Barbara D. Rosof

The Worst Loss, How Families Heal from the Death of a Child by Barbara D. Rosof. It is difficult to review a book like this because losing a child truly is the worst loss and nothing spoken or in print can make it better.

The Worst Loss, written by a psychotherapist, is a book of case studies and advice from a professional to help move through the grieving process. The book is a very good reference for the different stages of grieving, and the advice is generally good. Some of the subjects covered are: Acute grief, sibling grief, infant deaths, terminal illness, sudden deaths, murders, suicides, and going forward with the rest of your life. I would probably recommend this book for families 1-2 years out from a child loss.… (more)

Each week some 1900 American families are faced with the death of a child-allegedly the most harrowing of losses. Research shows that the grief of parents lasts longer and is more intense than any other. Here, Rosof, a California psychotherapist who works with bereaved families, offers compassionate advice to help parents cope. After describing the many ways children (including adult children) die, she explains why grieving is crucial to recovery, how the partners' relationship may be affected and the ways surviving siblings grieve. She also shows parents how to break down psychological barriers that hinder necessary grief work and prevent full recovery. In perhaps the most enlightening-as well as painful-part, families tell of their children's deaths and their aftermath. Included is a list of national organizations that support bereaved parents.… (more)