Healing Grief

Grief isn't always the result of something finite, marking a death or complete end. Soul-shattering grief can also be activated by a dramatic shift in an important relationship, such as a divorce or significant breakup, a life-changing medical diagnosis, or a broken connection with an addicted child. How do we grieve people who are still alive, but no longer who they once were to us? Most people will experience this type of traumatic event over the course of their lifetime, yet the complications of these situations often leave grievers feeling alienated or ashamed.

When social worker Lisa Keefauver became a widow in 2011, she was alarmed to discover that even though 100 percent of us experience loss, we’re living in a grief illiterate world. In her work as a therapist and in her search for help in the wake of her own loss, Keefauver began to see how the misguided stories we consume about grief lead to unnecessary suffering. Responding to the problematic narratives that grief is something to move on from after completing the five stages like some sort of to-do list, Keefauver became a grief activist.

The death of a parent is heartbreaking, but the issues surrounding suicide can be even more devastating. My Grief is Like the Ocean was written by mental health professionals who wanted to support caregivers during incredibly difficult conversations with children. Using the latest research and clinical guidance, and told from the perspective of a boy who lost his father to suicide, this book will help children to feel supported. When caregivers and children listen to this book together, they will gain a valuable resource for engaging in honest discussions to help families heal.

Your Soul's Plan (which was originally published under the title Courageous Souls: Do We Plan Our Life Challenges Before Birth?) explores the premise that we are all eternal souls who plan our lives, including our greatest challenges, before we are born for the purpose of spiritual growth. Through compelling profiles of people who knowingly planned the experiences mentioned above, Your Soul's Plan shows that suffering is not purposeless, but rather imbued with deep meaning.

Embark on a journey of healing as we explore the depths of pet loss together. In the midst of sorrow, find solace and compassionate guidance to navigate the intricate path of grief.

When Carla walked the shores of Islamorada Key, she wasn’t searching for a mission—only a moment to breathe. But the ocean had something else in mind. Half-buried in the sand, she discovers a weathered glass jar sealed with a handwritten letter inside. The letter isn’t for her. But somehow, it’s hers to deliver. Still healing from the loss of her special needs son, Carla is drawn into an unexpected journey of hope. Each jar she finds contains a letter written to a grieving mother—someone she doesn’t know, yet somehow must find. With the help of her husband, adult children, and a...

Amanda Held Opelt search for a way to process her grief led her to seek wisdom about how other people have made it through, and she found that generations past embraced rituals that served as vessels for pain and aided in the process of grieving and healing. Today, many of these traditions have been lost as religious practice declines, cultures amalgamate, death is sanitized, and pain is averted. In this raw and authentic memoir of bereavement, Opelt explores the history of human grief practices and how previous generations have journeyed through periods of suffering.

Four simple phrases - "Please forgive me", "I forgive you", "Thank you", and "I love you" - carry enormous power to mend and nurture our relationships and inner lives. These four phrases and the sentiments they convey provide a path to emotional well-being, guiding us through interpersonal difficulties to life with integrity and grace. Dr. Ira Byock, an international leader in palliative care, explains how we can practice these life-affirming words in our day-to-day lives.

Soft Doesn’t Mean Small is a surreal, spiritual coming-of-glow story about Passion—a woman who’s survived too much, silenced too long, and finally ready to live at full volume. With ancestors whispering through candle flames, ex-lovers haunting her inbox, and the timelines unraveling like cheap lace, Passion learns that softness isn’t weakness—it’s power under pressure. As she cleans her altar, clears her karmic debt, and unpacks boxes from women who look just like her (because maybe they are her), Passion begins to reclaim her body, her bloodline, and her goddamn peace. This is...

This piece is my truth, and I hope it motivates you, the reader, to find your voice and speak your truth to whomever you feel needs to hear it. Millennials the change begins with you, there is no need to raise your children on survival if you were raised on survival. It completely defeats the purpose of growing through shit only to have your child experience your same shortcomings. They’re less likely to be a better version of you if you are teaching them how to endure and overcome struggle instead of how to completely avoid it alltogether. To the many men out in the world, stop ignoring ...

From an acclaimed grief educator and the author of Second Firsts and Where Did You Go? comes a road map to recognize and heal the often misunderstood and unspoken experience of everyday loss, so you can finally reenter and live your life in full.

Have you lost someone you love to suicide? Your world was shattered the moment you heard the devastating news. Not only has someone you love died suddenly, you are also grieving the way it happened. Questions swirl: How could this happen? Where was God? Why did no one see the signs? What could you have done differently? Answers seem impossible to find. But there is hope through God's power to heal your grief and loss. He alone can restore what's been broken and lost.

Conscious Grieving is a book for anyone seeking guidance and support after loss. Renowned grief therapist Claire Bidwell Smith combines her deeply personal experience of loss with her long career spent working with thousands of people to introduce a new approach to grief, one that promotes hope and even transformation.

Are you struggling with the grief of losing a loved one? Feeling lost and alone, as if the world has shifted beneath your feet? I Didn't Get to Say Goodbye: Healing After the Sudden Death of a Loved One is a compassionate guide designed to help you through this challenging time.

The death of an adult child is a profound and devastating experience, shattering the hearts of parents and leaving them in a labyrinth of grief. In this compassionate and deeply moving guide, you will find solace, understanding, and practical advice to navigate the journey of grief and healing. "How to Survive the Death of an Adult Child" offers a lifeline to those grappling with this unimaginable loss. Through heartfelt stories, expert insights, and healing strategies, this book provides a comprehensive roadmap to cope with profound sorrow and find a way to embrace life once again.

When Kristin Meekhof lost her husband to cancer, she discovered what all widows learn: the moment you lose your partner, you must make crucial decisions that will impact the rest of your life. But where do you begin? This inspiring audiobook shows grieving widows what to expect and how to deal with the challenges of losing a life partner.

Are you overwhelmed by the impending death of your dog? Discover a step-by-step guide to navigating the emotional journey of losing a beloved pet. Are you devastated by your vet’s serious news? Are you worried how your family will handle the loss of their faithful furry pal? Do you feel unprepared to manage your emotions and responsibilities? International bestselling author Wendy Van de Poll is the founder of the Center for Pet Loss Grief and has over twenty years of bereavement counseling experience. Now she’s here to reassure you that mourning is a normal reaction and to share ...

Join former Navy Commander and evidential medium Suzanne Giesemann and her husband, Ty, a retired US Navy captain, on a healing journey with three other couples, brought together by their children in the spirit world. These inspiring parents serve as shining examples of those who have experienced the devastating loss of a child, but whose joy in life has been restored through the awareness that their children continue to participate actively in their lives.

When Harvard-trained physician Dr. Annie Brewster was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001, she realized firsthand that the medical system to which she’d devoted her entire career was failing patients. The experience was dehumanizing. Her doctors weren’t listening. And the confusion, fear, and shame she felt around her diagnosis was preventing her from truly healing, claiming her story, and living her fullest, richest life. Here, Dr. Brewster and journalist Rachel Zimmerman each share their own personal stories, acting as expert guides as you move forward on your healing journey.

Discover Healing and Growth Through the Wisdom of Buddhism Embark on a transformative journey through grief and loss with "The First Hundred Days of Healing: A Buddhist Journal for Navigating Loss and Grief." This compassionate and empathetic guide provides wisdom and support as you traverse the complex landscape of mourning. In this unique journal, you'll find: 100 carefully selected quotes exploring themes of grief, loss, hope, and self-development Insightful commentaries from a Buddhist philosophical perspective, offering new perspectives on your own experience of grief Daily writing ...