Beyond Grief: Studies in Crisis Intervention: Studies in Crisis Intervention (Beyond Grief CL)

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Avoid cliches or platitudes. Though good intentioned, they can seem impersonal when helping someone through a loss. One of the most powerful ways for widows to move forward with hope and strength is by finding a community of others who understand what they are going through. Whether it’s a support group, online forum, or social club, connecting with others who have experienced loss can provide a sense of validation, comfort, and encouragement. Hearing others’ stories and perspectives can also inspire new ideas for how to approach one’s own grief and new opportunities for growth. The sense of belonging to a community is inspiring, especially when the members are compassionate and caring toward each other. It has helped me connect with others and build new friendships, which is a crucial aspect of the healing process. I have been inspired by the stories of resilience and strength of the widows in my community. It has helped me see that I can also find a new purpose in my life. With their encouragement, I have started to pursue my passion for writing and have published articles about my journey through widowhood. Some nights in the midst of this loneliness I swung among the scattered stars at the end of the thin thread of faith alone. – Wendell Berry

Whatever your past, current or future loss may look or feel like, remember that every loss is worthy of time and compassion. This will ensure that the natural and necessary process of grief can occur. Regret and guilt may be among the emotions you feel. There may be things you wish you could have said or done. When my middle brother passed away suddenly from complications of pneumonia, I spent weeks wishing I could have told him one more time how much I loved him and say goodbye. This book will be the friend to hold your hand while you navigate your own pathway of grief. I’m so glad it’s here’ Elle WrightWithout you in my arms, I feel an emptiness in my soul. I find myself searching the crowds for your face. I know it’s an impossibility, but I cannot help myself. – Nicholas Sparks We bereaved are not alone. We belong to the largest company in all the world… the company of those who have known suffering. – Helen Keller Unflinching, tender and powerfully written; Pippa carefully takes readers by the hand on both a practical and emotionally raw journey dissecting the different aspects of baby loss. It's a truly eye-opening, eye-watering read and one I think anybody will learn from and be greatly moved by. You are gone, but thank you for all these soft, sweet things you have left behind in my home, in my head, in my heart. – Nikita Gill All I have I would have given gladly not to be standing here today. – Lyndon Baines Johnson, in his first speech to Congress after the death of JFK

Affliction may one day smile again; and till then, sit thee down, sorrow! – Shakespeare, Love’s Labour’s Lost This book will be a godsend to any woman going through the murky devastation that is called miscarriage but feels like something else entirely: the loss of a baby' Ariel Levy A slight shift came when the “year of firsts” passed: birthdays, anniversaries (when we met, when we married, when he died), Christmas and new year. The first 12 months are widely thought to be the worst but the second year is commonly harder. I’m sure the initial numbness that sets in is the brain’s way of protecting us – meting out only what we can handle, dosing our grief. The anaesthetic wears off during the second year, when we awaken to the reality of our predicament: we’re living with an impairment and will suffer the phantom pain of an amputated limb. The truth is, your guess is as good as mine as to how long grief lasts. In my experience, it depends on the extent of the loss and the significance of the relationship with what you lose.Almost two years since losing my husband, I’m considered to be in early grief, having moved from acute grief at the onset of his passing. I’ve devoured a wealth of resources to know that while grief is universal it’s also individual and has no timeline. We don’t all necessarily move through the widely recognised stages later proposed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in On Death and Dying, and certainly not linearly. (Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance were modelled by Kübler-Ross for the dying rather than the bereaved.) I understand the only way to heal grief is to feel it. I’ve been feeling it. It may also involve redefining one’s goals and values in light of the loss and embracing a new sense of meaning in life.

Do things that you know help you relax. Whether it’s an activity, pastime or strategy that you know works for you. Or something new – like relaxation exercises, or practising mindfulness. Some widows have not only survived but thrived in their new lives. They have found a new sense of purpose and identity and have even been inspired to start their own businesses, nonprofits, or volunteer work. These women have discovered that their grief can actually fuel them to create something beautiful and meaningful out of their pain. They have found a new spark of life within themselves that they never knew existed. Now, let’s examine another example of loss but this time the loss is associated with shame/or a secret. J’s story

Journey to recovery – personal stories

Baby loss is a subject as deep as the ocean, but often summarised or diminished with one word: miscarriage. Pippa Vosper opens this grief up, to examine it from every angle, with the help of dozens of contributors. A compassionate, nuanced book that does this very complicated grief justice.