[originaltext] A new form of treating grief following the death of a loved one

A new form of treating grief following the death of a loved one has been found to be more successful than conventional psychotherapy in some patients. Complicated grief includes intense feelings that last six months or longer, according to psychiatrist Katherine Shear of the University of Pittsburgh. Experts say people suffering from complicated grief do not respond well to traditional psychotherapy. So, Dr. Shear and colleagues developed a new form of treatment designed to get those with complicated grief to both accept their loss and focus on their personal life goals. The therapy includes "revisiting"—tape recording the patient telling the story of the loved one’s death—and having the patient listen to the story daily, to help them lessen the intensity of emotion. The patient also tells the loved one things they didn’t get to hear in life.
  In a study comparing the two types of therapy, 51 percent of people with complicated grief were helped compared to 28 percent of people receiving traditional psychotherapy.