Read an Excerpt
Grief Therapy
By Karen Katafiasz, R. W. Alley Abbey Press
Copyright © 1993 Karen Katafiasz
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4976-8834-6
CHAPTER 1
1.
Respect the power of grief. Know that it can affect you psychologically, physically, and spiritually in intense and sometimes surprising ways. Stay gentle with yourself.
2.
Be open to the pain of your broken heart. God—and caring people—will enter through its brokenness.
3.
Remain open to the hurt. You may think it easier to suppress the pain or avoid it with distractions and busyness. But eventually your emotions will surface; grief will demand your attention.
4.
Cry. Your tears testify to your love. And tears that spring from love help bring healing and renewal. Let your tears express the harsh reality of your loss. And let them begin to wash away the sadness and pain.
5.
Stay connected to others. You need their presence, their support, their concern, their listening, their hugs. You need not be alone in your grief.
6.
Give yourself time to grieve. It may take several years just to accept the finality of a loss, that someone is gone forever, and even more to work through your emotions.
7.
Grieve in your own way. The pattern of your grief is unique, shaped by your particular relationship, specific circumstances, and distinctive temperament. Ignore others' attempts to tell you how to feel or how long to feel.
8.
Expect to experience different stages in your grieving: shock, numbness, denial, depression, confusion, fear, anger, bitterness, guilt, regret, acceptance, hope. They may come in any order and any number of times.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Grief Therapy by Karen Katafiasz, R. W. Alley. Copyright © 1993 Karen Katafiasz. Excerpted by permission of Abbey Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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