Product Description
This guide to facilitating support groups offers bereavement caregivers practical strategies for creating and maintaining a productive environment for mourners. Logistical considerations such as setting up and publicizing a new group are discussed, as is the importance of prescreening new members. Tips for creating a set of ground rules are provided, and the pros and cons of creating structured and unstructured meetings are considered. Responding constructively to problems in the group is also discussed, with helpful, time-proven models provided for evaluating group and individual progress. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Understanding Your Grief Series
I have read a number of articles by Alan Wolfelt and have appreciated his approach in his writings. The series that I have recently purchased are very helpful materials about this difficult topic. I have been able to use the material in the present course I am giving to get good discussions started. I am still looking for a book that has handout material to give to the participants to take home and review again. This would be a good supplement. ... Read more

Product Description
Grief affects everyone.Every week there are names of people in the church have experienced or are facing the loss of someone they love.For many, knowing what to do or how to help in these situations can be difficult, especially when sending flowers or offering a sympathetic word just doesn't seem like enough.

The Grief Care Kit is a practical resource to help churches provide real help and healing for people facing grief. Designed to help leaders establish a grief ministry, it includes a copy of a grief seminar by author Harold Ivan Smith as well as instructions for leading a grief recovery group, which include a leader's guide and student workbook. The material also comes in electronic files and is completely reproducible, so leaders can adapt and reuse these resources to fit their changing group needs year after year.

Resources include:
a DVD of the seminar "Leading in Times of Loss"
a CD, which includes a reproducible leader's guide and a student workbook and more
a variety of suggested letters to help you send your condolences
quotes, prayers, and blessing that lead toward healing ... Read more

Product Description
Dying, Death and Grief is written for anyone who provides support to adults following bereavement. The author explains the theoretical background to attachment and loss and the core skills needed to support people who have been bereaved. Case studies and personal accounts are included to illustrate key points and exercises are provided to help you examine your own experiences and attitudes in relation to loss. The book also takes into account topics that are frequently overlooked in other texts such as sexuality, spiritual responses to loss, cultural influences and diversity, as well as the nature of chronic and disenfranchised grief. ... Read more

Product Description
"If Grief is a journey, the author takes our hand to help us along the path ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

When there are no Words/ excellent
I was very happy with this book when it came.It was in excellent condition.And the price was great too.

Excellent Company If You Are Going Through Your Own "monumental catastrophe" As He Puts It - The Unexpected Death of Loved Ones
Possibly the most important point in this book, in my opinion, was not to make ANY important decisions soon after a tragedy. You may think you are calm, cool, and collected, but the truth is, part of you just isn't there. You'll realize that later. Delay important decisions for a few weeks or months, or even a year if you can. The author saw improvement in himself in a year. He acknowledges that it varies for each of us, taking longer for some of us, and it also depends on the circumstances. Going through the stages of grief and, because I can't think of a better word, recovery or maybe so-called recovery, is different for each person. He explains this much better than I am about to, but some of us stay at one of those 'grief stations' longer than others and some will skip some of the stages entirely!

This book brought some emotions out for me. I had a few tears while reading it. I've always thought there should be something to read that talks to you about what you are feeling right now and if it's real, lasting, temporary, or abnormal. This is a fairly short book. I finished it in a day. In the back you'll find an excellent list of support organizations.

I remember thinking, "Does anyone realize what's going on inside me? Why do they not understand?! Will it ever stop hurting?" You'll want to 'go through' the experience with the author. He expertly and compassionately takes you through the experience and gives comfort and insight throughout, including quite a bit of practical advice in narrative form rather than 'to-do' lists. This is NOT the book you'll want that tells you when to take off your wedding ring, how to choose the flowers for the funeral, or how to handle new responsibilities. This is more about your feelings and emotions and how best to get through the place you are at the moment in your journey.

The chapters are short and easy to read and understand. There were times when all I could do was read a scripture, and hang on to that. A book--any book--was just too much. I wish I had known about this one earlier. You may want to start out with it when you can, as soon as you can. The section on HUGS comes to mind. The author writes in great detail about hugs. Thinking about it makes me smile.

The author said, "It's not a thing anybody can make it through...until they have no choice. Once there's no choice... you do it... one painful breath after another."

That's so true. I've always said something similar when people said something about my own experience. I don't have the courage to go through that again. I didn't have it before the accident. I believe God gives us the courage we need, when we need it.

There was information I would have found helpful about our reactions at the time of the, as he puts it, "monumental catastrophe" and how even though we may look calm, part of us isn't even there. That part of this book has some insight that may be worth your time. It spoke to me.

There was a chapter about the heavy load that none can understand without experiencing it. He stresses throughout the book though that we don't all grieve the same way, not even if we lost the same loved ones.

He explains WHY we should let our friends and loved ones do things for us, even when we haven't even noticed that those things needed to be done. He also talks about the 'dumb' things people say and our reactions to them. Back to that "hug" idea again. That may be the most important part of this book for me. He talks about the inevitable guilt we feel. We can figure out a way to make whatever happened our fault. He also talks about how it feels to meet people months or even years later who don't know about the death(s) and what it's like to see them experience being told for the first time, while we go through the pain again.

He talks about the "stuff" and how and when to let go of it and how being busy is either helpful or not. He even talks about getting mad at God. There's a section dealing with the statistics that show that marriages sometimes suffer after the death of a child and he gives his perspective on that.

Still another important part of this book is about time healing our wounds and that it doesn't heal completely. "I experience the full force of the emotional hurricane over and over again... but with longer periods of quiet in between."Exactly.

W. E. "Bill" Smith
After having released a book about grief recently on Amazon.com myself, a friend, upon reading it, provided me a copy of Charlie Walton's book "When There Are No Words". What a gift they gave me! It is a beautiful book, told from a father's perspective, and is told with love and grace. It is full of examples that are commonplace to grieving souls, yet they are examples for which we have difficulty finding words to describe. Charlie does this time and again and, each time, you'll find yourself saying "YES!" I wished I'd read this book 5 years ago. It'd have been a huge help. Charlie Walton's book finds the words you need to hear when you have none of your own.

The only one....
As a parent that lost my 9-year-old son I was given loads of books that friends and family thought would help.Who would have thought that the smallest, skinniest, and shortest book would be the winner! Charlie's book was the ONLY book that I could pick up and read.It was a several months after my son's death that I was even able to focus in on words.My Mother browsed thru all the books I had received and none of them, she thought, were going to be the right words for me to hear.When she got to this book, it all changed.She was touched so very much by the words, with her losing her Grandson.She and I have since passed the book along, hoping that it can begin to touch a place inside someone hurting that nothing, or no one can get to.My faith is the strongest element that isallowing me to survive this tragedy.However, in the early weeks, months, after I lost my son...I was not wanting to HEAR and READ about all of Gods wonder.As much as I lived it, felt it, believed it....I didnt want to READ about it.This book brought every thing into one little package.It was a huge part of the first steps of true healing.I will continue to pass this book.

Very practical
This is a very practical and useful book. The resource list and book reading list is very good. I enjoyed this easy-to-read book very much. Some books on grief that I have read, are very heavy and hard to plod through.

