divorce and separation, immigration, adoption, loss of beliefs, and loss of employment. Harris and the contributing authors consider these from an experiential perspective, rather than a developmental one, in order to focus on the key elements of each loss as it may be experienced at any point in the lifespan. Concepts related to adaptation and coping with loss, such as resilience, hardiness, meaning making and the assumptive world, transcendence, and post traumatic growth are considered as part of the integration of loss into everyday life experience.

Section I: Introduction Harris, Gorman, Grief from a Broader Perspective: Nonfinite Loss, Ambiguous Loss, and Chronic Sorrow. Harris, The Social Context of Loss and Grief. Section II: Loss of View of the World and/or Others Part A: Loss of Safety and Security Abercromby, Are You Safe? Loss Related to Personal Violation. Modesto, Traumatic Events and Mass Disasters in the Public Sphere. Gorman, Vicarious Trauma and Professional Caregiver Stress: Occupational Hazards or Powerful Teachers? Part B: Relational Losses Harris, Navigating Intimate Relationship Loss: When the Relationship Dies, but the Person is Still Living. Schacter, Schacter, Adoption: A Life Begun with Loss. Silverman, Losses for Birthmothers Who Place Children for Adoption. Lewis, Gorman, Loss Related to Developmental Milestones: An Analysis of the Post Parental Transition. Cushing, Change and Transition in Non-Kinship Groups. Section III: Loss of Meaning or of a Sense of Justice in the World Attig, Existential Suffering: Anguish over the Human Condition. Hunter, Relinquishment of Certainty. Harvey, Loss of Religious Community. Section IV: Loss of the View of Self as Worthy or Valuable Part A: Loss of Identity Kauffman, The Trauma of Neglect. Sawicki, We are not like Other People: Identity Loss and Reconstruction Following Migration. Harris, Isenor, Loss of Employment. Harris, Infertility and Reproductive Loss. Scott, Coming Out: Intrapersonal Loss in the Acquisition of a Stigmatized Identity. Part B: Loss of Functionality Gorman, Chronic, Degenerative Conditions and Loss. Kosminsky, Traumatic Brain Injury. Langer, Who did You Used to Be? Loss for Older Adults. Section V: Coping with Losses in Life Gorman, Adaptation, Resilience, and Growth after Loss. Harris, Meaning-Making and the Assumptive World in Non-Death Loss. Harris, Integrating Loss in Everyday Life.