"This book is written by someone who has experienced devastating loss, recovered from grief, and through it all was blessed by the best friends and most caring community a person could ask for. When someone suffers such a loss, they may be surrounded by people who want to offer support, but soon learn that knowing what do or say - how to help - is not always obvious. That is not because they are uncaring or insensitive. It’s because they have never experienced it before, and it is all new to them. If you see yourself as one of these people, wanting to care for and support them, but you’re not sure how, this book will help. "
- From Chapter One
- From Chapter One
This powerful little book will help you help a friend, partner, relative, coworker, or classmate— anyone you care about— who has suffered the loss of someone they love. Is someone you know suffering the depths of grief? Are you at a loss for what to say, what to do, how to help? Millions of people grieve every day, and for every bereaved person, there are those who are not grieving but want to help the one who is—countless people at any given time. The problem is, most people in our society do not know anything about grief when they find themselves in it. Nor do their friends. Now you are one of these friends, and you need to know how to help. This book is for all of you who walk with the wounded and hurting so that you may give practical expression to your empathy and compassion.
"Recently my friend lost his son to suicide. This book gave us the tools to effectively help our friends deal with the loss. I'm very grateful for the powerful straight to the point approach which allowed us to get and apply the information in the shortest amount of time."
"We all know--or will encounter--someone who has suffered a loss. It can be difficult to find the right words, or know what to say that might ease the burden. We may even avoid saying anything for fear of saying the wrong thing. Steve Dehner has written a practical, useful guide for those of us who want to be supportive but aren't sure how. There are many books on grief, but this one is unique. He has many sound ideas, practical suggestions, and an empathic awareness of the grief process and how best to respond to someone feeling it. It's a good and helpful book. As a psychologist I'm pleased to see it and I recommend it."