[...]
... Read more

Product Description
"Worden ... has again provided mental health professionals with a superb guide describing specific principles and procedures that may be helpful in working with bereaved clients undergoing normal or abnormal grief reactions .... an extremely practical book and an invaluable resource."--Contemporary Psychology

"This book is the 'Bible' for those involved in the field of bereavement work...It is a straightforward, tightly focused, practical, soundly reasoned, compact working text." --William M. Lamers, Jr.,MD., The Lamers Medical Group

"If you had one book dealing with grief counseling available to you, this is the one you should select." --Caregiver Quarterly

In this updated and revised fourth edition of his classic text, Dr. Worden presents his most recent thinking on bereavement drawn from extensive research, clinical work, and the best of the new literature.Besides addressing a number of new topics, the book includes the best vignettes from the first three editions to bring bereavement issues to life for students and practitioners. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

great!
super fast delivery
excellent condition

really happy with it,
thanks a lot!!

If I could only purchase one book on grief & loss - this would be it
Brilliant book.I am a social work professional.I found this book to be evidence based with relevant research, history on the topic including interesting stuff on the debate around terminology that has been happening in anticipation of DSMV.However, great strength is that it is also designed for practitioners and has detailed suggestions to enhance practice as well as great advice on self care and training.I've read and trained others on this topic and this is one of three I currently recommend to those I train.

worth buying
this book was used, it was in good shape and i recieved it in three days of my placed order.

Good, but the sexist parts need to be removed.
The author needs to go back and review this book for sexist statements and ideas that may not have been noticeable in the first edition but sure speak loudly now.For example, at one point he speaks of when a parent dies a child loses EITHER the breadwinner OR the homemaker.What about all us single working mothers?It's as if he's in a time-warp and I found these type of statements, which were mostly subtle but clearly evident of sex role stereotyping, throughout the book.However, all-in-all the book is extremely informative with regard to human emotions and counseling strategies for the practitioner.He discusses the fact that people have let go of the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross stages of grief model (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance), a change that I was unaware of but of which I have also recently read about in my professional journal.He points out that clinicians need to avoid harboring fixed ideas, such as stages, in formulating helping strategies.I also would hope that future editions speak more to marginalized types of grief, such as miscarriage of pregnancy, grief in the workplace (the standardized amount of leave for loss of an immediate family member is 3 days), and even pet loss.In fairness, I do realize that he is not trying to lobby for social change but to look at this issue on a best outcome focus for the client.I think the book's focus inadvertently highlights the fact that there are countless little unsung griefs in life which deserve a clinician's unconditional understanding of the individual's unique inner experience and outward expression of their grief. Of course, the author can't speak to every form of grief specifically, but I just had a colleague devastated by the death of her 17-year-old cat, and that type of grief is not uncommon and is often misunderstood, which can definitely shrink the availability of support.He also clarifies what to look out for in terms of grief that is not healthy, and how to deal with a support system that has become toxic because of others' frequently mistaken beliefs that the grief has gone on too long.Here's to the 6th Edition.

If you work close to death, you better have it
This is a great book. Very easy to understand. Scientific and human at the same time. If you are a health professional or a social worker or a church minister, you should read it and always have it close. ... Read more

Product Description
Explaining the important difference between grief and mourning, this book explores every mourner's need to acknowledge death and embrace the pain of loss. Also explored are the many factors that make each person's grief unique and the many normal thoughts and feelings mourners might have. Questions of spirituality and religion are addressed as well. The rights of mourners to be compassionate with themselves, to lean on others for help, and to trust in their ability to heal are upheld. Journaling sections encourage mourners to articulate their unique thoughts and feelings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

excellent
Excellent book on grief and mourning. Very helpful in putting many aspects of grief into perspective to help face and move through the process.

Helpful in a difficult time
This is very helpful at at very difficult time. Allows you to acknowledge the hurtful or less than helpful things that people say and take them with a grain of salt. This book was a a lot more detailed that the 100 ideal books. This book would be helpful and more appreciated by those thatare use to reading more. This one gives more details and philosphy beyond the 100 idea books. I read before giving to my 2 adult mail children and made a switch to get the correct book thateach would be more likely to read.

100 idea books were best for most people.They can be picked up, read a little and put back down; and then picked up later. Gives some great ideas for you to pick an choose from and do what you need at that time or what is helpful to you. I heard the author speak a few years before the loss of my wife to cancer at 54. When we had our loss I remember what he shared and wanted to get more details plus catch things I might have missed now that I was in the middle of morning and greaving.

Introduction is very good and sets the stage for where he comes from. I am and educator and like his material very much. Got related books of his for my adult children that were college graduates and early in their career when their mother passed away. I read and utilized the one for spouse personally.

AS he shares there is not definable stages of grief and mourning you work thorough. It is an up and down; back and forth process you work through. Don't let the grief spurts embarrasss you just take them as they come and work through them. Talk to & lean on others that are caring and are supportive to you. They need to work through the process to. I have had many people tell me that me sharing and taking their support and help when offered has help them nearing as much as I have been helped by them.

I reccommend you buying and sharing the (appropriate)books of this author to those that have lost loved ones. I plan to now and in the future.

for a loss of anyone close
When I lost my brother I had a lot people provide me with support, and encouraging words, but I still felt alone.I saw a grief counselor and she suggested this book.I loved it-- It's a great tool for dealing with the loss of someone close. It helped me realize that a lot of my feelings were natural.I could summarize the book, but if you lost someone recently and need support-- this is a great book and a useful tool.

good help
I am taking a grief class that is from this book. So far it has helped some. But its a good book.

Understanding The Enemy
Of all the books I've read since my son was killed (and there are plenty), this one would be at the top of the recommendation list for the bereaved to read.It thoroughly covers every facet of grief that one will ever experience along the journey.For once, I had my own worst time of day acknowledged and explained.In our mourning-avoiding society, this book validates and fortifies the bereaved.In addition, Ph.D. Wolfelt adeptly and compassionately shows the way to integrate grief into a positive transformation toward a new life of hope as our loved ones would want us to live.

(Note:Knowing the nature of grief as it is, I suggest this book might be best read months after an intense loss.Otherwise you may find yourself reading each sentence or paragraph over and over trying to make sense of it due to the inherent lack of concentration caused by the severe assault to the mind as well as the heart.Where ever you are along the grief journey, it is never too late to read this book and begin proactive healing.)
... Read more

Product Description
A short, topical book intended to comfort those who have lost a loved one, When Grief Breaks Your Heart is an ideal volume for pastors, chaplains, and other grief counselors to give to members of their congregations who are facing difficult circumstances. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent book for those grieving!
This little book is perfect for those grieving a loss.It is easy reading and will fit in a purse or brief case.

Very comforting
A friend had given me this book after the death of my husband.Although I am not much of a reader, this short book filled my heart.It showed me how God has given us Gifts to be with us through our journey of grief.

I have given copies of this books to others who have also suffered losses of loved ones.

When Grief Breaks Your Heart
A friend sent me this little book right after my husband died. It was
easy to read at a time when my mind was very scattered, and it was a
great comfort to me. I ordered four more copies for my family members.

