Psychotherapy of bereavement after homicide: Be offensive

Abstract

After a homicide, those surviving family members who fail to recover and present for therapy are unable to adjust to the trauma of the dying. They present with persistent reenactment images of the dying, which are frightening and nonconformable. This article suggests a strategy that specifically focuses on the encouragement of psychologic offenses to begin the mastery of the traumatic responses of avoidance and intrusion. Mastery of the trauma of the dying is a necessary first step in therapy before resolution of bereavement distress can begin. This article introduces some guiding principles that can be of pragmatic assistance during treatment. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.