‘It's like being a member of a club I didn't want to join’: Reflections on a support group for bereaved dads
Keywords:
dads, fathers, groups, bereavement, grief, peer support, first-person experiencesAbstract
AbstractWe know very little about dads’ experiences of grief, and still less about the efficacy and impact of groups specifically set up to support them. This article is one attempt to address these gaps in knowledge and understanding, through consideration of a dads’ group at Helen & Douglas House hospice. Lengthy extracts from a facilitated group discussion in which members of the group reflect on its meaning and value are included. Context is also offered on the group itself, as are initial thoughts on significance and wider applicability. Through this article, we offer a different perspective on dads’ grief and on groups for bereaved dads. The dads themselves powerfully articulate the extreme nature of their losses, explaining ‘nothing can solve the problem.’ On the other hand, they also stress that, within this context, the tiny improvements they feel and experience make coming to the group worthwhile and important.
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