Grief Steps Companion: 10 Steps To Regroup, Rebuild And Renew After Any Life Loss

by Noel, Brook

• ISBN13: 9781891400346
• ISBN10: 1891400347
• Edition: Workbook
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-07-01
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc

Summary

In her wise and compassionate guide GriefSteps, best-selling author Brook Noel shared the steps one must take to grieve successfully and rebuild a full life after loss. This companion workbook offers step-by-step exercises based on years of research and working with the bereaved. For anyone seeking to work through their grief on their own or in a support group setting, this companion workbook reveals the 10 Steps that we must take to face our grief and heal. Whether your loss is a relationship, a job, a loved one, or a piece of yourself, there are universal steps that must be taken to rebuild. Noel reveals each step along with exercises and HopeNotes to guide you in your journey. Whether your loss is recent or years ago, GriefSteps will show you how to resolve and reconcile your world to find contentment and purpose in your life.

Author Biography

Brook Noel is the founder of GriefSteps.Com She is a noted grief expert and has appeared on Fox, ABC World News Now, CNN and many other shows and stations

Table of Contents

Introduction to Grief Steps	p. 9
How to Use The Grief Steps to Get The Most Out of This Workbook	p. 13
Where do I start in my grief work?	p. 14
Exploring Grief	p. 14
Basic Guidelines for Grief Work	p. 18
Depression and Anxiety	p. 19
Myth-Breaking: Grief Knows No Time Schedule	p. 19
Healthy Grieving vs. Unhealthy Grieving	p. 20
Shock and Survival	p. 21
A Note About Substance Abuse	p. 24
What to Expect: Physical and Emotional Changes	p. 24
Three Goals for the First Few Weeks	p. 25
Understanding Our Support Needs	p. 27
What if I am Past the Acute Grief Stage?	p. 28
Self-Check	p. 29
The Emotional Rollercoaster	p. 31
Feeling Practice	p. 32
Exploring Emotions	p. 33
Why Am I Angry?	p. 34
Understanding Anger	p. 35
Appropriate Anger	p. 36
Practice Being Angry	p. 36
Anxiety	p. 37
Analyzing Anxiety	p. 38
Anxiety Screening	p. 39
Blame Game	p. 40
Analyzing Blame	p. 41
When Blame Has Merit	p. 42
Bitterness	p. 43
Detachment	p. 44
Guilt	p. 46
Self-Loathing	p. 49
Helplessness	p. 52
Loneliness	p. 53
Sadness and Depression	p. 54
Understanding Emotional Triggers	p. 55
Expressing Our Emotions through Active Grieving and Acknowledgment	p. 59
Make A Space	p. 62
Journaling to Music	p. 63
Journaling with Sentence Starters	p. 64
Poetry	p. 66
Utilize Freewriting	p. 67
Living for Today	p. 70
The Serenity Prayer	p. 71
Realize Your Resilience	p. 73
Positive and Negatives	p. 74
Multiple Grief	p. 75
Hurtful Self-Talk	p. 78
Reprogramming Self-Talk	p. 79
Can We Grieve Too Much?	p. 80
Understanding Your Story	p. 81
Uncovering Your Story	p. 83
Finding Forgiveness	p. 85
Forgiveness Brings Freedom	p. 85
Letter Writing	p. 89
Self-Forgiveness and Self-Love	p. 90
Unblocking Unforgiveness	p. 92
Simple Self-Love Exercise	p. 93
Finding Faith	p. 95
Faith Communities and Anger	p. 97
Anger as Evidence of Faith	p. 99
What do I Believe?	p. 100
The Act of Prayer	p. 101
Finding Meaning	p. 103
Exploring Tough Questions about Finding Meaning	p. 105
Leaning through Loss	p. 107
Questions for Exploring Meaning	p. 109
Thank You Exercise	p. 111
Redefining Ourselves	p. 113
Looking At Life Now	p. 114
Exercises for Understanding What We Have Lost	p. 116
Another Angle	p. 119
Examine Your Expectations	p. 120
Exercises for Understanding What We Have Left	p. 121
What My Experience Has Left Me	p. 122
Living with Our Loss	p. 123
Make A List	p. 124
Tell Stories that Incorporate Your Loss	p. 126
Reflections	p. 127
Rituals	p. 128
How to Create Your Own Ritual	p. 128
Accepting Our New Life	p. 131
Defining Priorities and Stepping Toward Fulfillment	p. 132
Accepting Change	p. 134
An Exercise in Hope	p. 135
Calming Exercise	p. 138
In Closing	p. 139
Bibliography	p. 141
Guide for those Helping Others With Grief	p. 144
Other Resources to Help You Heal	p. 146
Online Support Classes, Groups and Resources	p. 148
Exploring Grief Questionnaire	p. 150
Suggested Reading	p. 152
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