How have people sought to understand loss and bereavement? What are the current theoretical approaches to loss and bereavement? What are the implications of these approaches for interventions? This book aims to provide students with an understanding of important theoretical perspectives and specific models of adaptation to loss. It is assumed that loss and change are normal processes which occur within a social and cultural context, and the reader is introduced to historical and cultural perspectives which illustrate the diversity of approaches to loss. Major theoretical perspectives are explored to enable students to understand their origins and influence. The authors go on to review the development of common models used to conceptualise individual reactions to loss and provide a critique of these models, highlighting the assumptions that underpin them. Finally, they discuss how these conceptual models have actually been used in clinical and community interventions. This is a comprehensive text describing the variety of approaches available to understand the process of loss and bereavement.