Great Book for a Grieving Soul
James Moore's book was a great comfort for me during the loss of my mother.I recommend this book to anyone who has lost a loved one.I am currently using this book in my own ministry as a pastor. This book isbiblically based and full of inspiring scriptures that allows you to cometo grip with losing someone dear to your heart. ... Read more

Product Description
This work helps the reader to confront and address the personal issues of experienced and feared loss, thus enabling them, as a professional carer, to work more effectively with others. It presents a clear insight into the links between theoretical, personal and professional issues. It provides highly practical guidance on coping with the most difficult situations. Structured questions are designed to trigger consideration of key issues. ... Read more

Product Description
P. Gill White, PhD, has done an outstanding job of writing on a much-needed subject within the bereavement community. As siblings sadly are often the forgotten" grievers when the death of their brother or sister occurs, a book such as this is greatly needed. Dr. White's insights and experiences as both a bereaved sibling herself and as a sibling grief counselor are sure to be a great help to all who read her book."-Patricia L. Moser, president of Bereaved Parents of the USA"A book for professional caregivers and grieving siblings alike."-Robert B. Simmonds, Ph.D., author of Emotional Wellness MattersP. Gill White, PhD, was only fifteen when her sister Linda made her swear not to tell anyone about the pain she had in her side, fearing it would spoil an upcoming family vacation. Linda died four months later from a rare form of cancer. White and her family never talked about the loss until decades later, when memories began to haunt her.Sibling Grief is White's validation of the emotional significance of sibling loss. She draws on both clinical experience and her own deeply personal experience, along with wisdom from hundreds of bereaved siblings, to explain the five healing tasks unique to sibling grief. White also describes the dream patterns of bereaved siblings, showing how healing is reflected in the dream state.Throughout, she illustrates the long-lasting connection between siblings-a connection that death itself cannot sever. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Sibling Grief
I lost my big brother (59) within 3 weeks!Due to a massive stroke.I am the youngest, the little sister (56).I miss him so much.This book hones in on exactly how I am feeling.True, there are books and cards for the loss of a parent, spouse, or child, but not the sibling.I don't get it.I read this book over and over, I don't know how you can get over the loss of a sibling when you have a close bond.

Not as focused on Adult Sibling Loss as I would have liked.
This book tries to cover the gamut and cover the loss as a child, adolescent and adult.But she spends the first few chapters outlining how different of an experience it is at different ages.I would recommend it, but I didn't feel it spoke quite as directly to me because a lot of what was being addressed was for people who lost a sibling as a child or parents who were looking to help their children cope.I found "Surviving the Death of a Sibling" by TJ Wray much more helpful, as the focus was entirely on Adult Sibling Loss.

Sibling Grief
If you have never grieved for a close family member and had a recent death of a brother or sister. Strange things may be happening to you and in your mind. This is the book for you. It was a tremendous help for me to understand what was happening to me after several months after my brother passed. Get it now and read it twice!!! You will not be sorry.

I am a grief counselor who has lost an adult sister and an adult daughter.
This book combines research, clinical experience, poetry, myth and personal experiences of the author and of other bereaved siblings. It is powerful compilation of information, written in a compact, highly readable style. White acknowledges the profound grief of sibling loss. She offers bereaved siblings both hope and practical advice for healing.

The book offers compelling support for those grieving the loss of a sibling. For example, the chapter, 'Five Healing Tasks', facilitates healing after the death of a brother or sister by providing useful and realistic grief work under these sub-headings:

Learning about sibling loss and the grief process
Allowing yourself to grieve
Connecting with other bereaved siblings
Telling your story
Finding meaning in the loss

The chapter on bibliotherapy (reading as a way of healing) discusses ways bereaved siblings can gain insight and inspiration through books and movies. White includes a thorough and well chosen annotated booklist to help the reader find other helpful books.

White's writing style is accessible and organized. She successfully combines personal observation with diverse outside sources. The book held my interest from beginning to end.

White's stunning poem about her own grief is, in my opinion, worth the price of the book:

Sorrow

She rises out of nowhere, like a wave from the sea,
Slowly at first, silently, then crests and peaks;
Still I have a choice
I can turn away, go to work, watch a movie, play a game...

But I know sorrow well.
Though I turn away, she will wait,
perfectly patient,
until I am still,
then crush me with all her accumulated power.

Once I had angry walls to shut her out,
But her incessant pounding tore them down.
So now, when she rises,
I turn to her and say,
Here I am, I know you, sorrow.
She crashes on my shoreline,
And sorrow and I are one
Until, trailing frothy whitecaps,
She sweeps away.

P. G. White

Nice Read
I read this book after losing my brother, my best friend.Inspiring and educational. ... Read more

Product Description
P. Gill White, PhD, has done an outstanding job of writing on a much-needed subject within the bereavement community. As siblings sadly are often the forgotten" grievers when the death of their brother or sister occurs, a book such as this is greatly needed. Dr. White's insights and experiences as both a bereaved sibling herself and as a sibling grief counselor are sure to be a great help to all who read her book."-Patricia L. Moser, president of Bereaved Parents of the USA"A book for professional caregivers and grieving siblings alike."-Robert B. Simmonds, Ph.D., author of Emotional Wellness MattersP. Gill White, PhD, was only fifteen when her sister Linda made her swear not to tell anyone about the pain she had in her side, fearing it would spoil an upcoming family vacation. Linda died four months later from a rare form of cancer. White and her family never talked about the loss until decades later, when memories began to haunt her.Sibling Grief is White's validation of the emotional significance of sibling loss. She draws on both clinical experience and her own deeply personal experience, along with wisdom from hundreds of bereaved siblings, to explain the five healing tasks unique to sibling grief. White also describes the dream patterns of bereaved siblings, showing how healing is reflected in the dream state.Throughout, she illustrates the long-lasting connection between siblings-a connection that death itself cannot sever. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Sibling Grief
I lost my big brother (59) within 3 weeks!Due to a massive stroke.I am the youngest, the little sister (56).I miss him so much.This book hones in on exactly how I am feeling.True, there are books and cards for the loss of a parent, spouse, or child, but not the sibling.I don't get it.I read this book over and over, I don't know how you can get over the loss of a sibling when you have a close bond.

Not as focused on Adult Sibling Loss as I would have liked.
This book tries to cover the gamut and cover the loss as a child, adolescent and adult.But she spends the first few chapters outlining how different of an experience it is at different ages.I would recommend it, but I didn't feel it spoke quite as directly to me because a lot of what was being addressed was for people who lost a sibling as a child or parents who were looking to help their children cope.I found "Surviving the Death of a Sibling" by TJ Wray much more helpful, as the focus was entirely on Adult Sibling Loss.

Sibling Grief
If you have never grieved for a close family member and had a recent death of a brother or sister. Strange things may be happening to you and in your mind. This is the book for you. It was a tremendous help for me to understand what was happening to me after several months after my brother passed. Get it now and read it twice!!! You will not be sorry.

I am a grief counselor who has lost an adult sister and an adult daughter.
This book combines research, clinical experience, poetry, myth and personal experiences of the author and of other bereaved siblings. It is powerful compilation of information, written in a compact, highly readable style. White acknowledges the profound grief of sibling loss. She offers bereaved siblings both hope and practical advice for healing.

The book offers compelling support for those grieving the loss of a sibling. For example, the chapter, 'Five Healing Tasks', facilitates healing after the death of a brother or sister by providing useful and realistic grief work under these sub-headings:

Learning about sibling loss and the grief process
Allowing yourself to grieve
Connecting with other bereaved siblings
Telling your story
Finding meaning in the loss

The chapter on bibliotherapy (reading as a way of healing) discusses ways bereaved siblings can gain insight and inspiration through books and movies. White includes a thorough and well chosen annotated booklist to help the reader find other helpful books.

