Surviving Grief

Humans are undeniably creatures of habit. So when sudden, unexpected plot twists pull the metaphorical rug from beneath our feet, it can sometimes feel impossible to regain our footing. Therapist and podcaster Jana Firestone knows this better than most, after losing her mum suddenly at the age of 21 and spending many years providing professional counselling to her clients during their darkest days. But in bearing witness to outpourings of grief, loss and pain on a daily basis, Firestone also experienced and observed remarkable resilience, transformation and hope.

Rachel Marie Rabatin is no stranger to grief, and through An Original Grief Guide, she channels what she’s learned on her own journey into frank discussions and practical advice that you can use as a framework for your own experience.

After spending most of their young lives recovering from ripple effects following their father’s death, these four children, survived with hope and bright futures. Two are in college, while the older two have joined the workforce. After the accident, the four became family and made a pack to always meet each year to share time together. And if one were in trouble, all would come to them. At an early age they became known as the ‘Accident Children’ to each other. When things seemed to be going well, and life offered them wonderful expectations, things began to fall apart, again. ...

Are you undergoing the loss of a loved one - a spouse, a partner, a parent, a child, or someone else - who had been a vital part of your life and about whom you cared deeply? Has your loss left you sad, confused, angry, and full of questions that seem to have no answers? If any of these examples describes your current situation, chances are you are experiencing grief - a natural, normal response to encountering any major loss.

His life was one devastating blow after another, losing multiple family members over the years to suicide, growing up in foster care, and being bullied. How does one pull themselves out of a storm like that? Surviving Loss: My Journey of Hope follows a man who often has reason to ask Why me? Many people ask themselves the same question when life pummels them, but this is a story of hope and coming out the other side, of recognizing the gifts and blessings between the pain and struggle.

Throughout the centuries, death has been something to be terrified about. The fear comes from the lack of knowing what it is like to experience the last breaths of life. For sure, no one knows exactly what it is like. What is certain is that death leaves a strong impression on us all, not so much as participants, but as witnesses.

Death is the last taboo in our society, and grief is still profoundly misunderstood. So many of us feel awkward and uncertain around death and shy away from talking honestly with family and friends. Grief Works is a compassionate guide that will inform and engage anyone who is grieving, from the "expected" death of a parent to the sudden unexpected death of a small child, and provide clear advice for those seeking to comfort the bereaved.