Sibling Grief: Healing After the Death of a Sister or Brother

by P. Gill White

"P. Gill White, PhD has done an outstanding job of writing on a much-needed subject within the bereavement community, sibling grief. As siblings sadly are often the "forgotten" grievers when the death of their brother or sister occurs, a book such as this is greatly needed. Dr. White's insights and experiences as both a bereaved sibling herself and as a sibling grief counselor are sure to be a great help to all who read her book. Bereaved Parents of the USA will definitely be recommending her book as a resource to both our siblings and their parents. -Patricia L. Moser, President Bereaved Parents of the USA www.bereavedparentsusa.org Author P. Gill White, PhD, was only fifteen when her sister Linda made her swear not to tell anyone about the pain Linda had in her side, because she thought it would spoil an upcoming family vacation. Linda died four months later from a rare form of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. White and her family never talked about the loss until decades later when memories began to haunt her. Sibling Grief is White's validation of the emotional significance of sibling loss. She draws on clinical experience, research, and wisdom from hundreds of bereaved siblings to explain the five healing tasks specific to sibling grief. White identifies the effects of this profound loss on daily actions and emotions and describes the dream patterns of bereaved siblings, showing how healing is reflected in the dream state. Throughout, she illustrates the long-lasting connection between siblings-a connection that death itself cannot sever. Sibling Grief is a powerful mix of information, personal reflections, and poetry-just what you need to begin your own healing journey.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Grief

Paperback

First published May 22, 2008

Reviews

[Martine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Death of a sibling is perhaps the least written about topic in grief counseling

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in the days leading up to the anniversary of my brother's death. I found it very insightful, empathetic, and helpful. I would recommend it to anyone who has lost a sibing or knows someone who has lost a sibling.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really helped me after losing my sister. There aren’t many things for sibling support out there to help navigate this complex role and these feelings. The author caters to all ages of life with dedicated chapters. I really loved some of the therapeutic ideas for keeping memories and such. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has lost a sibling. Even to parents or loved ones who might need to know how to support their other children.

[Salma Morando]

This book explained things about myself that I haven't been able to articulate or express emotionally. I became aware of things I did not know I was feeling. I discovered feelings I realized I pushed away because I had to be strong for others or because I didn't want to burden anyone. This book helped me understand my grief a little better. Grief I have tried so hard to keep buried for 4 years.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short read with some good resources. I particularly like the section on bibliotherapy and all the recommended books and the section on using creativity for therapy. I found very few books focused on sibling loss, so appreciated this book after the death of my beloved sister.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really helped me after losing my sister. There aren’t many siblings support out there to help navigate this complex role and feelings. The author caters to all ages. I really loved some of the therapeutic ideas for keeping memories and such. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has lost a sibling.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book written by a sibling for and about other siblings and the feelings that we experience after such a loss. It has some very good points and I would recommend this book to anyone who has lost a sibling.

[Judi Kling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as Surviving the Death of a Sibling but still a good book.

[Cynthia Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good