White's writing style is accessible and organized. She successfully combines personal observation with diverse outside sources. The book held my interest from beginning to end.

White's stunning poem about her own grief is, in my opinion, worth the price of the book:

Sorrow

She rises out of nowhere, like a wave from the sea,
Slowly at first, silently, then crests and peaks;
Still I have a choice
I can turn away, go to work, watch a movie, play a game...

But I know sorrow well.
Though I turn away, she will wait,
perfectly patient,
until I am still,
then crush me with all her accumulated power.

Once I had angry walls to shut her out,
But her incessant pounding tore them down.
So now, when she rises,
I turn to her and say,
Here I am, I know you, sorrow.
She crashes on my shoreline,
And sorrow and I are one
Until, trailing frothy whitecaps,
She sweeps away.

P. G. White

Nice Read
I read this book after losing my brother, my best friend.Inspiring and educational. ... Read more

Product Description
"Effective Grief and Bereavement Support" shows how social networks, whether they be friends, colleagues or family, can provide an important source of support following sudden bereavement. Individuals in social networks surrounding bereaved people often feel very uncertain about how best to offer support following the death of someone close. As a result of this, people often find that their relationships with friends and family suffer in the wake of bereavement.Kari and Atle Dyregrov provide concrete, evidence-based advice, about how support processes can be improved. Issues covered include common reactions to grief, problems that can arise within families as a result, when to involve professional assistance, how to help bereaved children, and the main principles for effective network support. This book will be essential reading for counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, priests, police, community doctors, hospital staff and teachers, as well bereaved families and those who support them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An invaluable recommendation for any collection strong in grief support therapy
The role of family, friends, colleagues, schools and others in the process of grief support is analyzed in a coverage documenting different types of support, principles behind good network support groups, and how sudden death affects these social networks. It's an invaluable recommendation for any collection strong in grief support therapy, with its powerful focus on inter-connected support systems and how they function.

Review!
This book is an effective companion to personal intuition.
Still it's important to not forget that support comes from the heart and everyone grieves differently. it is niceto have an idea of what most people want, but your best bet is to ask how a friend or loved one would like to be supported and admit you're unsure of what to say. (something the book says). words should come from the heart, not a textbook. all in all a good read though. helpful. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (18)

Well Written, Hopeful and Comforting
This book was a pleasure to read. I now no longer will castigate myself for not grieving enough or for finding humor in the lives of those I have lost. As I age more and more people around me are dying. A neighbor, for 21 years, just dropped dead a few weeks ago. It was a shock. I read this book to prepare for what I know the future will bring to me if I survive and continue to age. My experience is absolutely as described in this book. When my parents died my grief did indeed come in waves. I remember driving along on a beautiful fall day listening to Rodrigo--a favorite composer of my father. I had to pull over because I started crying. But they were not tears of pain but rather of the joy that my father and I shared in music. I finished listening to the piece and drove on to take care of the business at hand.

It is so true that death is a part of life. After losing a friend her husband and I talked about her regularly. We reveled in her wonderful ways and it felt good to share that. I wish our culture would become more comfortable talking about death. It will happen to every one of us. What's to be afraid of? That is what I liked about this book the most. It put death in a different perspective--neither glorifying it nor wallowing in its sorrow.

Thanks, Dr. Bonanno. I enjoyed your book.

Helped me understand my grief
I lost my spouse 4 years ago, and with her passing came my grief.I've read a lot about bereavement, hoping to understand what I was experiencing better.

This is the best book about grief I've come across. Clearly written and interesting. The author has done research on grief for years. Its comforting to know about this research. There's a lot in the book about natural resilience, and how we are wired naturally to deal with loss. But I found the chapter on severe grief reactions and therapy especially helpful.

The author's message appears to me that therapy for bereavement works, but only when you need it. That seems about right to me.

It Makes Sense
After dismissing all of those idiotic books with numbered checklists ("The Seven Ways of Overcoming Sadness," "The Three Keys to Happiness," etc.), Professor Bonanno simply lays out, quite clearly, empirical evidence as to what actually works when confronting bereavement. A friend sent me this book after a death in our family, and I could not be more appreciative. Highly recommended.

Paradigm changing
For so long, therapists and patients and the general public have held on to rigid beliefs about how patients "should grieve."I've had patients, friends and relatives concerned that if they did't feel the right stages, or felt them out of order, that if they "got it wrong", there would be delayed and possibly dire emotional consequences later on.Dr. Bonanno has touched upon a psychological truth:human beings are tremendously resilient, and even in the face of a life changing loss, we are not emotional "Johnny one notes."Having lived through the AIDS crisis, having personally watched people and patients grieve, and having grieved the loss of friends and family myself, I can say that Dr. Bonanno got it right.I've never been to a memorial service where there wasn't laughter and joy mixed with tears and grief.And though some parts of emotion may be hardwired, our brains are designed to grow and learn and modify those responses over a lifetime.Loss had very different meanings for me when I was 10, 20, and 40, and certainly the emotions and meanings will be different when I am 80.People may take comfort in having a simple road map, but the truth is that grief can be rich and complicated, and grief can also be simple and short.It's time to change the paradigm, to recognize and allow that people experience grief in their own adaptive way.

Sound science from an eminent researcher
As a researcher on grief, a clinical psychologist, and a collaborator of George Bonanno, I wanted to respond to a few of the negative reviews here, which are full of stark inaccuracies and perpetuate some of the same myths Professor Bonanno's book debunks.

The first inaccuracy is that the book is insensitive to grievers. Nowhere in the book does he suggest that people in pain after a loss "are not resilient enough."He makes abundantly clear that there are many types of grief reactions, ranging from resilience to more prolonged and intractable types of grief. The book is wholly sensitive to the pain of loss, and Bonanno describes at great length his own complicated reaction to his father's death. The charge that he seeks to "discredit and stigmatize individuals and organizations dedicated to providing support for bereaved persons" is equally without merit. What he seeks to emphasize is that therapy should not be seen as an unvarnished good that bestows benefits on all who receive it. Rather, therapy is an active ingredient, one that should be delivered to those in need, for the same reason that blood pressure medication should only be given to those with high blood pressure. People who display resilience should be allowed to let their own naturally recovery processes move forward unimpeded. However, as he repeatedly states, for those with more prolonged and complicated grief reactions, therapy is absolutely of benefit.

In relation to grief therapy, one reviewer claimed that the American Psychological Association had come out against the "theme" of Bonanno's book. This claim is also mystifying (the press release came out 2 years before the book) and utterly false. This press release was not a statement on behalf of the APA but a way to publicize a recent article in an APA journal claiming to refute recent claims that grief therapy is ineffective. Alas, this article, by Dale Larson, has been a topic of considerable scholarly debate. However, that debate has now become moot, because an authoritative meta-analysis published in 2008 in the journal Psychological Bulletin, one of the most prestigious in all of psychology, has rendered this judgment: "The overall results from this review demonstrate that bereavement interventions have a small but statistically significant effect immediately following intervention but that therapeutic outcomes failed to differ reliably from zero at later follow-up assessments." Moreover, grief interventions produced markedly smaller effects than is usually observed in psychotherapy. As the authors note, "These results contrast with meta-analytic reviews of general psychotherapy demonstrating that treatments help substantially to ameliorate distress symptoms and to improve functioning." The key finding in this review, however, is that studies that targeted grievers with high levels of distress achieved much better results. This reinforces Bonanno's point about resilience, and does so using science of the first order, not anecdote.

