This book is about death, loss, grief and mourning, but with an unusual twist. It explores specific kinds of deaths encountered within families and households, rather than general concepts of mourning and addresses the death of a different loved one.

In 2009, New York Times bestselling author Sara Davidson was surprised by a call from Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, asking her to engage with him in what he called "The December Project." At eighty-five, Reb Zalman wanted to teach people how to navigate the December of life and to help them "not freak out about dying."

Davidson jumped at the chance. She feared that death would be a complete annihilation, while Reb Zalman felt certain that "something continues." For two years, they met every Friday to discuss this and how getting "up close with mortality" quickens our ability to relish every day.

Woven through their talks are sketches from Reb Zalman's life: escaping the Nazis; becoming an orthodox rabbi in the U.S.; landing in San Francisco during the sexual revolution; taking L.S.D. with Timothy Leary; befriending other faith leaders, including Thomas Merton and the Dalai Lama; and founding the Jewish Renewal movement.

During their time together, Davidson was nearly killed by a suicide bomb and Reb Zalman faced a steep decline in health. They created strategies to deal with pain and memory loss and found tools to cultivate fearlessness and joy--at any age. Davidson includes twelve exercises so readers can experience what she did, a sea change in facing what we all must face: mortality.

God is in control. Cancer isn't. If he chooses to, God still might intervene. But even if he doesn't ... you are safe. And you will never be alone.' Taylor was an energetic nine year old when doctors traced a nagging pain in his leg to a huge tumour hidden in his pelvis. Thus began a journey of anguish, hope, anger, joy, grief, and ultimately life. When Brian learns that the cancer has spread, and watches his son endure the protracted agony, he wrestles with God, asking loud angry questions. Yet despite the pain Taylor 's enthusiasm for life continues. His wit, zeal and faith grow stronger, and father and son draw strength from one another as they embark upon the journey which took Taylor safely home. A wonderfully uplifting book.

The loss of a loved one is one of the most painful experiences that most of us will ever have to face in our lives. This book recognises that there is no single solution to the problems of bereavement but that an understanding of grief can help the bereaved to realise that they are not alone in their experience.

Long recognised as the most authoritative work of its kind, this new edition has been revised and extended to take into account recent research findings on both sides of the Atlantic. Parkes and Prigerson include additional information about the different circumstances of bereavement including traumatic losses, disasters, and complicated grief, as well as providing details on how social, religious, and cultural influences determine how we grieve.

Bereavement provides guidance on preparing for the loss of a loved one, and coping after they have gone. It also discusses how to identify the minority in whom bereavement may lead to impairment of physical and/or mental health and how to ensure they get the help they need. This classic text will continue to be of value to the bereaved themselves, as well as the professionals and friends who seek to help and understand them.

'This book had a profound effect on my life.' - Dr Wayne W. Dyer, bestselling author of I Can See Clearly Now Bronnie was looking for a 'job with heart'. Through circumstance, she became a carer to the dying. Over the years that she assisted people to the end of their lives, Bronnie continuously heard them expressing the same regrets over and over again. Struck by the common threads between these regrets, she wrote a blog post about them, called 'The Top Five Regrets of the Dying'. In just one year, it had reached 3 million views. Based on Bronnie's original blog post of the same name, the book expands on the experiences that taught her that the regrets of the dying are lessons to be learned, and that by applying these to our own life we can make the right choices for ourselves, right now. Bronnie's inspiring and honest journey will inspire readers to be kinder, more compassionate and more present in their life.

