Category: Grief-Loss

A Journey of Hope and Discovery for Children and Families

The Moon Balloon: A Journey of Hope and Discovery for Children and Families, by Joan Drescher (1996)

From Amazon.com, “”The Moon Balloon”, a journey of hope and discovery for children and families is a colorfully illustrated picture book and interactive journal with a delightful story about seven hot-air balloons. It has a forward by Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. This book provides a safe, supportive outlet to help you and your children cope with the problems of everyday living as well as life changing experiences. Playful hot-air balloons, representing various emotions, offer vehicles whereby children can write and draw feelings which can otherwise be difficult to speak about. Sharing these symbols can improve self-image, trust, and creativity. This book is for children, parents, teachers, health care professionals and all those concerned with bringing emotional healing to children. “This delightful book will help children express their feelings honestly and openly.” …Bernie Siegel, M.D.”

How To Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies

How To Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies, by Therese A. Rando, Ph.D. (1991).

From Amazon.com, “An inspiring guide to help you through the mourning process.  Mourning the death of a loved one is a process all of us will go through at one time or another. But wherever the death is sudden or anticipated, few of us are prepared for it or for the grief it brings. There is no right or wrong way to grieve;  each person’s response to loss will be different. Now, in this compassionate, comprehensive guide, Therese A. Rando, Ph.D., bereavement specialist and author of Loss And Anticipatory Grief, leads you gently through the painful but necessary process of grieving and helps you find the best way for yourself.  Whether the death was sudden or expected, from accident, illness, suicide, homicide, or natural causes, Dr. Rando will help you learn  to:

Understand and resolve your grief.
Talk to children about death.
Resolve unfinished business.
Take care of yourself.
Accept the help and support of others.
Get through holidays and other difficult times of the year.
Plan funerals and personal bereavement rituals.

How To Go On  Living With Someone You Love Dies also includes a comprehensive resource listing and a  chapter on finding professional help and support groups.

There is no way around the pain of loss, but there is a way through it. Dr.  Rando offers the solace, comfort, and guidance to help you accept your loss and move into your new life without forgetting your treasured past.”

A Mother Loss Workbook

A Mother Loss Workbook: Healing Exercises for Daughters 

By Diane Hambrook, CSW, MSW. and Gail Eisenberg with Herma M. Rosenthal. (1997)

From Amazon.com – To tell you how to use this workbook would be like giving you instructions on how to grieve. Impossible. The only thing we know for sure is that no two people will approach this work in the same way. If there’s one thing you should remember as you begin this process, it is this: You are not alone. With that knowledge, you’ve already begun to heal.
–from A Mother Loss Workbook

Inspired by Hope Edelman’s bestselling Motherless Daughters, authors Diane Hambrook and Gail Eisenberg have created a sensitive, accessible workbook for women suffering the wounds of early mother loss. A Mother Loss Workbook is designed to help the, motherless daughter tell the story she needs to tell–her story. Its varied exercises, open-ended questions, writing topics, and activities, drawn from Hambrook’s years of work with motherless daughters, provide both careful direction and generous room for self-expression. This book is a safe place where no one will judge a woman, where the work she must do can be done in her own time, at her own pace, and at any stage of mourning.

A Mother Loss Workbook is an ideal supplement for personal therapy and support groups, but it is an important–and perhaps the only–tool for women just starting their journey or who are hesitant to go public with their feelings. Whether a woman uses it privately or shares it with a group, no matter how long its been since her mother died, A Mother Loss Workbook will guide her toward fully understanding her loss and taking charge of her future.

Healing the Adult Sibling’s Grieving Heart

Healing the Adult Sibling’s Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas After Your Brother or Sister Dies (Healing Your Grieving Heart series)

By Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD. (2008)

From Amazon.com – Compassionate and heartfelt, this collection offers 100 practical ideas to help understand and accept the passing of a sibling in order to practice self-healing. The principles of grief and mourning are clearly defined, accompanied by action-oriented tips for embracing bereavement. Whether a sibling has died as a young or older adult or the death was sudden or anticipated, this resource provides a healthy approach to dealing with the aftermath.

Dr. Alan D. Wolfelt is a noted author, educator, and grief counselor. Recipient of the Association for Death Education and Counseling’s Death Educator Award, he serves as the Director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins, Colorado. He is also a faculty member of the University of Colorado Medical School’s Department of Family Medicine.

Healing a Parent’s Grieving Heart

Healing a Parent’s Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas After Your Child Dies (Healing a Grieving Heart series) 

 by Alan D. Wolfelt PhD. (2002)

From Amazon.com – Presenting simple yet highly effective methods for coping and healing, this book provides answers and relief to parents trying to deal with the loss of a child. It offers 100 practical, action-oriented tips for embracing grief, such as writing a letter to the child who has died; spending time with others who will listen to stories of grief; creating a memory book, box, or Web site; and remembering others who may still be struggling with the death. The guide also addresses common problems for grieving parents, including dealing with marital stress, helping surviving siblings, dealing with hurtful advice, and exploring feelings of guilt. This compassionate resource will aid parents who have been through the death of a child—whether the passing happened recently or many years ago, whether the child was young or an adult.

The Worst Loss: How Families Heal from the Death of a Child 

The Worst Loss: How Families Heal from the Death of a Child 

by Barbara D. Rosof, MS. (1995)

From Amazon.com – The death of a child is like no other loss. The Worst Loss will help families who have experienced this to know what they are facing, understand what they are feeling, and appreciate their own needs and timetables.