Finding Healing In Times Of Grief And Loss

The five authors of Finding Healing in Times of Grief and Loss all speak to the ways that we can enter into the experience of grief and come through with hearts and spirits renewed by the cherished memories of the ones we’ve lost. Whether the passing of a dear one is recent or further in the past, peace is always possible. The words of wisdom contained in this book assure us that from our grief and loss can come deep comfort and healing.

"Dr. LaGrand's advice and recommendations reach from and to both heart and head ... a powerful and important lesson about grief that even in grief, we can still grow." Kenneth J. Doka, PhD, senior consultant, Hospice Foundation of America Through Your Loss Comes The Strength to Grow Whether the death of a loved one is sudden or follows a long battle with illness, there is no way to prepare for the loss of someone close. Grieving is painful, but you have a choice in how you cope with grief and most importantly how you adapt to the intense loss you've experienced. Grief counseling expert Dr. Louis LaGrand describes 101 tips and prescriptions to help mourners through their tragic loss. His specific coping strategies offer practical advice, ultimately giving you pathways for achieving lasting inner peace by using the one thing you can control your own response to grief. Heal your inner grief and find peace by: *Starting each day with an affirmative action *Establishing a grief or worry time *Planning in advance for birthdays, anniversaries, and important holidays *Learning to enjoy new routines *Letting go of "if onlys" and "what ifs" *Never ruling out happiness

In this groundbreaking new work, David Kessler—an expert on grief and the coauthor with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross of the iconic On Grief and Grieving—journeys beyond the classic five stages to discover a sixth stage: meaning. In 1969, Elisabeth Kübler Ross first identified the stages of dying in her transformative book On Death and Dying. Decades later, she and David Kessler wrote the classic On Grief and Grieving, introducing the stages of grief with the same transformative pragmatism and compassion. Now, based on hard-earned personal experiences, as well as knowledge and wisdom earned through decades of work with the grieving, Kessler introduces a critical sixth stage. Many people look for “closure” after a loss. Kessler argues that it’s finding meaning beyond the stages of grief most of us are familiar with—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—that can transform grief into a more peaceful and hopeful experience. In this book, Kessler gives readers a roadmap to remembering those who have died with more love than pain; he shows us how to move forward in a way that honors our loved ones. Kessler’s insight is both professional and intensely personal. His journey with grief began when, as a child, he witnessed a mass shooting at the same time his mother was dying. For most of his life, Kessler taught physicians, nurses, counselors, police, and first responders about end of life, trauma, and grief, as well as leading talks and retreats for those experiencing grief. Despite his knowledge, his life was upended by the sudden death of his twenty-one-year-old son. How does the grief expert handle such a tragic loss? He knew he had to find a way through this unexpected, devastating loss, a way that would honor his son. That, ultimately, was the sixth state of grief—meaning. In Finding Meaning, Kessler shares the insights, collective wisdom, and powerful tools that will help those experiencing loss. Finding Meaning is a necessary addition to grief literature and a vital guide to healing from tremendous loss. This is an inspiring, deeply intelligent must-read for anyone looking to journey away from suffering, through loss, and towards meaning.

Gilbert offers 85 suggestions for crafts, celebrations, writing exercises, and other activities you can do to memorialize a deceased loved one.

After a loved one dies, each day can be a struggle. But each day, you can also find comfort and understanding in this daily companion. With one brief entry for every day of the calendar year, this little book by beloved grief counselor Dr. Alan Wolfelt offers small, one-day-at-a-time doses of guidance and healing. Each entry includes an inspiring or soothing quote followed by a short discussion of the day's theme. This compassionate gem of a book will accompany you.

Grief overload is what you feel when you experience too many significant losses all at once, in a relatively short period of time, or cumulatively. In addition to the deaths of loved ones, such losses can also include divorce, estrangement, illness, relocation, job changes, and more. Our minds and hearts have enough trouble coping with a single loss, so when the losses pile up, the grief often seems especially chaotic and defeating. The good news is that through intentional, active mourning, you can and will find your way back to hope and healing. This compassionate guide will show you how.

Have you lost someone--or something--dear to you? At some point, whether through the loss of a friend or family member, a decline in health, or the end of a career or a relationship, everyone will encounter grief. After nearly twenty-five years in the mental health field, author and licensed professional counselor Katherine B. Barner is well-acquainted with the ways grief can impact a life. While grief is unavoidable, it is also a valuable aspect of the human experience. Utilizing Biblical examples of human grief--and God's acceptance of its complicated rawness--Barner demonstrates how a person's response to loss does not indicate a lack of faith but testifies instead to their humanity and the life-affirming choice to love and be loved. Filled with practical tips for handling loss and avoiding contention with those who lack compassion or grieve differently, this valuable resource includes a section dedicated to navigating holidays and events while grieving. Crafting this guide from her professional experience as well as from lessons learned during her own seasons of mourning, Barner offers compassion and guidance to those suffering a loss. Designed not only to assist readers through the process of grief but to grant them permission to fully experience it, God Help Me, I'm Grieving validates each reader's unique response to loss, allowing it to become a vehicle of inner change and spiritual and emotional growth.

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