Grief Unseen: Healing Pregnancy Loss Through The Arts
by Laura Seftel /
2006 / English / PDF
4.2 MB Download
Approximately 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage, yet this
remains a taboo topic and effective aftercare is rarely available
for women who have suffered pregnancy loss. "Grief Unseen" explores
the experience of miscarriage and the process of healing, offering
a practical introduction to the medium of art as an aid in coming
to terms with loss. An established art therapist and mental health
counselor, Seftel shares her own experiences of miscarriage and
recovery with the reader and provides uplifting accounts of the
lives and creative work of well-known women who have survived
pregnancy loss, including Frida Kahlo, Judy Chicago and Tori Amos.
She describes the use of art and ritual as a response to loss in
traditional cultures, and illustrates how these practices have been
translated into modern Western cultures, through communities built
either in person or via the Internet. The book also explains the
various kinds of miscarriage, such as failed in vitro
fertilization, ectopic pregnancy and stillbirth, and examines the
emotional impact of each on women and their families. The second
part of the book offers a wealth of practical creative exercises,
using step-by-step processes to guide individuals, couples and
groups through their creative responses. These exercises are
suitable even for those with no previous artistic experience and
are accompanied by an array of high-quality artwork examples.
"Grief Unseen" will be an accessible and uplifting resource for
women and families who have suffered pregnancy loss, and will be of
great interest to practitioners in the fields of mental health and
health care as well as art therapists and counselors.
Approximately 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage, yet this
remains a taboo topic and effective aftercare is rarely available
for women who have suffered pregnancy loss. "Grief Unseen" explores
the experience of miscarriage and the process of healing, offering
a practical introduction to the medium of art as an aid in coming
to terms with loss. An established art therapist and mental health
counselor, Seftel shares her own experiences of miscarriage and
recovery with the reader and provides uplifting accounts of the
lives and creative work of well-known women who have survived
pregnancy loss, including Frida Kahlo, Judy Chicago and Tori Amos.
She describes the use of art and ritual as a response to loss in
traditional cultures, and illustrates how these practices have been
translated into modern Western cultures, through communities built
either in person or via the Internet. The book also explains the
various kinds of miscarriage, such as failed in vitro
fertilization, ectopic pregnancy and stillbirth, and examines the
emotional impact of each on women and their families. The second
part of the book offers a wealth of practical creative exercises,
using step-by-step processes to guide individuals, couples and
groups through their creative responses. These exercises are
suitable even for those with no previous artistic experience and
are accompanied by an array of high-quality artwork examples.
"Grief Unseen" will be an accessible and uplifting resource for
women and families who have suffered pregnancy loss, and will be of
great interest to practitioners in the fields of mental health and
health care as well as art therapists and counselors.