The Forgotten Grief

Elizabeth Kirkley Best, PhD: Web Director

Dr. Elizabeth K. Best holds a doctorate from the University of Florida in Research Psychology and has specialized in Thanatological Issues and Studies of the Self since 1978.

Her doctorate and early studies were on Perinatal Bereavement and Mourning, particularly on Stillbirth and Miscarriage. She worked as the research Psychologist from 1979-1981 on the Perinatal Mortality Counseling Program at Shands Teaching Hospital at University of Florida, with Drs. Kellner and Donnelly, Sandra Chesborough and others. At NEOU College of Medicine in 1985, she hosted the 4th Annual National Perinatal Bereavement Conference, and has keynoted there and at the National Perinatal Bereavement Conference in Long Island NY in 1987. She participated in the National Perinatal Bereavement Coalition as Archivist from 1984-6. Author of the timely Literature Review "The Forgotten Grief in 1982 in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatrybased on her dissertation of the same name, she went on to conduct research in the area of perinatal attachment and mourning, mourning in the family following a stillbirth, burial choices of families, childhood disorders following grief in the family, and anxiety in parents with multiple losses, in the weeks prior to the subsequent birth. She has been a book reviewer for "Birth and the Family Journal" [now "Birth"] before 1986, and while at Shands and NEOU College of Medicine continued direct intervention with parents. Her work and methods for intervention have been presented at the APA Convention in 1983, and National Forum for Death Education and Counseling, as well as at various regional and local conferences. She has also focused on the 'philosophy' of Grief and problems with the Medical Model, presenting "Is Grief a Disease: Revisited" at the APA Division 32 Paper Session in Toronto in 1984.

Recent studies and interests include: Christian Theological and Biblical Studies, Judaic studies and Anti-Semitism; Children in the Shoah and the Roles and reaction of the Church body politic in the Shoah. Her studies in Bereavement,Death Anxiety and other topics are published in Omega: Journal of Death and Dying; American Journal of Orthopsychiatry; Death Studies(formerly Death Education); The International Journal of Family Psychiatry and Psychology and Pastoral Care as well as others. She currently directs The Shoah Education (Web) Project and is developing "ShoahRose" A site on the Church in the Shoah; and a site on Anti-Semitism, neo-Nazism, and the Church, and is editing a new journal, under development called Journal of Church & Genocide. She has taught previously at University of Toledo, NEOU College of Medicine; U of Tennessee: Chattanooga; UNF and U of Florida. She has written in the area of perinatal bereavement and Problems in the "Disease" or Medical Model of Grief.