Homicide bereavement counseling: a survey of providers

The opinions of 116 homicide bereavement caregivers of interventions recommended for survivors were solicited. Presenting problems, optimum treatment framework, and reasons for treatment failure were also surveyed. Respondents preferred methods associated with crisis intervention and grief counseling. Other clinical techniques were rated as moderately helpful, except family therapy, which was highly rated. Suppression of trauma imagery was deemed harmful to survivors, though diversion was recommended often in cases of complicated grief. Caregivers who are themselves survivors appeared more sensitive to some of the emotional aspects of homicide bereavement, such as the potential for retraumatization in therapy.