A Widow's Guide to Healing: Gentle Support and Advice for the First 5 Years

by Kristin Meekhof L.M.S.W., James Windell M.A.

Overview

"Kristin Meekhof's journey is both inspiring and courageous and something we can all learn from." —Dr. Deepak Chopra

You never expected to walk this road alone. This book is here to walk it with you.

A Widow's Guide to Healing is the compassionate, practical guide every widow deserves—written to support you through the emotional and everyday challenges of life after loss. 

Kristin Meekhof, a licensed social worker and widow herself, draws from her personal loss and professional training to deliver a guide that's both heartfelt and empowering. With insights from grief counselors, legal and financial experts, and widows from all walks of life, this book speaks directly to your experience.

Inside you'll discover step-by-step support for the first five years of grief, including what to expect in each stage. If you're seeking a grief book that offers both emotional comfort and concrete tools, A Widow's Guide to Healing will be your steady, reassuring companion.

Begin your healing journey with a guide that truly understands and helps you believe in a hopeful future again.

"Thanks for writing such a thoughtful book . . . I wish it was there when I was widowed at 41." —Katie Couric

"Inspiring and insightful." —Maria Shriver

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492620594
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	11/03/2015
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

KRISTIN MEEKHOF, MSW, is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post, MariaShriver.com, WomenThatSoar, and others. Widowed at a young age, she can speak from experience on the unique and unforeseen challenges of widowhood. Currently, she is doing social work in Kenya until January 2015.

Editorial Reviews

"This is a very valuable and practical guide for any woman who has lost her husband due to an untimely death. Kristin Meekhof's journey is both inspiring and courageous and something we can all learn from." — Dr. Deepak Chopra

"I'm proud of Kristin Meekhof, who has written this inspiring and insightful book to help guide widows through their grief. This book is by an Architect of Change, for all of us who must deal with grief." — Maria Shriver

"Thanks for writing such a thoughtful book . . . I wish it was there when I was widowed at 41." — Katie Couric

"A Widow's Guide To Healing offers a wonderful balance of practical knowledge and inspiring advice that will give its readers a sense of peace and hope. I would have definitely appreciated a book like this when I first became widowed." — Amy Morin, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Bestselling Author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do

"Finally a book that offers women who are new to widowhood a solid blueprint and empowering game plan while facing life’s greatest challenge. This book offers supportive comfort to widows as they find hope again and most importantly, the healing needed to recreate their life. I wished I had this book when I became widowed many years ago. A light in the darkness of a widow’s journey." — Carolyn Moor, founder, Modern Widow’s Club

"Kristin Meekhof provides a gentle and hopeful guide as you deal with the dark days. This is the book that will help you carry on despite the unbearable fog to find your inner confidence again." — Susan Toffler, media strategist and widow

"This is a book that should be essential reading for every woman struggling to make sense of life after the death of a husband. I recommend this book because it is highly accessible and will surely improve the lives of many widows and those who help widows." — Lord Loomba, CBE, Founder and Chairman Trustee of The Loomba Foundation

"This book is a valuable resource for people within the medical profession to better understand hospice, palliative care, and death from a family perspective. When death does occurs, this book can serve as a resource for providers as they guide widows and families through their grief." — Gary D. Hammer, M.D., Ph.D., Millie Schembechler Professor of Adrenal Cancer, University of Michigan, Director - Endocrine Oncology Program, Director - Center for Organogenesis

"This guide is an incredible resource for anyone in need of healing after losing their spouse. With Kristin Meekhof’s book, recent widows can gain the tools and courage they need to carry on." — Michelle King Robson, president of EmpowHer

"The most important quandaries bereavement poses—some with lifelong import—must be faced while widows are still reeling from emotional trauma. Or must they? Meekhof and Windell help vulnerable readers sort what can be put off and what must be done—and where to get help doing either. Had this guide been available back when I was rushing to extricate myself from the financial havoc left by my husband’s death, their financial advice alone would have saved me substantial sums from which my children would have benefitted." — Kathryn Craft, author of The Far End of Happy

"One of the few things we know without certainty about life is that, in life, we never know. A Widow’s Guide to Healing is that rare gem, a practical guide that makes the unthinkable bearable, the painful manageable, and the road to healing a little brighter. You will be hard pressed to find a better guide on growth in the aftermath of loss." — Lee Daniel Kravetz, author of Supersurvivors: The Surprising Link Between Suffering & Success

"Kristin Meekhof’s book, strikes a perfect balance between practical guidelines and compassionate wisdom for all seeking

guidance following the often overwhelming loss of a spouse. It’s the perfect everyday companion for readers as they

follow their own life journey toward a "new normal"." — Dianne Gray, President, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Foundation

"In this encouraging resource, new widows can find compassionate emotional and practical assistance. " — Library Journal

"With great appreciation for A Widow’s Guide to Healing which is spectacular!" — Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize winning author

From the Publisher