As a former Family Therapist, Gary LeBlanc was a man who daily dealt with issues of grief, guilt and failure in the lives of others. It was not until the suicide death of his son, Shawn, that Dr. LeBlanc and his family had to directly confront these same feelings, as well as the many questions which emerged from this painful tragedy. In Grieving the Unexpected: The Suicide of a Son, Dr. LeBlanc openly discusses his family's struggle to survive such a dreadful event, the variables that sustained them during the initial shock and the healing process that enabled them to commence their journey towards wholeness. Honest and insightful, Grieving the Unexpected will help those who minister to hurting people better understand what families and individuals experience when confronted with terrible loss, and will testify to the sustaining comfort of God's presence.Dr. Gary LeBlanc received his Ph.D. in Family Studies from Florida State University. He is Professor of Sociology at Atlantic Baptist University, in Moncton, N.B. Canada.

The grief books that just "gets it." Each year about eight million Americans suffer the unexpected death of a loved one. For those who face the challenges of sudden death, the classic guide I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye offers a comforting hand to hold, written by two authors who have experienced it firsthand. Acting as a touchstone of sanity through difficult times, this book covers such difficult topics as: The first few weeks Suicide Death of a Child Children and Grief Funerals and Rituals Physical effects Homicide Depression Featured on ABC World News, Fox and Friends and many other shows, this book has offered solace to over eight thousand people, ranging from seniors to teenagers and from the newly bereaved those who lost a loved one years ago. An exploration of unexpected death and its role in the cycle of live, I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye provides survivors with a rock-steady anchor from which to weather the storm of pain and begin to rebuild their lives. Praise for I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye: "I highly recommend this book, not only to the bereaved, but to friends and counselors as well."-- Helen Fitzgerald, author of The Grieving Child, The Mourning Handbook, and The Grieving Teen "This book, by women who have done their homework on grief... can hold a hand and comfort a soul through grief's wilderness. Outstanding references of where to see other help."-- George C. Kandle, Pastoral Psychologist "Finally, you have found a friend who can not only explain what has just occurred, but can take you by the hand and lead you to a place of healing and personal growth...this guide can help you survive and cope, but even more importantly... heal."-- The Rebecca Review "For those dealing with the loss of a loved one, or for those who want to help someone who is, this is a highly recommended read."--Midwest Book Review

When author and counselor H. Norman Wright’s beloved wife, Joyce, passed away, he grieved the loss of his partner and the life they shared. Even in his state of sorrow, he knew he had to find a way to live without Joyce, to forge a hopeful path, and to move forward in God’s grace and strength. With vulnerability and emotional insight, Norm shares from his deeply personal journey and illuminates the way back to living when someone you love is gone. Readers who have lost their spouse will discover support and guidance as they work through anger, including anger at God, to ease toward God’s peace move away from denial and “what ifs” to move forward allow memories to provide comfort without getting stuck in the past create a healthy new, daily routine to care for themselves turn their new identity and life over to God’s leading and mercy This tender and inspirational book will help any reader who is grieving or who is walking alongside a grieving friend.

This book presents an integrated treatment approach for those struggling to adapt after the sudden, traumatic death of a loved one. The authors weave together evidence-based clinical strategies grounded in cutting-edge knowledge about both trauma and grief. The book offers a clear framework and many practical tools for building survivors' psychological and interpersonal resources, processing their trauma, and facilitating mourning. In a large-size format for easy photocopying, the book includes over 30 reproducible handouts. Purchasers can access a companion website to download and print these materials as well as supplemental handouts and a sample 25-session treatment plan. Winner (Second Place)--American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Category

Restore Your Spirit after Sudden Loss Healing after loss. When a loved one passes unexpectedly, the person left behind can lose their bearings. After the sudden loss of her mother, Chelsea Hanson, a nationally-recognized grief educator and founder of With Sympathy Gifts and Keepsakes, didn’t know where to turn for help, what to do next, or how to put the pieces of her life back together. Hanson’s The Sudden Loss Survival Guide gathers everything that she learned during her own recovery process and provides an indispensable road map to aid those who’ve experienced a life-changing loss. A proactive, intentional approach. While you cannot control losing a loved one, you can consciously guide your own recovery. Through the application of simple, proactive practices, The Sudden Loss Survival Guide will empower you to overcome the darkness and anxiety of grief. Action-based tools. The Sudden Loss Survival Guide includes heart-lifting prompts and action steps that guide you towards reengaging in life and discovering deeper meaning. Through Hanson's grief healing practices, this book delivers the essential answers and tools needed to survive, cope, and heal from the devastating impact of sudden loss. The Sudden Loss Survival Guide is a distinctive grief recovery handbook. In this book, discover: • Seven practices for healing, including creative memorialization and maintaining an ongoing spiritual connection • Skimmable, stand-alone passages with immediate, usable information for the trauma you’re facing • A transformative method for living a meaningful, fulfilling life in remembrance of your loved one Readers of grief books like It’s OK That You’re Not OK, I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye, and Grief Day By Day will learn how to live again with the help of The Sudden Loss Survival Guide.

