On May 31st, my new book, 52-Week Grief Journal: Prompts and Reflections for Navigating Loss will be published by Rockridge Press. The book is a week-by-week, year-long journal for processing grief. It includes affirmations, prompts, and exercises organized around the feelings and experiences that come up after a loss.
I wrote this book from two perspectives. The first is professional, as a psychotherapist who supports grieving clients, from children through adults. The second perspective is personal. From the sudden death of my grandmother, who was like a parent to me, when I was nine, to the rapid decline and death of my father from brain cancer in 2017, I have lost many important people and pets over my lifetime, not always with the time or space to process my feelings.
What does it mean to process grief?
So many of us do not get a chance to process the complex emotions that come up after a loss. The absolute absence created by a loved one’s death can feel overwhelming and impossible to truly integrate into our lives. We become marked and hobbled by loss. While everyone’s grieving process is personal to them, I believe it is important to find a way to process those feelings and make space for them so that they are less overwhelming.
What this processing looks like depends on what feels right to us and on our relationship with our loved ones. How our people died, and sometimes how they lived, also affects how we process grief. The aim of my book is to help you navigate through grief in a way that is authentic to you.
What topics does the Grief Journal cover??
Topics in the book range from working through anger, numbness, and guilt to practical issues around self-care and thinking about the future. There are exercises you can do on the page, such as making a self-care plan when self-care feels impossible. I have also included visualizations (for example, imagining your tears as healing raindrops), breathing techniques, and ways to use art to process grief. With over 100 different prompts and exercises, you can choose what works for you where you are now.
How to get a copy
The 52-Week Grief Journal is available on amazon and at Target. Click on a link below to order!
Contact me
If you are grieving and would like to schedule an initial consultation, use my secure contact form or email me directly. My online portal shows my current openings, most of which are before 3pm. You can also schedule an appointment via the portal.