Susan Berger

Susan A. Berger, LICSW, Ed.D. has extensive experience counseling individuals confronting the death of loved ones and other life changes. Drawing on research results and anecdotes gathered from the bereaved over the past ten years, Berger examined how a person’s worldview is affected by major loss. She wrote her book, The Five Ways We Grieve, finding your path to healing after the loss of a loved one, (Trumpeter Books, 2009) to assist professionals, and survivors and the general public understand the lifelong impact of loss on the bereaved. She founded The Center for Loss, Bereavement, and Healing in Framingham, MA, a clinical practice, helping individuals, couples and families cope with life stresses. She also provides workshops on her unique approach to lifelong grieving to professionals, such as physicians, psychologists, social workers, nurses and hospices, as well as presentations to community groups. She has published articles in professional and trade publications, as well as many media, including The Washington Post on mental health, substance abuse, health and human resources topics. She has also been cited nationally in numerous print and broadcast media, and has spoken at many conferences and workshops throughout the country. Previous experience includes academic appointments at Emmanuel College, Northeastern University, Merrimack College, and MassBay Community College. Dr. Berger earned her Doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, as well as a Master’s degree in Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Boston University. To enhance her expertise in the area of loss and bereavement, she earned a Certificate in Thanatology (Death, Dying & Bereavement) from the National Center for Death Education at Mt. Ida College in Newton, MA. Dr. Berger has volunteered as a hospice volunteer working with the dying and bereaved families. She is herself the survivor of early parental loss.

Articles:

Impact of Both Parents’ Deaths

This is an excerpt from The Five Ways We Grieve, by Susan Berger, available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon: Although I have been an orphan for more than half of my life, only in the past five years have I reached another level of understanding about how the deaths of my parents affected me. This revelation has given me some sense of peace. And, while most people would assume I have “gotten over” my losses, I know that if being bereaved is being deprived of our loved ones, I remain in a state of bereavement. I still remember the […]

Creating a New Identity

This is an excerpt from The Five Ways We Grieve, by Susan Berger, available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon: Confronting the reality of having to live a changed life requires that you accept that your view of the world will change. Your loved one is gone physically. Psychologically, your sense of identity, security and safety are gone. Socially, relationships with friends and family may change. Spiritually, you may feel abandoned by God and isolated from others. Not knowing who you are or where to go next, you are now faced with the most challenging task of all—creating a new identity […]

Fear Comes From Loneliness; Don’t Grieve Alone

This is an excerpt from The Five Ways We Grieve, available at Barnes & Noble, and Amazon: When we lose a loved one, fear is one of the strongest emotions we feel. Fear for our safety and our basic security, fear about what will happen to us and our family. Fear of not being able to manage our responsibilities on our own. Fear of being alone. When we feel connected to others and to the universe, however, we will not feel fear because, as Borysenko tells us: “Fear cannot exist where there is connectedness because the core of fear is isolation.” So […]

Natural Disasters Leave Grief Among the Ruins

The havoc wrought by recent natural disasters – hurricanes in Houston and Florida, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, wild fires in Northern California, the earthquakes in Mexico — remind me of how destructive natural disasters can be to those affected by them. Not only have many lives been lost – wives, husbands, children, parents, pets – but also homes, schools, hospitals, entire neighborhoods and communities. Think about the memories contained in all those people and places. We humans form many attachments in the course of our lives. First and foremost, we value our family members and friends. Beyond […]

After Boston, is Anyone Safe?

When I saw my daughter’s question on facebook after the Boston Marathon Bombing last week, I knew she was expressing a universal feeling of sadness and anxiety about the world we now live in. I knew she was worrying about the safety of the world my 4-year-old grandson is growing up in. As a Bostonian, I know that globalization has changed every aspect of our lives — from the clothes we buy and the food we eat, to the multi-cultural society we inhabit, and the diverse, and often divergent, values and beliefs that wreak havoc on our sense of security. […]

Tornado Losses Include People, Homes, Memories

Watching on TV the havoc wrought by the tornadoes in Missouri and Oklahoma reminded me of how destructive natural disasters can be to those affected by them. Not only were many lives lost – wives, husbands, children, parents, pets – but also homes, schools, hospitals, entire neighborhoods. Think about the memories contained in all of those people and places. We humans form many attachments in the course of our lives. First and foremost, we value our family members and friends. Beyond our immediate circle of intimates, we interact with so many other individuals who contribute to our lives with their […]

Grieving and Resilience

There’s been a lot of buzz lately about a book by a Columbia psychology professor, George Bonnano, called The Other Side of Sadness (2009). This book received many endorsements from the academic community claiming revolutionary thinking about how the bereaved experience and adapt to the loss of a loved one. His main point is that the majority of those who grieve are able to handle their loss on their own, without professional counseling, because human beings are “naturally resilient.” “The good news,” he writes, “is that for most of us, grief is not overwhelming or unending.” Since [loss] “is a […]

Childhood Grief Can Emerge Decades Later

A woman came into my office yesterday. She looked exhausted, and explained that she wanted to consult with me about her 91-year-old mother who had recently been diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer ’s disease. She is the primary caregiver and had missed quite a lot of work recently due to her mother’s needs. She is a research biologist at Harvard Medical School working under a grant that will expire in a year. She said she didn’t know what she would be able to do. “I’m fifty-six years old, and I have to think about another career.” I asked her to […]

New Year Offers Chance at New Beginning

“Christmas Eve was the hardest.” I am so grateful for my friends.” “I made it through.” “Thank goodness, the holidays are over.” These were some of the expressions I heard from my bereaved clients as we resumed our sessions after the new year began. Some described continuing the traditions of holiday parties with friends and family. A few escaped to places as diverse as Vermont and the Caribbean. Sseveral stayed home and spent “quiet time” alone or with immediate family. Regardless of when their loss occurred, however, the winter holidays are especially hard. Our society creates such high expectations for […]

Is this Really the Season to Be Jolly?

Tis the season to be jolly. This verse from the Christmas song “Deck the Halls,” belies the sadness that many people feel during the winter holiday season. Many folks are fortunate to be celebrating with family and friends. I wish you the best, if you are. But, if you are among those who have lost a loved one this year, this season may offer little comfort and joy. It may be difficult for you to participate in holiday festivities, let alone celebrate. You may wish to be alone, or spend quiet evenings with someone whom you care about – and who […]

Open to Hope is an online community offering inspirational stories of loss, hope and recovery. We believe hope is the bridge between loss and recovery.