As far as the role of science in Bonanno's book, the contention of one negative reviewer that Professor Bonanno uses "anecdote and fuzzy research" to support his claims makes clear to me that the writer knows very little about Bonanno's work. Bonanno's research is of the highest methodological quality. Indeed, he is the most widely published and eminent bereavement scholar in the world today. His work has appeared in every major psychological journal. One of his major articles has been cited almost 500 times by other scholars.

Finally, there is the question of critical incident stress debriefing (CISD), a prophylactic approach to preventing trauma reactions following disaster and other traumatic events. One of the reviewers here, Patricia Anewalt, is a practitioner of CISD and is outspoken in criticizing Bonanno for condemning it. What do other scholars have to say about CISD? After conducting a meta-analysis, the most powerful scientific method for summarizing a body of literature, Rose et al (2001) drew this conclusion about CISD: "there is no current evidence that psychological debriefing is a useful treatment for the prevention of post traumatic stress disorder after traumatic incidents. Compulsory debriefing of victims of trauma should cease" (pp. 1-2). Even more damning is a methodologically rigorous study of accident survivors in the British Journal of Psychiatry (Mayou et al., 2000). The authors found that psychological debriefing resulted in "significantly worse outcomes at 3 years in terms in terms of general psychiatric symptoms (BSI), travel anxiety when being a passenger, pain, physical problems, overall level of functioning, and financial problems" when compared to those who received no debriefing. Indeed, trauma researchers and scientists are virtually unanimous in their view that CISD is contrainidicated. Lillienfeld (2007), in his review of psychological treatments with the potential for harm, highlighted CISD as just such a treatment.

I would note that all of the articles mentioned here come from highly respected peer reviewed journals, the same ones that Bonanno himself has published in many times. ... Read more

Product Description
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's On Death and Dying changed the way we talk about the end of life. Before her own death in 2004, she and David Kessler completed On Grief and Grieving, which looks at the way we experience the process of grief.

Just as On Death and Dying taught us the five stages of death -- denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance -- On Grief and Grieving applies these stages to the grieving process and weaves together theory, inspiration, and practical advice, including sections on sadness, hauntings, dreams, isolation, and healing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (62)

Unfortunately, This Theory Invalidated by Science
Unfortunately, no matter how comforting people have found this book, and no matter how much they feel like this book tells them the way grief works, the science of the past 20 years has overturned the theory that when we grieve we pass through stages. Science shows there are no stages.

Even Kubler-Ross acknowledged that the idea of stages was based not on studying how people grieve, but on her observations of watching people die. She then theorized that those same stages occurred during grief, based on no scientific evidence.

The preponderance of the scientific explorations of grief, which have been done since Kubler-Ross wrote this theory, have shown that people do not pass through stages. The best description of how we grieve is that we are all resilient. Many of us do not grieve at all. More, the healthiest people laugh and do other somewhat counterintuitive things when they experience a loss. Crying a lot is not a sign of health. The more people cry, the worse off they are over time. However, the vast majority of us, no matter how much we hurt after a loss and no matter how difficult the loss, are okay, often surprisingly quickly afterwards.

If you'd like an overview of the current understanding of grief based on rigorously tested facts, you should see the the book by the person who spearheaded the application of scientific methods to the grieving process. His name is George Bonanno, a professor at Columbia University. His book is called, The Other Side of Sadness.

Excellent resource for anyone dealing with a loss.
this is an excellent book which has helped me with the loss of my mother.I have purchased it for others I know who have lost loved ones.It is well-written and organized in such a way that you can use it as a reference after reading it cover to cover.I highly recommend the book to anyone struggling with grief in our culture.

Great book to give to someone grieving
Having gone through some intense grieving recently, I read book after book on dying trying to find my way through it. On Grief and Grieving was hands down the best book.Chapter by chapter, the grieving process is laid out to provide a sort of touchstone for the grieving to both know they are not alone and to know that their grief is normal in every way.

Ross' book provides reassurance in both outlining the stages of grief and providing stories of others who have gone through the process and come out the other side.I can't express with mere words how important this is.When you're in the 'valley of the shadow of death' you really do think you're going insane. To find out that what you're going through is both normal and healing makes all the difference.I had always though the 'shadow of death' meant going through something frightening, well, fearing for one's own life is a walk in the park compared with dealing with the death of someone you love.

We all can use help going through grief and its inevitable stages. This wonderful book lays it out and gives hope that no only is the pain normal but that it will end and the sun can and will shine in our lives once again.I wish I could have found this book sooner, but it has still helped immensely.

**
Book was in great shape. I did feel shipping took a little long, but that is too be expected sometimes with on-line book orders.

Tough situation
I lost my husband 7 weeks ago.This book at the very least doesn't try to put some simplistic approach to death.It told me that I had to just give in to the grief, but at the same time it has given me a degree of comfort that this approach will ultimately help. ... Read more

Product Description
In this classic trial of faith, C. S. Lewis probes the fundamental issues of life and death, and summons those who grieve to honest mourning and hope in the midst of loss.Amazon.com Review
C.S. Lewis joined the human race when his wife, Joy Gresham,died of cancer. Lewis, the Oxford don whose Christian apologetics makeit seem like he's got an answer for everything, experienced crushingdoubt for the first time after his wife's tragic death. A GriefObserved contains his epigrammatic reflections on that period:"Your bid--for God or no God, for a good God or the Cosmic Sadist, foreternal life or nonentity--will not be serious if nothing much isstaked on it. And you will never discover how serious it was until thestakes are raised horribly high," Lewis writes. "Nothing will shake aman--or at any rate a man like me--out of his merely verbal thinkingand his merely notional beliefs. He has to be knocked silly before hecomes to his senses. Only torture will bring out the truth. Only undertorture does he discover it himself." This is the book that inspiredthe film Shadowlands, butit is more wrenching, more revelatory, and more real than themovie. It is a beautiful and unflinchingly honest record of how even astalwart believer can lose all sense of meaning in the universe, andhow he can gradually regain his bearings. --Michael JosephGross ... Read more

Customer Reviews (165)

A grief Observed
This book gave me much more insight into my continued grief based on the loss of my mother to cancer.I bought the book for that purpose based on the recommendation from a friend.

Beautiful and Touching
I'm a huge fan of anything by Lewis, and this one is no exception.The book isn't meant to be read as a lesson on how to deal with grief or a comment on the human experience of grief.Rather, it contains the raw emotions of one man's individual experience.You see Lewis's grief, anger and doubts, and you also see how he begins to resolve the issue of pain, death, and separation with his faith.Readers should be advised that the author is a Christian and writes a good deal about his faith and how it is challenged and grown through his grief.I've seen other reviewers complain about the inclusion of his faith, but I don't think that should be unexpected from a Christian author in a book dealing with death.It is intensely personal and beautifully written.In short, it's heartbreaking and challenging, but completely worth the read.It's one that I'll keep around and pull out over and over again.

Beautiful
This book simply ripped my heart out when I read it. I cried like a baby. He's so honest about how he feels about God when his wife of 3 years passes away. Lewis is a genius in his other writings, but here, we see a man hurting. We see what grief does to the human soul and the questions that come with it.

