English to Croatian Medical Psychology

Healing ritu¬als have seven common aspects:
1. They involve a symbolic reenactment or passive reminder of the specific trauma (the names on the Vietnam Memoriai Wall, burn¬ing a letter to a perpetrator) and the specific impact of the trauma on each individual family member. Public ritu als already in existence may be considered.
2. They include a period of preparation and symbol making. Sym¬bol s signify what was lost or changed by the traumatic event and have before-and-after aspects.
3. They involve everyone in the family in specific ways through action taking and emotional expression. The actions symbolize both beginnings and endings.
4. They have a setting that is a physical reminder or memorial or may be an anniversary date.
5. They have intense transformatory power.
6. They include guides (e.g., therapists, shamans) as helpers.
7. They consider the ways each individual family deals with loss, emotion, transitions, holidays, and transformations and respect the family's coping style (Catherall, 1992).