Experiencing widowerhood in older age (case study)

This annotated case study tracks individual experience of bereavement and widowhood and captures respondent´s process of transformation. The author notices not only long lasting grief and distress but also the factors which contribute to adaptive coping with this situation. The article points out the importance of respecting the distinctiveness of the grief process by experts in counseling and psychotherapy practice and the concernment of theoretical background of therapists. Grief therapy is seen in a broader context – against the background of changing perspectives on coping with grief and against the background of changes in society and in our culture. Attention is also paid to the effectiveness of grief therapy. Data for the case study were obtained using a qualitative longitudinal study.

Lenka Fojtová, Olomouc University Social Health Institute (OUSHI), Czech republice-mail: lenkafo@gmail.com