C.S. Lewis's notes (... about a very personal grief)
(¤ thank you for reading this review and for your vote ¤)

INTRO:
"In April 1956, C.S. Lewis, a confirmed bachelor, married Joy Davidman [known as H. in the book], an American poet with two small children.After four brief, intensely happy years, Lewis found himself alone again, and inconsolable.To defend himself against the loss of belief in God, Lewis wrote this journal, an eloquent statement of rediscovered faith.In it he freely confesses his doubts, his rage, and his awareness of human frailty.In it he finds again the way back to life" writes publisher on the back-cover.

I read this book while mourning my grandmother, and I did not find the book as comforting as I thought it would be.I wished so much to give this read a 5 stars like the majority of reviewers, but I cannot, for the following reasons: a) the jacket over-promises (of "comforting thousands" and "will be a comfort and inspiration to anyone who has ever lost a loved one"), b) archaic and difficult language, c) short bursts of argumentation without much fill-in explanations and randomness of thought (no clear pattern).Allow me to explain the "+"es and "-"es of these reasons in the context of the book with examples, as found under CONTENT.

Also, C.S. Lewis's notes on grieving (the 4 chapters that make up "A Grief Observed") provided me with some good meat for thought, for my soul, and some great QUOTES (see CONCLUSION section).

AUTHOR:
Most people are familiar with who C.S. Lewis is (a short wikipedia search will provide most info necessary).

EDITION:
Bantman Books, 14th printing in 1988, with an afterword by Chad Walsh.This edition contains the 4 chapters of C.S. Lewis's grieving notes (pgs.1-89) followed by "another book" - "Afterword by Chad Walsh" (pgs.93-151) where Chad (an American professor of English and poet) gives us a very upclose & personal biography of C.S. Lewis as a close friend.

CONTENT:
"The notes have been about myself, about H. [Joy Davidman Lewis], and about God." confesses C.S. Lewis pg.71 - chapter IV.The book is broken into 4 title-less chapters (probably the areas where C.S. Lewis took breaks).He starts the book with the line "No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear" and goes on discussing his emotions and thoughts and also fears (is God a bad one, a "Cosmic Sadist" - pg.43,45; do the departed also mourn; normalcy sets in again in one's life).

a) overpromises -
The four chapters provided me with a picture into C.S. Lewis's mind and emotions.Some of these I could related to, but others were a bit convoluted, distant, or confusing.I believe that each one of us GRIEVES personally and we also draw strength from our community.Being CONSOLED, finding your way through your BEREAVEMENT is a very personal process.Many of us will probably never ask the questions or bring up the arguments found in this book, but nevertheless, they help in having a broader picture on GRIEF.

b) language -
C.S. Lewis is the Cambridge professor who wrote the textbook for Middle Ages Literature, so as such be expected to find lots of "vacuity" when the text "geometrizes" your vocabulary and "vivisects" your word knowledge.C.S. Lewis also makes some use of mythological figures and contemporary personalities in his analogies (Amazon, Penthesileia, Camilla, Queen Victoria).Also, one should be up on their Bible knowledge (Solomon, St.Paul, Stephen the fist martyr, and Lazarus).Knowledge of Latin is esential to understand the last sentence of the book (pg.89) - "Poi si torno all eterna fontana" - a quote from Dante's Paradise and means "then she turned back to the Eternal Fountain."But if you feel that you are caught in "culs de sac" (pg.55) you are not alone.Some annotations by the publishers would have been helpful.

c) argumentation and randomness of thought -
Again, these are the notes of a great literary mind, but that does not mean that they follow logically or have been organized for easy digestion.Even C.S. Lewis admits, after a retrospective reflection "Why do I make room in my mind for such filth and nonsense?" and "these notes the senseless writhings of a man" (pg.38 - chapter II).Make no mistake about it, C.S. Lewis will take you on a very interesting journey where he analyzes various thoughts, feelings, moods, emotions, and doubts.Sometimes his arugment is pure madness if not simply blasphamous ("We set Christ against it. But how if He were mistaken? .... " paragraph in chapter II, my pg. 34).Some arguments are very terse, others long-winded and with some tangents.They all reflect the mind, spirit, and soul of a grieving person.

CONCLUSION:
Bottom line is, this book is no easy thing to read, let alone understand everything read.Although it must be said, it is a great book to have discussed in a reading club, or for anyone grieving a loved one.
The wONDERFUL QUOTES alone are worth the price:

Chapter I
"No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear." (pg.1)
"Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything." (pg.11)
"You can't share someone else's weakness, or fear or pain." (pg. 13)
"nature never plays exactly the same tune twice." (pg.16)

Chapter II
"The most precious gift that marriage gave me was this constant impact of something very close and intimate yet all the time unmistakably other, resistant - in a word, real." (pg.20)
"You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death." (pg.25)
"the past is the past and that is what time means, and time itself is one more name for death, and Heaven itself is a state where 'the former things have passed away' " (pg.28)
"Talk to me about the truth of religion and I'll listen gladly.Talk to me about the duty of religion and I'll listen submissively.But don't come talking to me about the consolations of religion or I shall suspect that you don't understand." (pg.28)
"Aren't all these notes the senseless writhings of a man who won't accept the fact that there is nothing we can do with suffering except to suffer it?" (pg.38)
"It doesn't really matter whether you grip the arms of the dentist's chair or let your hands lie in your lap.The drill drills on." (pg.38)
"Up till this I always had too little time.Now there is nothing but time. Almost pure time, empty successiveness." (pg.39)

Chapter III
"Grief is like a bomber circling round and dropping its bombs each time the circle brings it overhead; physical pain is like the steady barrage on a trench in World War One, hours of it with no let-up for a moment." (pg.47)
"My love for H. [Joy Davidman Lewis] was of much the same quality as my faith in God" (pg.48)
"You can't see anything properly while your eyes are blurred with tears.You can't, in most things, get what you want if you want it too desperately" (pg.53)
"passionate grief does not link us with the dead but cuts us off from them" (pg.64)
"the less I mourn her the nearer I seem to her" (pg.66)
"For in grief nothing 'stays put' " (pg.67)

Chapter IV
"Grief is like a long valley, a winding valley where any bend may reveal a totally new landscape." (pg.69)
"If you are approaching Him [God] not as the goal but as a road, not as the end but as a means, you're not really approaching Him [God] at all." (pg.79)
"this is one of the miracles of love; it gives- to both, .. a power of seeing through its own enchantments and yet not being disenchanted." (pg.84)
"God.His love and His knowledge are not distinct from one another. .. He sees because He loves, and therefore loves although He sees." (pg.84)
"We cannot understand.The best is perhaps what we understand least." (pg.89, 3rd last paragraph).

(¤ thank you for reading this review and for your vote ¤)

Bought as a gift.
I purchased this as a gift for someone who was grieving the loss of a relationship.He seemed pleased with it. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was written to help adults (parents, teachers, counselors, guardians etc...) comfort and support children during the grieving period. It is written in two sections. The adult should read Part II first, as it guides them through the manual, while helping them gain more insight into their own feelings. Part I takes the child through age appropriate activities to help them cope during a time which is often challenging and uncomfortable. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Resource in a Difficult Time
As a life coach, I'm always searching for materials which offer easily accessible information for my clients.This book definitely qualifies and I've used it several times when coaching parents who are struggling to help their children after a loved one dies.Dr. Jaffe gives a lucid explanation of the grieving process followed by age-appropriate activities for children geared toward helping them better understand and cope with what they are experiencing.I highly recommend this book for parents and, of course, coaches, teachers, and grief counselors.

