Based on Dr. Wolfelt's unique and highly regarded philosophy of "companioning" versus treating mourners, this self-care guide for professional and lay grief caregivers emphasizes the importance of taking good care of oneself as a precursor to taking good care of others. Bereavement care is draining work, and remaining empathetic to the painful struggles of mourners, death, and dying, day in and day out, makes caregivers highly susceptible to burnout. This book demonstrates how caring for oneself first allows one to be a more effective caregiver to others. Through the advice, suggestions, and practices directed specifically to caregiving situations and needs, caregivers will learn not to lose sight of caring for themselves as they care for others.

After a significant loss, grief is an everyday experience. Bit by bit, these one-page-a-day readings will help you feel supported and muster the courage and hope you need to make it through the day. Whether you’re choosing this book as a follow-up to Understanding Your Grief or as a way to engage with the teachings in a different format, you’ll find a combination of classic content mixed with new ideas and insights. Reading just one page each day will help you sustain hope and heal your heart.

You've spent most of your adult life focused on the care and raising of your children, and now they're leaving. For you and for them, this major transition is often challenging in many ways. You may feel surprised at the power of your grief—a confusing mixture of sadness, hope, emptiness, fear, excitement, and other emotions all at once. This book by one of the world's most beloved grief counselors helps parents understand their normal and necessary empty nester grief. The 100 practical tips and activities are designed to help you acknowledge and express your feelings of loss, foster love and respect, and, over time, find ways to re-instill your life with meaning. Advice is also offered for nurturing a marriage or partnership through this challenging time.

For most of us, life is way too hectic. We feel scattered and distracted. We’re busy rushing from one required activity to the next, and when we have a few moments of downtime, we’re often glued to our electronics. Is this what life is really all about? Learn to slow down and live more mindfully with this daily companion. In one brief entry for each day of the calendar year, counselor Dr. Alan Wolfelt offers small, day-at-a-time doses of wisdom and practical guidance. Each entry includes an inspiring or soothing quote followed by a short discussion of the day’s theme as well as a succinct mantra to return to throughout the day. In just a few minutes a day, this little gem of a book will teach you to live every moment from a place of peace, purpose, and gratitude. Living in the now is a habit you can cultivate. Let’s get started.

After a significant loss, it’s common to feel like we’re going crazy. The sudden absence of someone we love is not only devastating, it’s disorienting. They were here one moment, and now they’re…gone? Forever? How can that be? The first year or two of grief is often unbelievably painful and confusing. We’re in shock, often for weeks or months. Time seems out of whack. We feel powerless, helpless, and ineffective. We can’t think straight; we can’t get anything done. Our moods swing wildly, and we say and do crazy things. We cry, and we cling to objects that belonged to the person who died. We have bizarre dreams. We think we hear, see, or experience communications from the person who died. We wonder if we can (or should) go on. And through it all, our minds and hearts return over and over again to the impossible reality that can never again talk to or touch a person who lived and breathed and gave our lives so much meaning. There is nothing more challenging than the early months and years of a major life loss. But this compassionate book, by one of the world’s most beloved grief counselors, will help you endure and thrive.