In his counseling work, Harold Ivan Smith has heard most of the questions--even the most obscure, personal, and difficult ones--that occur to grievers as they process their loss. Here he compiles more than 150 common questions, explores the emotions behind them, and provides clear and forthright responses. Whether readers find the answers they seek, new perspectives to ponder, or comfort from knowing that others ask similar questions, this valuable resource will guide individuals who are in the midst of grief and those who wish to provide comfort.

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.

"Help! How do I do this?" Loss strikes. Your heart is stunned. Your world is shaken. Someone special is missing. Life will never be the same. You will never be the same. Questions surface in your mind and heart. You try to make sense of it all. You struggle with overwhelming emotions and troubling thoughts. You tussle with what to do and when. You need answers. You need compassionate, practical direction. You need a guide for this journey - a companion to walk with you through all the questions, wonderings, fears, and obstacles. Welcome to The Grief Guidebook. Multiple award-winning author, speaker, and grief specialist Gary Roe is a trusted voice in grief recovery who has been helping wounded, grieving hearts find hope and healing for more than three decades. Written with heartfelt compassion, this warm, easy-to-read, and practical book reads like a conversation with a close friend. Gary says, "Over the past three decades, I've had the honor of walking with thousands of grieving hearts through the valley of loss. Along the way, I've been asked a multitude of questions about grief and grieving. In this book, I've compiled and addressed more than 70 of the most common questions I've been asked. Each chapter contains a question, a heartfelt response, and some suggestions for how to handle that issue. The beauty of The Grief Guidebook is that you can read straight through or simply go to the question that's currently on your mind and heart. Consider this a reference manual for your grief process. I hope you find The Grief Guidebook helpful, comforting, and healing. Please let me know what you think. Feel free to contact me anytime. I'm here to help, if I can." You have questions. The Grief Guidebook has answers. Grab your copy today.

Praise for The Unique Grief of Suicide: Questions and Hope “A gem of a book. Tom Smith is one of those unique human beings who, through a labor of love and generosity, is able to turn a personal tragedy into an opportunity to reach out and help many others. His work combines scientific data and personal feelings admirably.” —Luis A. Giuffra, MD, PhD; professor of clinical psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine “Very painful questions arise following the death by suicide of a loved one. Tom Smith’s moving book identifies and organizes these questions—a very helpful thing in itself. But more, the book provides answers and also acknowledges that some questions do not have easy answers, reflecting accurately and sympathetically the experiences of those bereaved by suicide.” —Thomas Joiner, PhD, author of Why People Die by Suicide and the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Florida State University With warmth and understanding, Tom Smith draws on his own grief following the suicide of his twenty-six-year-old daughter, Karla, and provides helpful resources and coping strategies to those grieving a suicide. Both practical and comforting, The Unique Grief of Suicide guides and educates those dealing with the different facets of suicide and offers a safe harbor within the storm of grief.

An illustrated journal for meeting grief with honesty and kindness—honoring loss, rather than packing it away With her breakout book It’s OK That You’re Not OK, Megan Devine struck a chord with thousands of readers through her honest, validating approach to grief. In her same direct, no-platitudes style, she now offers How to Carry What Can’t Be Fixed—a journal filled with unique, creative ways to open a dialogue with grief itself. “Being allowed to tell the truth about your grief is an incredibly powerful act,” she says. “This journal enables you to tell your whole story, without the need to tack on a happy ending where there isn’t one.” Grief is a natural response to death and loss—it’s not an illness to be cured or a problem to be fixed. This workbook contains no clichés, timetables, or checklists of stages to get through; it won’t help you “move past” or put your loss behind you. Instead, you’ll find encouragement, self-care exercises, and daily tools, including: •Writing prompts to help you honor your pain and heartbreak • On-the-spot practices for tough situations—like grocery store trips, the sleepless nights, and being the “awkward guest” • The art of healthy distraction and self-care • What you can do when you worry that “moving on” means “letting go of love” • Practical advice for fielding the dreaded “How are you doing?” question • What it means to find meaning in your loss • How to hold joy and grief at the same time • Tear-and-share resources to help you educate friends and allies • The “Griever’s Bill of Rights,” and much more Your grief, like your love, belongs to you. No one has the right to dictate, judge, or dismiss what is yours to live. How to Carry What Can’t Be Fixed is a journal and everyday companion to help you enter a conversation with your grief, find your own truth, and live into the life you didn’t ask for—but is here nonetheless.