Excellent Resource!!!
It is difficult for any adult to grieve, much less to watch your child grieve.Dr. Jaffe explains the grieving process to adults so they may help their young children work through this complicated process.She accomplishes this in a way that allows even small children to ask questions and express feelings that may be confusing and unfamiliar to them.The activities are very simple, yet allow the small child an outlet to express himself in all these unfamiliar emotions.Dr Jaffe explains grieving in very simple terms so the adult who is guiding his/her child through this process of grieving can be of the greatest comfort and help to his/her child. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has experienced a loss in the family and has a child who is also struggling with this loss. ... Read more

Product Description
Facing the loss of a spouse or life-partner is difficult because loving is all-encompassing; love took most of our emotional energy as we embraced our spouse or partner. We cared that they were fulfilled and well. We wanted to protect them and make them happy. We were devoted, so much so, that losing this loved one, felt crippling. And so, when they are gone, we need to learn how to transform this energy into something positive. Not a substitute, but a conversion, from a "we" to an "I". The Healing Power of Grief is Gloria Lintermans story, twenty-four months of mourning and healing following the death of her precious husband, Rick. It is also Dr. Marilyn Stolzman's, a psychotherapist specializing in grief counseling, vision of healing as she offers tools, not psychobabble, a blueprint as it were, to help you to face your loss, mourn, and eventually, heal. This excellent resource also contains a WORKBOOK, providing the mourner with tools for getting in touch with and resolving feelings during their journey of mourning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A manual on grieving
This is a practical, well-written, inclusive manual on how to grieve after the loss of a spouse.It divides the grieving process into five parts: shock, denial, anger, depression, and adjustment.It describes each stage, tells the reader what to expect at that stage, and makes suggestions for moving through that stage and onto the next.Each chapter begins with narration by Gloria Lintermans in which she describes the feelings she experienced as she went through the grieving process.The authors stress that each person is different and each will go through grieving in a different way and in a different time span, but there are some components that are common to most people's experience.There are suggestions not only for the one who has lost a spouse, but also for their friends and families.There is a "Mourner's Bill of Rights" and a workbook which helps to express grief through the written word.The suggestions for helping to heal are psychologically sound and the authors do not consider any topic out of bounds in this book.It is one that I will recommend to friends and will refer to when I am next in the grieving process.I wish that I had had the book many years ago when my father died because much of the impact of the book comes from finding out that abnormal becomes normal during grieving, and strange behavior by the mourner does not indicate impending insanity.I congratulate the authors on writing an important and helpful book.

A lifeline
Reviewed by Susan Pettrone for Reader Views (9/06)

It is a fact of life for everyone that, at one time or another, we will lose someone close to us. We cannot bypass this experience nor can someone take the pain from us, but we can learn more through the author's personal story of how we can make this heart-wrenching journey a little less confusing and how we can come to terms with this reality of life...namely death.

Author Gloria Lintermans opens her heart and her story of the death of her husband Rick within this book, and it is the story of 24 months of healing she experienced, that brings to the reader, a new insight into losing a loved one and how to go on living without them.Though loosely based on the "stages of grief" by Elizabeth Kubler Ross, this book takes us in a new direction with grief.It explains through the author's personal experience, how there are five "time sequences of death" and how each of these fit within the timeframe of healing.Shock, Denial, Anger, Depression, and Integration-Adjustment-Transition are all addressed within this book with questions, suggestions and "do's and don'ts" within each sequence, well thought out and written in a manner that is easily read and understood.The simple, down-to-earth language and the experiences of the author, make this a book that reaches readers from all walks of life and a wide range of ages as well.From teens on up, this book could easily fill a need within many persons, needing help to deal with loss.

As I have gotten older, I have had to face the deaths of many close to me, as most my age have.Not having any idea of what was to come, I was often lost in a sea of my own grief, wishing someone would throw me a lifeline.I didn't have such a book as "The Healing Power of Grief," but I can see how it would have been exactly what I needed to get me through those confusing, grief-filled days.The honesty, the personal insight and the workbook included within this book, are amazing and exactly what is needed for many who are grieving.Not only does it address issues we may not realize were there, but "The Healing Power of Grief" helps the reader through the long process to growth and insight into our grief. It helps us see where we were and where we have come, and through this journey we see hope and comfort through the healing that eventually comes as time goes on.The mere writing of one's thoughts and feelings is not only a healing process but a way to remember our loss in a positive way.Through the simple process of writing, we can begin the long, solitary process of living without our loved one as well as living with our grief.I would sincerely recommend this book to anyone dealing with grief in their lives and wanting to learn how to grow through their grief.It is a wonderful book and one I intend to keep should that time again arise that I need the advice within its covers.

I would highly recommend "The Healing Power of Grief" to anyone who is experiencing the death of someone dear.It is a straightforward, simply-put book that puts into clear perspective, the time process of grief and how the heart can heal despite our loss.It is one I would not only use myself should the time arise, but one that I would readily purchase for a friend in need as well.It is a book that is worth reading and worth using as well.

The Healing Power of Lintermans and Stolzman
My wife passed away almost nineteen years ago.She was 42.I was 45.There are no words to describe the pain, devastation, and despair of such a loss.Friends urged me to attend a grief support group.There were seveal available in my area.I chose the H.O.P.E. Foundation, run by a Dr. Marilyn Stolzman.It was this program that helped me get my life together.It did not eliminate the pain and devastation, but it made it a little bit easier to cope.Today, Dr. Stolzman, in collaboration with Gloria Lintermans, has written a book, The Healing Power of Grief.I strongly urge those who have suffered a recent loss to read this book.It lays down in easy to follow steps everything that was part of the original program.The program made life a little more bearable for me.Hopefully the book will do the same for others.
Sidney Lam

Helping you move on
The Healing Power of Grief and The Healing Power of Love don't just help you recover from the loss of a loved one, but show you how to go on from there to find new love. Unlike some other books, which may be written in an academic style or expect you to subscribe to a certain faith, these books are written in an understandable language and have practical tools you can use on your own to help you through this difficult period in your life. I particularly liked the positive, affirming manner in which they're written. The authors don't preach to you or commiserate. As you work through the program, you'll gain a better understanding of what's going on inside you and become better each day at dealing with it. Reading about how others have handled similar losses makes you feel less alone. I recommend these books to anyone who is experiencing grief, not just after a loved one has died, but also after the break-up of a relationship.

Author Shares Her Story to Help Others
Gloria Lintermans tells her story of losing her deeply beloved husband and dealing with the inevitably intense feelings of grief and loneliness that come with losing a spouse. By sharing her own very personal journey, she helps readers who have experienced similar loss to go on to lead fulfilled lives, and for this she is to be applauded. ... Read more

Product Description

For those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, here are strength and thoughtful words to inspire and comfort. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (185)

Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations for Working Through Grief

Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations For Working Through Grief
by Martha Hickman

This book is recommended by Janna Excell, MEd, who leads several grief groups in Tucson, AZ and founded the Tucson NDE group.Janna was mentored by Dr. Elizabeth Kubler Ross.

At the close of each grief circle led by Janna, we each read one of Ms. Hickman's affirmations. It is poetically profound and healing. People buy extras of this book to give to those who are grieving. Hospice staffers also like it.

