The Bereaved Parent

by Harriet Sarnoff Schiff

Practical supportive advice for bereaved parents and the professionals who work with them, based on the experiences of psychiatric and religious counselors.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Grief

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 1978

Reviews

[Judith Praag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schiff's is one of the earliest publications on loss of a child. When people around the bereaved parents think it's time to "move on" it's helpful to know there's nothing wrong with remembering... This is one of the books that brought solace during period of grief and mourning after my baby had died at birth in 1993 and the following four miscarriages. There's nothing like recognition of what you've gone through/ are going through yourself...

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for friends who lost their daughter. It was suggested by a friend of mine at church who lost his son many years ago. I wanted to read it before I gave it to them to make sure it would be helpful. Not only did it help me understand what I could do to help them through their time (not try to tell them everything would be ok, and to periodically visit them); but it also helped me. I got a greater understanding of my own grief going through my divorce from a number of years ago, and realized I had some unresolved issues there.

This book isn't psycho-babble. It's just a woman who lost her son talking about how you go on.

[Christine Gannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book I read about grief after my daughter died. Never cried so much, but the tears were so healing. It was the beginning of my grief journey after many years of avoiding the pain. It helped me to begin learning how to live as a Bereaved Parent.

[Frank Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I did not need to read this book. It was quite helpful in a time of intense loss and pain.

[Samantha Phillis · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is some good and practical advice in this book about how to attempt to survive after the death of your child. In my opinion what helps is that the author herself lost a child, so she is speaking from personal experience. I don't believe a person can accurately portray the emotions that come along with this type of intense grief unless they themselves have been through it. That said, I do feel this book was very focused on the psychological aspect of grief, and I felt that some things said in it were rather misguided. However, most of it was very useful and some of the things said were even helpful.

[Sunflower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until I found this book I thought I was going to have to write one on this subject. It helped.

[Edith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saved my life

[Susan Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books i read for dealing with the loss of a child. I highly recommend it for anyone who has lost a child.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this book after my older sibling died to try to understand what my parents might be thinking and feeling and learn healthy ways to talk about our their experience of loss being it effected us all differently and I was not disappointed by Schiff. Because of her experience with child loss she is able to practically and clearly speak to the experiences of those who have lost a close family member, or a child. I found her insights to be extremely relatable, comforting and helpful. She writes clearly and compellingly without any of the fluff or filler that can sometimes come with self-help or psychological books on grief.

[Garry · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/19/2015

[Shanet OB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I have read when it comes to bereavement. The messages are still relevant to this decade. This is what I call timeless literature. I appreciate the rawness of this book. I resonated with so much as someone who lost a child. I appreciate the interviews in the book as well. It gave insight to different parents perception on grief. Each chapter broke down the subject that each parent experienced after child loss. This is definitely a book support groups should use.

[Gabriel Bruyere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for those grieving or those who want to better understand this awful experience and be helpful to those suffering.

A tough read to hear about all the pain these people have experienced.

[Jane De vries · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book many years ago after the homicide of my sister and gave it to my Mom to read. Now I have a second cousin who lost his adopted son to suicide. Thank you, Harriet Schiff, for your kindness and wisdom.