Learn how to embrace the painful gift of grief and use it for transformation and healing as you journey through the wilderness to a promised life The Unwanted Gift of Grief is a passionate, practical guide through the grieving process for those who have suffered lossand those who suffer with them. Rather than talking people out of their grief and pain as a way to make them feel better, this unique book invites them into the grief and pain as a way to healing, transformation and hope. Using real and in-depth ministry and counseling conversations, it identifies the journey through the wilderness of grief. This powerful book is equally valuable as a gift from a minister to a grieving person, as a professional guide for ministers and counselors, and as a training tool for lay ministers and congregation members. Built on the ministry concept of sojourning, The Unwanted Gift of Grief offers guidelines to be used in helping people in their journey through the adjustment period that follows a loss, a time that may include the darkness of disbelief, frustration, anger, sadness, depression, and healing light as they make their way through the wilderness of grief. Topics examined in The Unwanted Gift of Grief include: grief as gratitude and gift how family and culture can affect grieving different pathways through grief everyone grieves differently sudden loss, slow losing, rejection and suicide identifying the agony and characteristics of depression grief factors that affect marriage and sexuality saying Yes to death factors of faith, science and miracles the labor and contractions of dying and death the hope for healing and cure how to help: the Sojourner's Process Guide the Grief Date: A Guide for Couples fifty ways to make it through the wilderness and much more The Unwanted Gift of Grief is an essential resource for anyone lost in the wilderness of loss and grief, and for professionals, lay ministers, family, and friends who care for them.

What happens for a person emotionally, psychologically and spiritually when confronted by the reality of the death of a loved one, or the impending death of someone close to them, or their own death?

As with the other volumes of the Living Therapy series, Counselling For Death And Dying is composed of fictitious dialogues between clients and their counsellors, and between the counsellors and their supervisors. Within the dialogues are woven the reflective thoughts and feelings of the clients, the counsellors and the supervisors, along with boxed comments on the process and references to person-centred theory. The introduction provides a brief overview of the person-centred approach and an introduction to issues associated with dealing with death and dying.

There are two scenarios described in this title. The first focuses on a middle aged man coming to terms with his reaction to his father’s death, and the impact his behaviour is having upon his family. The second focuses on a client in her late fifties, already in counseling and then being diagnosed with a terminal cancer, coming to terms with the diagnosis and the impact it is having on her family, particularly her two sons, one of whom has a drug problem, the other an alcohol problem.

News reports appear every day now on the ecological state of our planetary home and the news is not good. Ecological systems are in terrible peril, species are dying by the millions, and global warming is getting worse. Increasing numbers of people feel the impact of this, feel some form of what is being called climate grief, ecological loss, or sometimes even solastalgia. Our species is entering a time of difficult and deep mourning. As environmentalist Leslie Head has said, "Grief will be our companion on this journey-it is not something we can deal with and move on." It will be with us for a long time to come. Stephen Harrod Buhner takes the reader on a journey into and through that grief to what is waiting on the other side, a place that Viktor Frankl, Jacques Cousteau, Vaclav Havel, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and so many others have found. It's where one becomes an engaged witness, alive to the losses that are occurring and the grief that is felt but is not overcome by them. Then he travels into and through the common feelings of guilt and shame (feelings that are put on so many but in actuality belong to very few) that come from ecological devastation. From there Stephen moves deep into what occurs when those we love die, when the planetary landscapes, forests, fields and rivers that are engraved into our deepest selves are lost, when we are forced to travel into the territory of death and loss and deep grief ourselves. Throughout it, Stephen draws on his studies with Elizabeth Kubler Ross and others who worked with the dying, his years as a psychotherapist, extensive work with the chronically ill, and deep immersion in and relationship with plants, wild ecosystems, and this living planet that is our home. At journey's end what arises is not the optimism of false hope (as Greta Thunberg calls it) but a deeper and more realistic hope, one that is intimately entangled with gravitas and the journey through loss. It's born from the heart's integration of grief and a deep faith in the green world, in this planet from which we have emerged, and in the new life that comes with every spring. Stephen's book is written with the exquisite prose style, intimacy, depth of insight, and engaged storytelling for which he is known. No one who reads it will remain unmoved or ever again feel as if they are alone in the grief they feel for what is happening to our home.

