Rocks and Pebbles: a post-bereavement sibling's support group using music to explore grief
Keywords:
Bereaved siblings, music, therapy, group workAbstract
AbstractShooting Star CHASE is a children's hospice service with two hospices: Shooting Star House in Hampton and Christopher's near Guildford, Surrey. Since 2004, Christopher's has run groups for bereaved siblings. In the summer of 2008 an innovative collaborative approach to this group was piloted, joining the skills of the Music Therapist, Family Support and Bereavement Counsellor and musicians from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Community and Education team. The original model of working was adapted to create a musical framework, and music was used as the therapeutic medium of expression. This group was named ‘Rocks and Pebbles’, in reference to an analogy of grief becoming less painful over time.
This article outlines the development, implementation and evaluation of this innovative group. It goes on to report on a research project which explored the experiences of the professionals involved in this model of collaborative working, and examined their views on what contributed to the efficacy of the group.
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