Conscious Grieving

From one of the leading grief therapists, this compassionate and accessible guide to grieving offers a new framework for understanding and navigating loss.

An intimate guide to grieving that offers hope and healing within loss from one of the nation’s top grief therapists. 

Conscious Grieving is a book for anyone seeking guidance and support after loss. Renowned grief therapist Claire Bidwell Smith combines her deeply personal experience of loss with her long career spent working with thousands of people to introduce a new approach to grief, one that promotes hope and even transformation.

What does it mean to grieve consciously? Most of the time, when we lose someone we love, it feels like grief is just happening to us. We feel out of control, and overwhelmed. Claire reminds us that while loss is something that inevitably happens to all of us, how we choose to grieve is up to us. When we can consciously engage with our grief, rather than avoiding it, we can access profound pathways to healing.

Presented in a series of thoughtful, brief vignettes that don’t overwhelm the reader, Conscious Grieving offers a new framework for each stage of grief: Entering, Engaging, Surrendering, and Transforming.

• Entering – staying present and taking care of ourselves as we navigate the shock and upheaval of a new loss.
• Engaging – navigating that first year after a loss by staying in tune with our needs as more complicated feelings of depression, guilt or anger surface.
• Surrendering – facing the changes to our identity and who we are becoming in the face of loss.
• Transforming – through ritual, honor, hope, and grace, and learning to carry our grief with intention so that we can continue to grow, heal, and thrive.

Grief asks a lot from us. But the ability to grieve is a birthright. We grieve throughout our lifetimes. We grieve the deaths of loved ones yes, but also moves, divorce, illness, injustice, time lost, changes in the world and healing from these losses requires that we evaluate everything we ever considered meaningful. Healing means making our lives worth the pain we endure when we lose someone we love. And transforming through grief is an opportunity afforded to all.

• "This gentle book will walk you through the darkest valley. Warm, practical, and kind, it will lift your spirit and tell you the truth — you are not alone."
  --Kate Bowler, New York Times bestselling author of No Cure for Being Human
   
  “Claire’s latest is a gem, lifting grief into the light of consciousness.  Finally!  At its root, Conscious Grieving is a practical book, a workbook of sorts, while also being a joy to read.  Yes, joy.  You’ll learn much, with equal parts smiles and tears, and feel all the better for taking the time.”
  --Dr. BJ Miller, physician, founder of Mettle Health, and author of A Beginner's Guide to the End
   
  "Some books are moving, others pragmatic, but very few are both.  This field guide for those suffering from loss speaks to the mind and the heart.  Claire has given us all a precious gift of wisdom and comfort."
  --Steve Leder, New York Times bestselling author of The Beauty of What Remains and For You When I Am Gone
   
  “Conscious Grieving is a vital read and an insightful practical guide. It offers clarity, inspiration, compassion, and the hope needed to traverse and even transform personal loss.”
  --Tembi Locke, New York Times bestselling author of From Scratch
   
  “A comforting hand in the dark…Claire Bidwell Smith alchemizes grief into an opportunity for healing.
  --Alua Arthur, author of Briefly Perfectly Human 
  
  “A beautiful invitation to open ourselves up to, and allow ourselves to be transformed by, our grief, this is a must read for anyone grieving a loss or supporting someone in grief.”
   --Colin Campbell, author of Finding the Words
   
  “Conscious Grieving feels like an ongoing conversation with a grief expert where all your questions and concerns about grief and how it shows up are answered in real time.”
  ---Marisa Renee Lee, grief advocate and author of the bestseller, Grief is Love
   
  “With new insights, solace, and guidance on every page, this book will be an invaluable companion for anyone navigating the challenging landscape of life after loss." 
  -Litsa Williams, MA, LCSW-C, co-founder of What's Your Grief and co-author of What's Your Grief: Lists to Help You Through Any Loss