About Linda

Linda Machin began her career as a Medical Social Worker. From her experience in health and social care grew an interest in bereavement. She went on to conduct pioneering research into bereavement for the Anglican diocese of Lichfield, the findings of which lead to the development of published teaching material on grief and the setting up of a service for the bereaved, Bereavement Care (now the Dove Service) in North Staffordshire. While an academic direction followed with teaching on both the social work and counselling courses at Keele university, Linda continued practicing as a bereavement counsellor.

During this time Linda set up a Bereavement Counselling certificate at Keele. Throughout her career she has been involved in research into bereavement and gained a PhD for work developing a new theoretical model, the Range of Response to Loss model, and a measure for research and practice, the Adult Attitude to Grief scale. This innovative work has gained much interest in the field and recent research has validated the use of the AAG scale to calculate an indication of vulnerability in grief. The AAG scale is being used by many bereavement services and in a modified form, the Attitude to Health Change scales, are being explored for use in palliative care settings.

Linda is now an Honorary Research Fellow of Keele University and an Honorary Researcher at the International Observatory on End of Life Care at Lancaster University. She works as a freelance trainer and is Honorary Clinical Advisor to Cruse, Bereavement Care.

Books

Machin, L. (2014)  Working with Loss and Grief. London: Sage (2nd edition)

Machin, L. (2009)  Working with Loss and Grief: a new model for practitioners. London: Sage. (1st edition)

Relf, M. Machin, L. and Archer, N.  (2008) Guidance for Bereavement Needs Assessment in Palliative Care. London: Help the Hospices.

Machin, L. (1998) Looking at Loss. Brighton: Pavilion (revised edition of Longman 1990)

Machin, L. (1993) Working with Young People in Loss Situations. London: Longman.

Machin, L. (1990) Looking at Loss. London: Longman

Machin, L. and Holt, C. (1988) All Change: Exploring Loss and Change. Middlesex: CEM.

STUDY REPORTS

Machin, L. (2010) Implementing Bereavement Needs Assessment in Palliative Care – study report. London: Help the Hospices.

Machin, L. (2007)  The Adult Attitude to Grief Scale as a Tool of Practice for Counsellors Working with Bereaved People. Study Report sponsored by Age Concern, Tameside and Keele University.

Machin, L. (2001) ‘Exploring a Framework for Understanding the Range of Response to Loss: A Study of Clients Receiving Bereavement Counselling’. Unpublished PhD thesis: Keele University, UK.

CHAPTERS IN BOOKS

Machin, L. (2018) ‘Grief assessment and bereavement risk’ in C. Walshe, N. Preston and B. Johnston (eds), Palliative Care Nursing (3rd edition). London: McGraw-Hill

Machin, L. (2017)  ‘Bereavement’ in C. Feltham, T. Hanley and L. Winter (eds) Handbook of Counselling and Psychotherapy (4th edition).London: Sage.

Bartlam, B. and Machin, L. (2016) ‘Living well with loss in later life’ in C. Chew-Graham and M.Ray (eds), Mental Health and Older People. Springer. pp. 19-28

Machin, L. (2014) ‘Loss and Resilience’, in S. Read (ed), Supporting People with Intellectual Disabilities Experiencing Loss and Bereavement. London: Jessica Kinglsey. pp. 96- 106.

Machin, L. (2007) ‘Resilience and bereavement’, in B. Monroe, D. Oliviere (eds), Resilience in Palliative Care. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 157-65

Machin, L. (2005)  ‘Research in Practice’, in D. Oliviere, G. Luff and P. Firth (eds), Loss, Change and Bereavement in Palliative Care. Maidenhead: Open University Press. pp. 38-52

Machin, L. (2003)  ‘Research: The Impetus for and the measure of good practice. A case study from the voluntary sector’, in Q. Stimpson (ed), Counselling in the Community  and Voluntary Settings. London: Routledge.

Machin, L. (2000)  ‘Women’s Voices in Bereavement’ in Bernard, M. Phillips, J. Machin, L. and Davies,V.  (Eds) in Women Ageing. London; Routledge.

Machin, L. (1993)   ‘The impact of bereavement’, in Ken Tout (ed) Elderly Care: A World Perspective. London: Chapman and Hall, pp.226‑234.

Machin, L. (1989) ”The Experience of Loss’, in Derek Butler (ed), Living with Loss. London: CPAS.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Machin, L., Walshe, C, and Dunleavey, L. (2021) Exploring Specialist Palliative Care Practitioner Perspectives on the Face Validity of the Attitude to Health Change Scales in Assessing the Impact of Life-limiting Illness on Patients and Carers. Journal of Palliative Care. https://doi.org/10.1177/08258597211064016.

 Harrop, e., Goss, S., Farnell, D., Longo, M., Byrne, A., Barawi, K., Torrens-Burton,  A., Nelson, A., Seddon, K., Machin, L., Sutton, E., Roulston, A., Penny, A., Smith,  K., Sivell, S., Selman, L. (2021) ‘Support needs and barriers to accessing support: Baseline  results of a mixed-methods national survey of people bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic’, Palliative Medicine, https://doi.org/10.1177/02692163211043372

 Dunleavy, L., Walshe, C, and Machin, L. (2020) Exploring the psychological impact of life-limiting illness using the Attitude to Health Change scales: A qualitative focus group study in a hospice palliative care setting. European Journal of Cancer Care.  DOI: 10.1111/ecc.13302

Machin, L., Bartlam, B. and Bartlam, R. (2015) ‘Identifying levels of vulnerability in grief using the Adult Attitude to Grief scale: from theory to practice’, Bereavement Care, Vol.34. No. 2. 59- 68.

Brocklehurst, T., Hearnshaw, C. and Machin, L. (2014) ‘Bereavement needs assessment –Piloting a process’, Progress in Palliative Care, Vol. 22. No. 3. 143 – 149.

Sim, J., Machin, L. and Bartlam, B. (2013) ‘Identifying vulnerability in grief: psychometric properties of the Adult Attitude to Grief scale’, Quality of Life Research, Vol.23. 1211-122. (DOI 10.1007/s11136-013-0551-1)

Machin, L. (2010)  ‘Loss responses at the end of life – a conceptual reflection’, End of       Life Care, Vol. 4 issue 1. pp 46-52.

Machin, L. (2006)  ‘The Landscape of Loss’, Bereavement Care, Vol. 4 No 1. pp 7-11.

Machin, L. and Spall, B. (2004)  ‘Mapping grief: a study in practice using a quantitative and qualitative approach to exploring and addressing the range of response to loss’,  Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, Vol. 4, No 1. pp 9-17.

McLeod, J and Machin, L. (1998) ‘The context of counselling: a neglected dimension of training, research and practice’, British journal of Guidance and Counselling, 26, No 3. Pp 325 – 336.

Machin, L. (1998) ‘Grief counselling in context: multiple roles and professional compromise’, British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 26, No. 3. Pp. 387- 397.

Machin, L. (1998) ‘Making Sense of Experience: Death and Old Age’, Journal of Social Work Practice, 12 (2): 217–26.

Machin, L. (1992)  ‘Remembrance: a route to healing’. Life Line ‑ Newsletter of the National Association of Bereavement Services, Issue 10. p. 5‑8

Machin, L. (1992)  ‘Rage, Rage against the Dying Light: some comments on grief and loss’, Journal of Educational Gerontology, Vol.7.(2),pp. 78‑91

Machin, L. (1985) ‘Bereavement Counselling’, Midlands Medicine, Vol.17, pp. 22‑24.

Machin, L. (1982) ‘In the Last Analysis’, Community Care, Issue No.412. pp.14‑15