International Perspectives on Reminiscence, Life Review and Life Story Work

Bob Woods is an Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychology of Older People at Bangor University, Wales, UK. For over 40 years he combined clinical work in the NHS with research which has helped to develop and evaluate psychosocial interventions for people with dementia and their carers, including cognitive stimulation and reminiscence work. Elizabeth MacKinlay is a registered nurse and an Anglican priest. She is Director of the Centre for Ageing and Pastoral Studies at St Mark's National Theological Centre, Canberra, and a Professor in the School of Theology, Charles Sturt University. Elizabeth was Chair of the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing in 2008 and is the ACT Senior Australian of the Year for 2009. Christine Bryden has worked in the pharmaceutical industry and as a senior executive in the Australian Prime Minister's Department. Following her diagnosis with Alzheimer's Disease in 1995, she has been instrumental in setting up local support groups for people with dementia and has addressed national and international conferences. In 2003 she was the first person with dementia to be elected to the Board of Alzheimer's Disease International. Her first book Who will I be when I die? was published in 1998 and has been translated into several languages. She lives in Brisbane, Australia. Pam Schweitzer founded Age Exchange Theatre Trust in 1983. It was the first full-time professional theatre company to specialise in touring reminiscence theatre across the UK and Europe and Pam remained its Artistic Director until 2005. In 2000 she was awarded the MBE for services to Reminiscence and she continues to direct the European Reminiscence Network, lecturing, directing and training in reminiscence and related fields. She is an Honorary Fellow of the University of Greenwich.

• Foreword by Barbara Haight. 1. Introduction. Faith Gibson, Emeritus Professor of Social Work, University of Ulster, UK and Associate Consultant, HammondCare Sydney, Australia. 2. Recent progress in reminiscence research. Thomas W. Pierce, PhD, Department of Psychology, Radford University, USA, and Ann Elliott, Department of Psychology, Radford University, USA. 3. Cochrane review of reminiscence interventions with people with dementia. Bob Woods, Emeritus Professor, Dementia Centre, University of Wales, UK. 4. Reminiscence and life review in later life: The Southampton longitudinal study. Peter Coleman, Emeritus Professor, Academic Unit of Psychology, University of Southampton, UK, Christine Ivani-Chalian, PhD, UK and Maureen Robinson, Independent Advocate for Older People, UK. 5. Developmental foundations of life-long reminiscing. Robyn Fivush, Professor, Department of Psychology, Emory University, USA and Dr Jordan Booker, Professor, Department of Psychology, Emory University, USA. 6. Reminiscence and life review work in Taiwan. Tsuann Kuo, Assistant Professor, School of Medical Sociology and Social Work, Chung-Shan Medical University, Taiwan. 7. Spiritual reminiscing in later life. Elizabeth MacKinlay, Adjunct Professor, St Marks Theological College, Charles Stuart University, Australia. 8. Loss of a loved one: Remembering the life and the dying days. Emily L. Mroz, Psychology Department, University of Florida, USA, and Susan Bluck, PhD, Associate Professor, Psychology Department, University of Florida, USA. 9. Guided autobiography: Scope, implementation, process, and international applications. Dr Cheryl Svensson, University of Southern California, USA, and Brian de Vries, Professor, Gerontology Program, San Francisco State University, USA. 10. Reminiscence, narrative, and the presence of meaning in life. Dr Jeffrey D. Webster, Psychology Department, Langara College, Canada. 11. The narrative self in the lived experience of dementia. Christine Bryden, PhD, Dementia Consultant, Australia. 12. Self-reminiscences of clinically depressed older adults and the tripartite functional model revisted. Philippe Cappeliez, PhD, Emeritus Professor, Psychology Department University of Ottawa, Canada. 13. Reminiscence, self and meaningful connections: A case example of 'Bill'. Kate de Medeiros, Associate Professor of Gerontology, Miami University, Ohio, USA, and Sara E. Stemen, Doctoral Associate in Gerontology, Department of Sociology and Gerontology, Miami University, Ohio, USA. 14. Sharing memories: Building communities through arts-based reminiscence. Marian Ferguson, Reminiscence Network Northern Ireland, UK and Dr Geraldine Gallagher, Reminiscence Network Northern Ireland, UK. 15. Creative exploration of the past in the present. Pam Schweitzer, Founder, European Reminiscence Network, UK. 16. Structured Life Review. Dr Juliette Shellman, School of Nursing, University of Connecticut, USA and Julia A. McNeil, RN, MSN/Ed, USA. 17. Life review: Lifespan development, meaning processes and interventions. Dr Gerben J. Westerhof, Psychology Department, University of Twente, Netherlands. 18. Memoir writing: The challenge of leaving a legacy. Mary O'Brien Tyrrell, President, Memoirs, LLC, USA. 19. The contribution of information technology to reminiscence, life review and life story work: The perspectives of people living with dementia and their families. Assumpta A. Ryan, Professor of Ageing and Health, Ulster University, UK. 20. Increasing the use of reminiscence and life review: Experiences with the development, implemtation and evaluation of an online certificate course. Dr Juliette Shellman, Loreina Yancura, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA, and Esther Gieschen, Program Manager & Interim Director, Center for Continuing Education, University of Wisconsin-Superior, USA. 21. Afterword by Faith Gibson.

This book will be invaluable, for its theoreticalunderpinnings as well as personal stories and practice-based guidance.However, the book's overarching focus on the stories that we all tell toourselves and others about past, present and future throughout ourlives means that it may well also appeal to a wider readership than moretraditionally narrow interpretations of 'reminiscence' or 'life story work'might suggest.