Challenging conventional wisdom on grief, a pioneering therapist offers a new resource for those experiencing loss When a painful loss or life-shattering event upends your world, here is the first thing to know: there is nothing wrong with grief. “Grief is simply love in its most wild and painful form,” says Megan Devine. “It is a natural and sane response to loss.” So, why does our culture treat grief like a disease to be cured as quickly as possible? In It’s OK That You’re Not OK, Megan Devine offers a profound new approach to both the experience of grief and the way we try to help others who have endured tragedy. Having experienced grief from both sides—as both a therapist and as a woman who witnessed the accidental drowning of her beloved partner—Megan writes with deep insight about the unspoken truths of loss, love, and healing. She debunks the culturally prescribed goal of returning to a normal, “happy” life, replacing it with a far healthier middle path, one that invites us to build a life alongside grief rather than seeking to overcome it. In this compelling and heartful book, you’ll learn: • Why well-meaning advice, therapy, and spiritual wisdom so often end up making it harder for people in grief • How challenging the myths of grief—doing away with stages, timetables, and unrealistic ideals about how grief should unfold—allows us to accept grief as a mystery to be honored instead of a problem to solve • Practical guidance for managing stress, improving sleep, and decreasing anxiety without trying to “fix” your pain • How to help the people you love—with essays to teach us the best skills, checklists, and suggestions for supporting and comforting others through the grieving process Many people who have suffered a loss feel judged, dismissed, and misunderstood by a culture that wants to “solve” grief. Megan writes, “Grief no more needs a solution than love needs a solution.” Through stories, research, life tips, and creative and mindfulness-based practices, she offers a unique guide through an experience we all must face—in our personal lives, in the lives of those we love, and in the wider world. It’s OK That You’re Not OK is a book for grieving people, those who love them, and all those seeking to love themselves—and each other—better.

After the shock and trauma of a loved one's unexpected death, grief and loss can be devastating and confusing. Especially when we are unfamiliar with grief and the grieving process. You're probably looking for grief support for yourself or a friend or family member, and you want to better understand what you're going through emotionally, physically and mentally while grieving the sudden death of a loved one. That's exactly what author Cindi Brown experienced when her sister Jan died unexpectedly from a stroke at the age of 56, and that's why she wrote this gentle guide. After Jan died, Cindi had a deep need to understand what she and her family were going through. While there were many books and articles on grief, and the stages of grief, she couldn't find the short book of explanations and reassurances she desperately needed in those early, dark days. Unable to find a compassionate overview explaining what she was feeling/thinking, Cindi decided to write this small grief handbook with the intention of helping others understand what happens to them and their loved ones as they come to terms with the awful truth, and as they eventually begin the recovery process.The word "loss" simply doesn't capture the depths of pain and anguish we feel when a loved one dies. Thoughts rush in while we're grieving, thoughts of never hearing our loved one's voice again, never hugging them or holding their hand; thoughts of how our family and friends have been deprived of the joy and companionship of someone we will all miss for the rest of our lives. Losing a loved one is horrible. Awful. We often feel as though we'll die, too. There is an instant desire to escape the pain by wishing reality away, but the pain of loss must be worked through, and we must keep going for our own sake as well as for the people closest to us who also need support to begin healing. This grief handbook was written to guide you toward understanding and to provide encouragement, because no matter how dark your world seems now, you will once again experience light. No guarantees on how soon the light will return, but you will experience light again. Grief, a perfectly natural human reaction, is also very personal for each of us. While it can feel unbearable, grief as a natural process allows us to cope through those early, dark days, helping us to keep going until our minds, hearts, bodies and souls can begin the healing process.If you've lost a loved one, please know you are not alone. Please know you will get through. Please seek someone who will understand and guide or accompany you through healing. If this little book helps you get through those early, dark days, then it has served its purpose.