Author Connie Summers embarks on a true personal journey taken from her journals. The death of her husband throws her into turmoil. Each day, uncontrollable emotions and despair send her spiraling downward deeper into despondency. She fears she may give in to insanity. Unwilling to deal with problems or people, she works all day and falls with exhaustion into bed each night. Ultimately she sits at rock bottom, nowhere to go except up. She looks up, realizing she has separated herself from God. Deep down, she desires Gods spiritual renewal. It is then she begins leaving the difficult, lonely, sorrowful grieving journey and steps on a firm, solid path. Her spiritual journey has begun. This journey reunites her with the promises and power of God, as he heals her broken heart and soul; safe in his everlasting arms once more. The author offers the grieving person specific ways in which each can overcome the pain and sufferings of grief: to look to the Divine Healer, Almighty God. Also offered are ways to help a grieving person. What an outstanding book of hope and comfort. It will definitely be recommended to other counselors and hurting hearts. Katherine Pell, certifi ed NANC counselor

This work includes a foreword by John D Morgan, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Coordinator for Kings College Center for Education about Death and Bereavement, Ontario, Canada. This practical resource guides the reader though all aspects of the grieving process and offers thought-provoking and inspirational advice on support. With exercises, tips, and contacts for further assistance, "Finding a Sacred Oasis in Grief" provides a comprehensive understanding of this potentially difficult and complex topic. It examines different types of grief and various approaches, along with reference guides to particular religions and their traditions adopting a comprehensive, multi-faith approach. Pastoral care providers and religious leaders will find the unique, hands-on approach invaluable, as will members of support organisations and volunteer carers. It is also ideal for seminary and ministry students, counsellors, therapists and other care professionals. "Gives caregivers the tools to help dying and grieving persons face the best and worst that life has to offer. It is the worst, because death means the end of the attachments that make life worthwhile. It is the best, because it shows us what is truly meaningful and important in life. Mortality is a great gift if we have the knowledge and the courtesy to face it." - John D Morgan, in the Foreword.

An estimated eight percent of Americans are thought to be suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder at any given time. Many are victims of or witnesses to violence. Others have been neglected of abused. Some have experienced a traumatic accident or natural disaster. Still others have experienced the sudden and perhaps violent death of someone they love. No matter the cause, PTSD results in symptoms of acute stress, including anxiety, persistent thoughts or flashbacks, and a host of other physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and spiritual challenges. In this guide for counselors and caregivers, Dr. Alan Wolfelt reframes PTSD as a form of grief. Helping PTSD sufferers mourn their unacknowledged and “carried” grief over the traumatic events that caused their symptoms is the key to helping them heal. Rather than seeking to quickly treat away symptoms of PTSD, caregivers who follow Dr. Wolfelt's “companioning” philosophy will instead see the natural and necessary PTSD symptoms as indications that the sufferer needs additional support and encouragement to express himself. This holistic new approach acknowledges clinical PTSD treatments as part of the solution while emphasizing that authentic mourning is the primary and most essential healer.

Without proper support, navigating the icy waters of grief may feel impossible. The grieving person may feel spiritually bankrupt and often the loss is so painful that the bereaved may lose faith in what they once held dear. Mindfulness meditation can restore hope by offering a compassionate safe haven for healing and self-reflection. While nobody can predict the path of someone else's grief, this book will guide the reader forward through the grieving process with simple mindfulness-based exercises to restore mind, body and spirit. These easy-to-follow meditations will help the reader to cope with the pain of loss, and embark on a healing journey. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of grief, and the guided meditations will calm the mind and increase clarity and focus. Mindfulness and Grief will help readers to begin the process of reconstructing the shattered self that is left in the wake of any major loss.

The one book you need to help your grieving clients move from heartache to hope. - Heather Stang Understanding loss and its effects is integral to effective counseling and support in the treatment of grief. This book is both a guide to the key theories of bereavement, and a practical workbook that can be used with clients to help them understand and work through their grief in a positive, transformative way. Divided into two parts, the first section presents current models of grief used by thanatologists, and advice on when to apply them, these models provide a springboard to deepen the conversation with clients, allowing them to discover insights, consider memories and express their pain. In the second part of the book, creative exercises encourage clients to engage with their stories and actively apply their discoveries to their own healing. Offering a straightforward guide to bereavement models and therapeutic approaches, with photocopiable exercises and worksheets, The Creative Toolkit for Working with Grief and Bereavement is a valuable resource for information on grief and how to help grieving clients, and an invitation to explore creative possibilities for healing.