The Magical Thoughts of Grieving Children

James A. Fogarty, Ed .D, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Certified School Psychologist

Introduction

Chapter 1 — Children's View of Grief
How to be an Expert in the Eyes of Children
A New Look at the Normal Grief Emotions of Children
The Normal Grief Emotions
The Numb and Stunned Reaction • Commotion • Attempts to Re-create Coupled with Balancing Denial • Anguish • Anger •
Guilt
Summary

Chapter 2 — Cognition: The Most Definitive Feature of Children's Grief
To Bond or Not to Bond? • Imitation • Concrete Thinking • The Onset of Abstract Reasoning • Adolescence—Abstract
Thought Unleashed
Summary

Chapter 3 — The Model of Magical Thought
What is Magical Thought? • The Model of Magical Thought: "Seeds for the Destruction of Children's Personality Development"
• Key Definitions for the Model of Magical Thought
Summary

Chapter 4 — The Tasks of Mourning Distorted by Destructive Magical Thought
The Five Tasks of Healthy Mourning • Complicated Mourning • Therese Rando's Six "R" Response • Disenfranchised Grief •
Conversions from the Unhealthy Model of Magical Thought to the Tasks of Healthy Mourning
Summary

Chapter 5 — Action-Focused Techniques to Eliminate Destructive Magical Thought
Action-Focused Techniques Defined • Advantages of Action-Focused Techniques with Bereaved Children and Families • Five
Purposes of Action-Focused Techniques • The Interview Process • Parental Involvement • Examples of Action-Focused
Techniques Eliminating Magical Thought
Summary

Chapter 6 — Anger and Magical Thought
Prescription for Anger Management • Summary of a Plan of Treatment for Anger Management
Chapter 7 — A Special Note for Parents
Chapter 8 — Magical Thought of Adults and Society
The Functions of Magical Thought of this Society • The Trickle Down Effect

Chapter 9 — Final Thoughts
References
Appendix A — Resources for Action-Focused Techniques
Index