The Grief Journey

Karen Coombs

Description

Life's never just about happiness, it's about meaning…

We all suffer from loss and grief at some stage in our life, whether that's from losing a job or business, or health, mobility, fertility, to losing family, pets, your home or even one's sense of self and dignity. All losses lead to grief in varying degrees for the person experiencing it.

International author and bereavement nurse educator, Karon Coombs has sensitively interviewed these well-known people about their personal experiences around loss. These inspiring stories will give you courage and help you work out ways to manage your grief journey. This book is full of easy and practical advice that will guarantee your road to successful recovery.

You'll learn:
- Essential strategies to help rebuild your life after loss
- Tips and secrets from well-known people that will help you on your journey
- How to break through the emotions of anger, sadness, fear and guilt to find forgiveness
- Five golden rules to create meaning from your loss
- Practical strategies to manage your waves of grief
- About the challenges of intimacy and sex after loss
- Why being of service to others can help heal your soul

Be inspired to find meaning and happiness today!

Informations

• Publié par: Global Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 01 février 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781925370232
• Langue: English

Extrait

Praise for the Author
Karon writes powerfully of her own experiences of grief. Her words are raw, honest and potent and her expertise and compassion shine through. We can all relate to her journey as she balances grief and acceptance through writing that cuts through, alternating hard, sharp words with beautifully crafted sentences that hold the promise of healing. Her writing is a great accompaniment to her other work in the ongoing journey to make bereavement and grief a little easier.
Alison Hill
Author and Editor

Having had the privilege to participate in Karon’s grief timeline and healing workshop, I wholeheartedly recommend Karon and her work to anyone who has experienced any loss in their life. I have experienced many approaches to grief and loss and healing and timeline work yet Karon’s approach took me beyond my expectations. With Karon’s heartfelt guidance and love I made connections that I had never before and was able to embody and release the insights and healing. A truly profound experience that I recommend with all my heart and soul.
Debra Coulson

I went to Karon’s workshop with a very open mind and not sure really what to expect. What I did get was a far more than I could have imagined. The gently guided processes gave me space to be vulnerable while being in a very loving, caring, safe environment. This allowed me to get some insightful informative information that will really help me on my journey of healing. Thank you so much Karon
Victoria Howard-McRae


DISCLAIMER
All the information, techniques, skills and concepts contained within this publication are of the nature of general comment only and are not in any way recommended as individual advice. The intent is to offer a variety of information to provide a wider range of choices now and in the future, recognising that we all have widely diverse circumstances and viewpoints. Should any reader choose to make use of the information contained herein, this is their decision, and the contributors (and their companies), authors and publishers do not assume any responsibilities whatsoever under any condition or circumstances. It is recommended that the reader obtain their own independent advice.
First Edition 2020
Copyright © 2020 Karon Coombs
All rights are reserved. The material contained within this book is protected by copyright law, no part may be copied, reproduced, presented, stored, communicated or transmitted in any form by any means without prior written permission.
National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:
The Grief Journey: Inspirational Stories & Strategies to Move & Motivate You To Successful Healing - Karon Coombs
1st ed.
ISBN: 978-1-925370-23-2 (eBook)

Published by Global Publishing Group
PO Box 517 Mt Evelyn, Victoria 3796 Australia
Email [e-mail]
For further information about orders:
Phone: [phone]

I dedicate this book to anyone who has ever dared to open themselves to the profound depths of grief. It takes enormous courage, faith, strength and vulnerability to experience the complex emotions of intense pining, rage, guilt, jealousy, sorrow, despair, shame and helplessness to complete the healing that the grief journey offers. It is a complex and chaotic journey that can leave you reeling and confused. As you come out of the depths it can also offer gifts for an improved and meaningful life. I send you healing loving energy as you walk your individual path and may you find your gifts in loss.
Karon Coombs

