How to Grieve What We've Lost: Evidence-Based Skills to Process Grief and Reconnect with What Matters

“An essential guide for anyone experiencing loss.” 
—Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Life 

Grief is a journey that can lead to powerful, personal growth. With contributions from grief experts Russ Harris, Alexandra Kennedy, Sameet Kumar, Mary Beth Williams, and Soili Poijula, this thoughtful compilation will help you heal the pain of loss—no matter the cause—and move forward in life with a renewed sense of meaning and purpose.

Grief comes in many forms. You may grieve a loved one who has passed on, a romantic relationship which has ended, the loss of a job you loved, or even a place you used to go that no longer exists or has changed. You may also be dealing with another kind of loss—a sense of who you are and how you can live your life in an increasingly uncertain and changed world. But what if you could transform your grief into lasting positive growth?

Featuring excerpts from the authors’ previously published works, How to Grieve What We’ve Lost offers effective therapeutic tools based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and more. In the book, you’ll find strategies for immediate relief, including present-moment awareness and mindful breathing. You’ll learn to create a safe sanctuary for your grief, so you can honor your feelings and give them the space they deserve. And you’ll discover ways to create a support network, give voice to your sorrow, and share your humanity with others.

This heartfelt guide also includes simple tools to help you:

• Identify the things that really matter to you
• Honor your grief
• Prioritize your mental health and self-care
• Learn and grow from your loss  

 
Whether you are struggling with your own loss or a collective sense of grief, the evidence-based skills in this book will help you mourn in healthy and resilient ways—leading to profound personal growth and a renewed sense of meaning and purpose in life.

Russ Harris is an internationally acclaimed acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) trainer, and author of the best-selling ACT-based self-help book, The Happiness Trap, which has sold more than one million copies and been published in thirty languages. He is widely renowned for his ability to teach ACT in a way that is simple, clear, and fun—yet extremely practical.

Alexandra Kennedy, MA, LMFT, is a psychotherapist in private practice forty-nine years; and author of Honoring Grief, Losing a Parent, The Infinite Thread, and How Did I Miss All This Before?. She has taught at John F. Kennedy University; the University of California, Santa Cruz Extension; and the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. She has been interviewed in USA Today, The Mercury News, San Francisco Examiner, and Boston Herald, as well as on NPR’s Talk of the Nation, CNN’s Sonja Live, and KQED’s Family Talk and New Dimensions Radio.

Sameet M. Kumar, PhD, is a psychologist at the Memorial Healthcare System Cancer Institute in Broward County, FL; with over a decade of experience working with end-of-life and bereavement. He is author of Grieving Mindfully, as well as The Mindful Path through Worry and Rumination.

Mary Beth Williams, PhD, LCSW, CTS, is an author, researcher, lecturer, and trainer in the area of trauma. In addition, she treats trauma survivors in private practice at the Trauma Recovery Education and Counseling Center in Warrenton, VA. Williams is former president of the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists. She is a trainer for US Customs and Border Protection; cofounder of the proposed 501(c)(3) US Vet Source; and author of many articles, chapters, and books about trauma disorders.

Soili Poijula, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, licensed psychotherapist, and director at Oy Synolon Ltd., a center for trauma psychology in Finland, where she has done pioneering work as a developer of post-trauma psychotherapy.