ABCs of Healthy Grieving: A Companion for Everyday Coping

For more than twenty-five years, ABCs of Healthy Grieving by bestselling author, counselor, and grief educator Harold Ivan Smith has been a trusted companion for tens of thousands of readers seeking hope, clarity, and healing after loss.

Written for anyone navigating grief―whether recent or long carried―this gentle, practical guide offers short, easy-to-read reflections designed to meet readers exactly where they are. Each entry is just one to two pages long and weaves together real-life stories, thoughtful quotations, and compassionate wisdom for living with grief day by day.

Every reflection concludes with an encouraging “I can…” statement―a small but powerful reminder that healing is possible, strength can be reclaimed, and life can still hold meaning after loss.

In this beloved classic, readers will find guidance on how to:

• Honor different grieving styles within families
• Befriend silence and create space for reflection
• Cherish memories without being overwhelmed by them
• Avoid hasty decisions during seasons of loss
• Establish new end-of-day and bedtime rituals
• Practice forgiveness and patience―with themselves and others
• Release rigid expectations, including the “five stages” of grief
• Use ritual, writing, and remembrance as healing tools
• Entrust loved ones to God’s care in faith and hope

This updated edition acknowledges how grief continues to evolve in a changing world―shaped by technology, shifting family dynamics, pop culture, and modern funeral practices. It features a new introduction and closing reflections by the author, refreshed cultural references and quotations, and an updated bibliography for further support.

Warm, wise, and deeply reassuring, ABCs of Healthy Grieving is an ideal resource for personal reflection, grief support groups, pastoral care, counselors, and anyone searching for comfort and companionship in the midst of loss.

Harold Ivan Smith is an experienced counselor, grief educator, and author of many books on grief, including ABCs of Healthy Grieving. He is a celebrant for Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California, and teaches at the Learning in Retirement program in Palm Desert.

Smith received his doctorate in spiritual formation from Asbury Theological Seminary and an education specialist degree from Vanderbilt University.

He is a specialist in the griefs of US presidents and first ladies and often writes and lectures on that topic. He conducts continuing education programs for funeral homes and hospices, and he is an active member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling.

Smith resides in Palm Springs, California.