We are truly blessed to know of this book through Janna and to experience the healing wisdom within it. Thank you, Martha Hickman!

Sincerely,
Joan V., Tucson, AZ

A Must Have book!
I have bought over a dozen of these books over the last few years. It helped me immensely after the untimely passing of my younger sister and I have given it as a gift to so many others. I like to have a few at my disposal to give right away any time I need to - A really good gift to someone who experiences a loss no matter what your faith or beliefs!

Great book
Someone got this book for me many years ago and I have done the same for a few friends since then.Very comforting.

Wonderful book
I received this book from a friend after my husband's passing. It has helped me so much that I purchased 3 more to give to others. My daughter is buying a couple for her friends that have lost fathers. It has truly been very helpful. Try it, I think you'll agree.

This book has been passed on to many new widows!
Years ago when my dear Father died, after sixty years of marriage, my Mom was grieving inconsolably.Anotherfriend who lives in Pennsylvania, sent this book which she had found helpful after her husband died. My Mom found it extremely helpful. So far, I have passed my Mom's book down so often that it was visibly worn out.I bought two more, and kept the old one of my Mom's.I think it is the best book I have ever seen on this subject because it features short thoughts, which meets the needs of a person who is actively grieving.

Beautifully and thoughtfully written, it features a small thought for each day of the year.One can start at any date and keep going.Though I am still fortunate to have my Husband, I find that the small meditations are comforting to me when experiencing losses of any kind. I just gave away my two copies, andsee it a a priceless gift to those who have lost a spouse, as well as for those who work with those who grieve. ... Read more

Product Description
New research continues to challenge our assumptions about the fundamental nature and course of grief: its roots in our biology, our emotions, our cognitions, and our social interactions. The Handbook of Bereavement Research provides a broad view of diverse contemporary approaches to bereavement, examining both normal adaptation and complex manifestations of grief. In this volume, leading interdisciplinary scholars focus on three important themes in bereavement research: consequences, coping, and care. In exploring the consequences of bereavement, authors examine developmental factors that influence grief both for the individual and the family at different phases of the life cycle. In exploring coping, they describe exciting new empirical studies about how people can and do cope with grief, without professional intervention. Until recently, intervention for the bereaved has not been scientifically guided and has become the subject of challenging differences of opinion and approach. Chapters in the care section of the volume critically examine interventions to date and provide guidance for assessment and more empirically guided treatment strategies. The Handbook provides an up-to-date comprehensive review of scientific knowledge about bereavement in an authoritative yet accessible way that will be essential reading for researchers, practitioners, and health care professionals in the 21st century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Handbook of Bereavement Research
The book is really useful, as I'm doing a Masters degree and have an interest in bereavement research anyway. Like most things you'd have to be interested in the area, but it brings together the thinking that was around in 2001 when the book was published.

Great book for researchers into bereavement
Lots of essays by the key thinkers in the area. Essential reading for the student of loss and bereavement.

research
This is aimed at research and hits the bullseye.Not a how to book but puts the reader in touch with current understandings and needs of the field of grief and bereavement. ... Read more

Product Description
Teens who have experienced the death of parent, grandparent, friend or relative often find it difficult to grieve openly. When adults who teens trust are aware of the cycle of grief, they can provide a safe atmosphere to allow teens to experience the turmoil of the intense and conflicting emotions in order to move towards healing.

This book is a valuable guide, helping adults connect with grieving teens. The reader will find background information along with many specific activities to help teens reflect upon and talk about their particular concerns. Issues of grief are introduced through drawing, molding clay, painting, movement, writing, listening to music, as well as talking in pairs and as a group. In addition, new activities incorporate the various dimensions of the grieving process with audio-visual materials and the Internet.

The second edition of Helping Teens Work Through Grief provides a more complete and updated manual for facilitators of teen grief groups. It includes additional background information about developmental aspects of teens, the process of grief, aspects of trauma and its effects on teens, the value of a group, determining the group-appropriateness of particular teens, and parental involvement. The many details involved with beginning a group - publicity, interviews, registration, structure, closure, evaluation, and follow-up - are listed.

This resource provides teachers, counselors, psychologists, social workers, hospice personnel and religious youth workers with the necessary information to work with teens in a group setting or support a grieving individual. In a less formal setting, Helping Teens Work Through Grief could also serve as a guide for a concerned neighbor or family member who is in a position to help a grieving teen on the healing journey towards wholeness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent resource for teens
Im a social worker and was a bit concerned that as a US publication it might not be appropriate in the Australian context.However, this fear was not substantiated.Loads of ideas and well worth the price.Like all books, careful selection of activities for the particular teen or group of teens would be my recommendation.

Excellent educational resource
As an amateur in the education system, I had no experience working with grieving teenagers and didn't know where to start.This resource was referred to me by a friend and classmate also studying to be a school counselor, and after I purchased it, I felt confident in leading a group to help kids work through their pain.I would recommend it for anyone who would like group counseling experience or who would just like to offer this much-needed service to their already-existing group counseling techniques.

A treasure trove of ideas and information on teen grief.
I am writing this book review from the standpoint of an adult with many years of experience providing bereavement services, reflecting upon my own experience as a teenager grieving the death of a close family member.It is from this same vantage point that Mary Kelly Perschy has written Helping Teens Work Through Grief.In my case, it was my 19-year-old sister Bev who lost her life to cancer.At age 16, Ms. Perschy embarked on the journey of grief after the death of her mother.The fruit of her personal and professional experience is this most useful manual which she tells us, "is written for adults who are willing to connect with grieving teens, including counselors, trained hospice volunteers, religious youth staff, teachers and mentors."

Any Hospice Team, school or youth organization planning to offer bereavement support groups for teens will want to include this book in their library.Much of the information imparted could easily be adapted for work! ing individuallly with a teens as well.

The busy bereavement professional will be glad to discover that the nuts and bolts of initiating, organizing, leading and evaluating a group support program for young people are laid out in this book.The goals and objectives of each chapter are clearly outlined and the wealth of activities and other resource materials are easy to access. What is more, the reader is walked through each activity in detail, which is what makes this such a marvelous "how to" guidebook.I have found the symbolic "My Coat of Arms" a wonderful discussion tool with teens.Numerous other dynamics utilizing music, clay, drawing, painting, writing, movement and discussion are also included.

Ms. Perschy places a great deal of emphasis on the importance of creating a "safe place" for the grieving teen to share his/her loss with peers and shows us just how to go about it. There is also a welcome emphasis on the importance of wor! king with their children, and the use of peer facilitators ! as well as adults.

As a busy bereavement clinician and programmer, I was delighted to find a full chapter devoted to publicizing the group complete with sample press releases, fliers and forms.Equally gratifying are the detailed chapters on evaluation and follow-up.

Somewhat disappointing was Ms. Perschy's lack of direction on the optimum size of groups and the range of the ages.She likewise failed to take a definite stand on the number of sessions a group should run, preferring to leave that to each programmer's discretion.

The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen once described teen years as a time of "temporary insanity".How much more out of control, crazy, and alone does a young person feel when a loved one dies?The crazy quilt image which the publisher has chosen for the cover of Ms. Perschy's book is an apt metaphor for teen grief.Adults who care enough about reaching out to troubled teens will find this manual a most useful tool. ... Read more