The perennial classic: this intimate journal chronicling the Narnia author's experience of grief after his wife's death has consoled readers for half a century; this edition features responses from authors like Hilary Mantel, Francis Spufford, Rowan Williams, Jenna Bailey ... 'An intimate, anguished account of a man grappling with the mysteries of faith and love ... Elegant and raw ... A powerful record of thought and emotion experienced in real time.' Guardian 'Raw and modern ... This unsentimental, even bracing, account of one man's dialogue with despair becomes both compelling and consoling ... A contemporary classic.' Observer 'A source of great consolation ... Lewis deploys his genius for vivid imagery ... It is a relief for the reader to find that he or she is not alone in the intense loneliness or feelings of anguish that bereavement brings.' Henry Marsh, The Times 'Testimony from a sensitive and eloquent witness [on] 'The Human Condition'. It offers an interrogation of experience and a glimmer of hardwon hope. It allows one bewildered mind to reach out to another. Death is no barrier to that.' Hilary Mantel 'Here, sorrow and despair, the tiredness and numbness and petulance and nightmarishness of grief, all have their full, uncontrolled, experienced force ... [Such] radical openness ... Brilliant.' Francis Spufford *** No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. Narnia author C.S. Lewis had been married to his wife for four blissful years. When she died of cancer, he found himself alone, inconsolable in his grief. In this intimate journal, he chronicles the aftermath of the bereavement and mourning with blazing honesty. He grapples with a crisis of religious faith, navigating hope, rage, despair, and love - but eventually regains his bearings, finding his way back to life. A luminous modern classic, A Grief Observed has offered solace to countless readers for decades. This companion edition combines the original text with personal responses from Hilary Mantel, Rowan Williams, Francis Spufford, Maureen Freely, Kate Saunders, Jessica Martin and Jenna Bailey. *** What readers are saying: 'A truly great book - inspirational and untold help.' 'Every human being, living or dead, understands what Lewis means ... One of the most valuable books ever written.' 'Lewis, as always, sits down next to you and validates your grief like a true friend. He lets you rage, and cry, and even be furious with God, just as he did.' 'If you are grieving an enormous loss, you may find comfort here ... A great mind and wonderful writer who understands your grief well enough to put words to it.' 'His journal was also my journal as I worked through my own grief. Reading this book was actually comforting in that I knew that someone else understood my situation and offered insight and hope ... I highly recommend this book for anyone who has gone through the death of a loved one or who wants to comfort." 'This little book has had me in floods of tears [and] shows a real understanding of grief ... To read the words of this great man who shared and understood my pain and is a life affirming and faith affirming experience.'

Grieving Reproductive Loss: The Healing Process acknowledges the devastating impact these losses can have. Written in ""plain language"", the book attempts to bring about a greater understanding of the grief associated with reproductive loss and, through the Healing Process Model[copyright], offers a holistic approach for constructive healthy grieving and healing of body, mind, and spirit.

"When a Child Has Been Murdered: Ways You Can Help the Grieving Parents" is a concise, easy- to-read guide that begins with a general discussion of the types of grief that result from death and non-death losses. Then, using statements made by parents whose children were murdered, it discusses the specifics of murdered-child grief including: the complex emotions felt by the grieving parents, how the necessity of interacting with the criminal justice system can alter and enhance these emotions, short- and long-term methods these parents employ to work through the grieving process and to reconstruct their shattered lives, and how anyone who comes in contact with the parents can help them survive their grief.

In Grief is Love, author Marisa Renee Lee reveals that healing does not mean moving on after losing a loved one-healing means learning to acknowledge and create space for your grief. It is about learning to love the one you lost with the same depth, passion, joy, and commitment you did when they were alive, perhaps even more. She guides you through the pain of grief-whether you've lost the person recently or long ago-and shows you what it looks like to honor your loss on your unique terms, and debunks the idea of a grief stages or timelines. Grief is Love is about making space for the transformation that a significant loss requires. In beautiful, compassionate prose, Lee elegantly offers wisdom about what it means to authentically and defiantly claim space for grief's complicated feelings and emotions. And Lee is no stranger to grief herself, she shares her journey after losing her mother, a pregnancy, and, most recently, a cousin to the COVID-19 pandemic. These losses transformed her life and led her to question what grief really is and what healing actually looks like. In this book, she also explores the unique impact of grief on Black people and reveals the key factors that proper healing requires: permission, care, feeling, grace and more. The transformation we each undergo after loss is the indelible imprint of the people we love on our lives, which is the true definition of legacy. At its core, Grief is Love explores what comes after death, and shows us that if we are able to own and honor what we've lost, we can experience a beautiful and joyful life in the midst of grief.

