This research is an inquiry into the experience of losing a loved one to murder. The topic is explored and expressed through the lens of autoethnography. The author explores and documents the process of recovery following the murder of her father. The article considers how healing and growth can emerge from tragedy. Implications for theory and research are discussed, and suggestions are made regarding therapeutic support for individuals who have experienced traumatic loss.
AsaroM. R. (2001) Working with adult homicide survivors, part II. Helping family members cope with murder. Journal of Perspectives in Psychiatric Care37: 115–136.
3.
BarnettL. (2009) When death enters the therapeutic space, New York, NY: Routledge.
4.
BochnerA. P. (2012) Bird on the wire: Freeing the father within me. Qualitative Inquiry18: 168–173.
5.
BoltonG.HowlettS.LagoC.WrightJ. (2004) Writing cures. An introductory handbook of writing in counselling and therapy, New York, NY: Routledge.
6.
CacciatoreJ.FlintM. (2012) Attend: Toward a mindfulness-based bereavement care model. Death Studies36: 61–82.
7.
CampesinoM. (2007) Homicide bereavement. Reflections on the therapeutic relationship in trauma research. Journal of Qualitative Inquiry13: 541–553.
8.
ClementsP. T.DeRanieriJ. T.VigilG. L.BenasuttiK. M. (2004) Life after death: Grief therapy after the sudden traumatic death of a family member. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care40: 149–154.
9.
Cooper, M., & McLeod, J. (2011). Pluralistic Counselling and Psychotherapy. London, England: Sage.
10.
DokaK. J. (1996) Living with grief after sudden loss. Suicide, homicide, accident, heart attack, stroke, Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis.
11.
DrescherK.FoyD. (2010) When horror and loss intersect: Traumatic experiences and traumatic bereavement. Pastoral Psychology59: 147–158.
12.
EllisC. (2002) Shattered lives. Making sense of September 11th and its aftermath. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography31: 375–410.
13.
EllisC. (2013) Crossing the rabbit hole: Autoethnographic life review. Qualitative Inquiry19: 35–45.
14.
EtheringtonK. (2004) Becoming a reflexive researcher: Using ourselves in research, London, England: Jessicca Kingsley.
15.
FranklV. (2004) Man's search for meaning, London, England: Rider.
16.
GrantA. (2010) Writing the reflexive self: An autoethnography of alcoholism and the impact of psychotherapy culture. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing17: 577–582.
17.
GreenB. L. (2000) Traumatic loss: Conceptual and empirical links between trauma and bereavement. Journal of Personal and Interpersonal Loss5: 1–17. .
18.
GreenspanM. (2003) Healing through the dark emotions. The wisdom of grief, fear and despair, London, England: Shambhala.
19.
HattonR. (2003) Homicide bereavement counselling: A survey of providers. Death Studies27: 427–448.
20.
JacobsS. (1999) Traumatic grief. Diagnosis, treatment and prevention, Philadelphia, PA: Taylor and Francis.
21.
McLeodJ. (2011) Qualitative research in counselling and psychotherapy, 2nd ed. London, England: Sage.
22.
MillerL. (2009) Family survivors of homicide: 1. Symptoms, syndromes, and reaction patterns. The American Journal of Family Therapy37: 67–79.
23.
MooreT. (2004) Dark nights of the soul. A guide to finding your way through life's ordeals, London, England: Piatkus.
NeimeyerR. (2000) Searching for the meaning of meaning: Grief therapy and the process of reconstruction. Death Studies24: 541–558.
26.
PattiC. (2012) Split shadows: Myths of a lost father and son. Qualitative Inquiry18: 153–161.
27.
ReillyR. (2011) ‘We knew her … ’ Murder in a small town: A hybrid work in three voices. Journal of Qualitative Inquiry17: 599–601.
28.
RitchesG. (2010) Promoting the interdisciplinary study of death and dying. Spoiled memories: Problems of grief resolution in families bereaved through murder. Mortality3: 143–159.
29.
Tilley-LubbsG. A. (2011) 4/16: Public tragedy collides with personal trauma. Journal of Qualitative Inquiry17: 144–147.
30.
TolichM. (2010) A critique of current practice: Ten foundational guidelines for autoethnographers. Qualitative Health Research20: 1599–1610.
31.
ThompsonN.WalshM. (2010) The existential basis of trauma. Journal of Social Work Practice24: 377–389.
