On a mid-October evening, a group of fathers gathered around a conference table and met each other for the first time. None of the men had ever thought of himself a "support group kind of guy" and each felt entirely out of place. In fact, nothing about their lives felt normal anymore.
The Group: Seven Widowed Fathers Reimagine Life chronicles the challenges and triumphs of seven men whose wives died from cancer and were left to raise their young children entirely on their own. Brought together by tragedy, the fathers - Neill, Dan, Bruce, Karl, Joe, Steve, and Russ - forged an uncommon bond. Over time, group meetings evolved into a forum for reinvention and transformed the men in unexpected ways. Through the fathers' poignant interactions, The Group illustrates that while some wounds never fully heal, each of us has the potential to construct a new and meaningful future.
Rosenstein and Yopp, co-leaders of the support group, weave together the fathers' stories with contemporary research on grief and adaptation. The Group traces a compelling journey of healing and personal discovery that no book has ever captured before. The men's touching efforts to care for their families, grieve for their wives, and reimagine their futures will inspire anyone who has suffered a major loss.
ISBN-13: 9780197636640
Media Type: Paperback
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 03-08-2022
Pages: 192
Product Dimensions: 9.34(w) x 6.10(h) x 0.39(d)
Donald L. Rosenstein, MD, is Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he is Director of the UNC Comprehensive Cancer Support Program and Division Head of General Adult Psychiatry. He is the former Clinical Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and Past-President of both the Academy of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry and the American Psychosocial Oncology Society.
Justin M. Yopp, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he serves as Program Director of Psycho-Oncology for the UNC Comprehensive Cancer Support Program.
Together, the authors are the creators of the Single Fathers Due to Cancer Program.
Table of Contents
Part I: Unimaginable Loss
Chapter 1: Neill's Dilemma
Chapter 2: The First Meeting
Chapter 3: Beyond Death and Dying
Chapter 4: Going It Alone
Chapter 5: The Wrong Parent Died
Chapter 6: "Of Course I'm Depressed, but Do I Have Depression?"
Chapter 7: Band of Brothers
Part II: Adaptation
Chapter 8: The Good Enough Father
Chapter 9: A Child's Grief
Chapter 10: The Ring Thing
Chapter 11: Last in Line
Chapter 12: Dating 2.0
Part III: Reimagined Lives
Chapter 13: Future Trajectories
Chapter 14: The Meaning of Life
Chapter 15: Posttraumatic Growth
Chapter 16: An Unexpected Partnership
Chapter 17: Hard-Earned Wisdom
Chapter 18: Winding Down
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
Index