"Heavenly Hurts Surviving AIDS-Related Deaths and Losses" imparts vital information for anyone touched by deaths and losses of HIV/AIDS. In the AIDS pandemic, efforts are focused on persons living with AIDS (PLWA). Neglected are professional and non-professional caregivers, families, and friends. They are surviving deaths of loved ones from AIDS-related illness, or are dealing with multiple losses of HIV/AIDS. "Heavenly Hurts" provides guidance, support and coping skills, along with discussions of death language; AIDS grief; death in the workplace; and cultural and spiritual issues around death.

This book explores the Care Trust concept promoted by central government for improving partnership working between health and social care. Using case studies and examples to raise current issues related to partnership working it explains how Care Trusts are bridging the gap between health and social care and considers how they are delivering more co-ordinated services and improved outcomes. All healthcare and social care professionals with responsibility for involved in or affected by the new partnership working arrangements will find this book useful reading.

Written since the death of his wife in 2014, No Shore Too Far is a collection of poetry and meditations on the themes of death, bereavement and hope. Taking in a broad view of the interconnectedness of the whole of creation, this collection stems from personal experience and touches upon the entirety of the human experience.

In "Pet Death", Dr. Straub addresses issues and feelings commonly encountered after the death of a pet. Practical guidelines are provided for coping with feelings of loss and sorrow. Many questions arise from the difficult topic of euthanasia, and in this book, the medical aspect of this procedure is explained in plain language. "Are your other pets grieving?" and "Should I get another pet right away?" are other questions addressed. Dr. Straub and others openly share their personal accounts of pet loss.

"Our culture celebrates life and youth, but does not prepare us for the premature death of our children. Out of his intense personal grief, which ordinarily is isolating, Doug Daher enables us to understand the vitality of relating and the dynamics of healing in recovering from the death of one's child. This eloquent testimony to the resilience of the human spirit works brilliantly at so many levels of analysis from personal grieving, up through social support and ritual networks, and down to the business systems engulfing death. And the Passenger Was Death takes us on a moving journey--we'd all rather avoid, but eventually must take--conducting us through alien terrain in a most caring, inquisitive and therapeutically vital way." Phil Zimbardo, President American Psychological Association "For something as universal as death, it comes as a shock to find how unique each death is. But that is because a death breaks a specific relationship. Daher's book gives a painfully clear picture of one particular death--that of the young-adult son who meant so much to his father and for whom he had such high hopes. Step by step, Daher takes us through his devastating experience. Readers will be both moved and educated by going through it with him." William Bridges, author of: The Way of Transition: Embracing Life's Most Difficult Moment "An extraordinarily poignant diary-like read written by a grieving parent who chronicles his journey of grief. From the first moment of pain and disbelief through the funeral and the police investigation, hoping beyond hope that the question 'Why' would be answered. And then the realization that 'Why' would offer no solace. "Dr Daher's unique position as PhD psychologist and bereaved father are obvious in the human struggle that presents itself as his journey of healing unfolds. A classic narration on the spiral nature of grief and mourning. It is rich with reminiscences and ritual. " Marilyn S. Walke, Director of Client Care, Centre for Living with Dying

Anthropologist Linda Layne takes a theoretically informed approach to the topic of miscarriage and stillbirth. About 20% of all pregnancies in the U.S. end in miscarriage or stillbirth, yet pregnancy loss is not a socially accepted topic of discussion. To cope, many middle-class women join pregnancy loss support groups. Layne studies these groups and the rituals they create to help would-be-parents through their loss. The book takes an historical look at pregnancy loss in America and then moves to the present, examining how current reproductive technologies (home pregnancy tests, sonograms, etc.) and the abortion debate have reworked notions of "foetal personhood." Layne rounds out her argument by calling for feminists to put pregnancy loss on their agenda to help increase awareness about this hidden but painful subject and to effect necessary changes and improvements in the current socio-medical management of pregnancy loss.