Acknowledgements
Writing this book has been such an awesome experience and involved much support from so many incredible people to bring it to life.
My deepest gratitude to all the amazing people who gave me the opportunity to interview them and hear the intimate details of their losses and bereavement as they shared their grief journey. Each opened their hearts and allowed their vulnerability to shine through, so that we may all take their hard-won wisdom and apply it to our grief from the many losses life hands each of us. They each shared some tears as they revealed their stories which are raw, incisive, inspiring and fascinating. It has been an honour and a tremendous privilege to learn from every one of you. I’m sure thousands of people’s lives will be positively influenced by the deeply personal stories and insights that you have shared.
Thelma Lyell, my great friend and clever editor who gave so generously of her time, wisdom and love. You have been instrumental in making this a book the reader just can’t put down.
To my wonderful husband, Bill Coombs, who is unflinching in supporting me on my wild and wonderful ideas and without whose love this book simply would not have been completed. I love you dearly Bill and I am grateful every day for our time as soulmates in this lifetime. You have contributed so much!
To the three who changed my world, my children; Ben who taught me to be fearless, and Jordy who taught me to savour the sweet moments in life. Thank you for continually bringing so much love and joy into my life. And Dashiell who died, teaching me all about the depth of love and grief. I love you all dearly from the bottom of my heart.
To the other special children in my life, Denning and Katrina, Penny, Rebecca, and my gorgeous granddaughter Poppy. You all bring a loving dimension to our family as you shine bright just being yourself.
Heather Gwilliam OAM CF, for giving me your insights into the many aspects of coordination of an evacuation centre following a bushfire/disaster, and for your ongoing love, friendship and support. Your love and light shines brightly in this world when people need it most.
To my mentor, Lou Reed who has encouraged me every step of the way, I am so grateful our paths crossed. I have grown so much under your loving spiritual guidance.
A big thank you to my publisher, Global Publishing Group, and in particular Darren Stephens and Jackie Tallentyre. The writing journey has many ups and downs and these people have been there for me as I struggled and as I rejoiced in my successes, always offering wise advice, encouragement and sharing in my joy.
To my dear friends who have accepted I needed to focus for a year on this project to bring it to fruition and have accepted me not being so freely available as a friend. They are true friends who know good friends are like stars, you don’t have to see them to know they are there. I am so grateful to have you in my life and always send you loving energy.

Table Of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Petrea King
Chapter 2: James Thomas
Chapter 3: Louis Reed
Chapter 4: Karen Sydnè-Scott
Chapter 5: Senator the Hon Kristina Keneally
Chapter 6: Julius Czerny
Chapter 7: Susan Templeman MP, Federal Member for Macquarie
Chapter 8: Greg Alexander
Chapter 9: Brett Kakoschke
Twelve Concepts to Support You During Your Grief Journey
Five Golden Steps to Create Meaning from Your Loss
Author Profile
Resources
Recommended Reading List
Recommended Medium

Introduction
When we cease to resist our grief, we learn that painful as it may be, grief is an integral part of elder wisdom, a force that humbles and deepens our hearts, connects us to the grief of the world, and enables us to be of help.
Ram Dass
Each chapter in this book reveals a fascinating and awe-inspiring story of the grief journey of people I interviewed. There is a Member of Parliament, a Senator, famous footballer, famous healer, famous lifesaver, online entrepreneur, builder/spiritual healer, survivor of the Christchurch Earthquakes and the founder of a wonderful organisation that provides support for children grieving the loss of a parent/carer. It is a deep dive into the psychology of grief. You will learn the many ways people cope with loss and grief. There is great advice if you are searching for ways to manage the pain of your own grief and to find meaning in your loss. You will find things you could do to better support a friend or family member who is grieving. Some chapters will bring tears, but you will also understand that there is healing to be found in expressing your painful story. This is a book that offers hope knowing that others have been able to move through their grief to lead fulfilling, happy and successful lives. As you read, you will discover there is a theme that connects the stories; creating a legacy has benefits not only for yourself but also for others in the world. Each person has taken their experience and created something beneficial for others and found healing for themselves in doing so.
I grew up hearing there are two things you can be sure of in life. Death and taxes. Loss should have been included. We have no choice when it comes to loss. Eventually loss visits every one of us. It often begins in childhood with the death of our dearly loved pets and grandparents. It could be a move to a new home and new school, or the breakup of our parent’s marriage and the accompanying loss of regular contact with one parent. James Thomas’s chapter gives us information on how to support children who lose a parent or sibling to death. His principles however, can be used in other examples of childhood loss, so adults become better at supporting children in grief and resource them with tools and resilience. Imagine the resilience born of teaching a child to cope with loss and how that will prepare them for the losses we know they will experience throughout their lives.
You will learn strategies, both healthy and not so healthy, to help you determine what you will use. There are