Robert Neimeyer

Robert A. Neimeyer, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology, University of Memphis, where he also maintains an active clinical practice. Neimeyer has published 25 books, including Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society: Bridging Research and Practice, and serves as Editor of the journal Death Studies. The author of over 350 articles and book chapters and a frequent workshop presenter, he is currently working to advance a more adequate theory of grieving as a meaning-making process.

Articles:

Bob Neimeyer: How to Grieve as a Couple

One of Open to Hope’s Board members, Bob Neimeyer, spoke with Dr. Gloria Horsley at the 2015 Association for Death Education and Counseling conference about grieving as a couple.  “You’ve told me for many years that I don’t have to give up memories of my child,” she tells Neimeyer. Sadly, Neimeyer explains that one of the go-to strategies in 20th century grief culture in America is the idea that everyone needs to let go. “We need not let them go,” he says. Grieving is really a way of learning how to hold on in a sustainable way. Grieving is how […]

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Widow Asks: Why Can’t I Cry?

Question from Phyllis: My husband of 54 years passed away one year ago and except for a few tears the night he passed away, I have not been able to shed a tear since. He was 75 years old, and had a number of physical ailments including diabetes and chronic kidney failure. He was living in a nursing home – recovering from the 5th broken bone in less than a year — when he just stopped breathing. I have gone through everything you have to do when you lose a spouse — preparations and funeral, plus the added turmoil of […]

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Is It OK to Keep Memento of Son’s Accident?

Susan of Texas asks: My son died in a car accident, and I find comfort from holding a piece of glass from my son’s demolished car.  My friend thinks this is strange. Is she right, or do other people do what I do? Dr. Bob Neimeyer responds: It sounds like your friend is not a bereaved parent.   Many people find solace in maintaining contact with their loved one through cherished “linking objects,” whether these are a child’s favorite toy, a husband’s sweater, or in this case, a piece of broken glass. At the core of grief is the urge […]

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Poem: The Art of Longing

Poet/Professor Robert Neimeyer explores the struggle of those who have “driven the long cold road alone.”

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