When Diane Sher Lutovich set out to attain closure of her mother's death she simultaneously discovered how other women address their losses. "Nobody's Child: How Older Women Say Good-bye to Their Mothers", in poetry and prose, tells the big and little stories of women who, having come of age during the feminist revolution, lived very different lives than their mothers. The author addresses the guilt a daughter feels when confronted by her mother's life choices, the loss of family history and a belated recognition of her mother's legacy. The voices are heard within these pages, giving occasion for the reader to learn about the multiplicity of feelings-including remorse, fear, frustration, compassion, and deep admiration-that many daughters experience at their mother's passing.

Bereavement Camps for Children and Adolescents is the first book to describe in detail how to create bereavement camps for children and adolescents. It is a comprehensive how-to guide, offering practical advice on planning, curriculum building, and evaluation. Readers will find a step-by-step plan for building a non-profit organization, including board development and fundraising, such as grant writing, soliciting businesses, and holding special events, as well as valuable information on nonprofit management and volunteer recruitment. The appendices include a variety of sample forms, letters, and more.

Writing from the perspective of bereaved parent and psychotherapist, Kay Talbot describes the trauma and multiple secondary losses experienced by bereaved parents. What Forever Means After the Death of a Child builds on empirical and qualitative research and gives examples of what helps and what hinders bereaved parents as their grief and loss evolve. Talbot encourages clinicians to help parents reframe their role as the child's biographer, though continuing rather than breaking the bond with their deceased child. Examples demonstrate how bereaved parents reconstruct personal identity, resolve spiritual and existential crises, reach out to help others, and create productive futures that honor their children and provide new meaning to their lives.

Related link: Free Email Alerting

This second edition of Breaking the Silence sheds new light onto complex areas of traumatic grief. Designed for educators, mental health professionals, caregivers and parents, it presents techniques, words, activities and methods to initiate discussion of these sensitive issues. It also provides valuable tools to break down the process of grieving for children. Resources are offered for facilitating the grieving process at home, school, or in treatment.
Two new chapters have been added to this edition:'Breaking the Silence on Bullying' and 'Communities Grieve: Involvement with Children and Trauma'. All previous chapters from the first edition have been broadened and practical activities for working with bully-victimization issues and traumatized youth have been included. Resources have been greatly expanded. Books, videos, CD-ROMS, websites, curriculums, and other resources have been updated.
The second edition of Breaking the Silence confronts today's traumatic grief issues with realistic and comprehensive approaches to the inundation of everyday complicated grief experiences our children live with and are subjected to in their homes, at their schools, in their communities, and in their world.

Related link: Free Email Alerting

During a pandemic lockdown full of pyjama dance parties, life talks, and final goodbyes, a family helps a father die with dignity. In April 2020, journalist Mitchell Consky received bad news: his father was diagnosed with a rare and terminal cancer, with less than two months to live. Suddenly, he and his extended family -- many of them healthcare workers -- were tasked with reconciling the social distancing required by the Covid-19 pandemic with a family-based approach to end-of-life care. The result was a home hospice during the first lockdown. Suspended within the chaos of medication and treatments were dance parties, episodes of Tiger King, and his father's many deadpan jokes. Leaning into his journalistic intuitions, Mitchell interviewed his father daily, making audio recordings of final talks, emotional goodbyes, and the unexpected laughter that filled his father's final days. Serving as a catalyst for fatherly affection, these interviews became an opportunity for emotional confession during the slowed-down time of a shuttered world, and reflect how far a family went in making a dying loved one feel safe at home.