Grief Recovery: A Workbook for Widows and Widowers

by Robyn Ledwith Mar

Overview

Grief Recovery
A Workbook for Widows and Widowers

This workbook concentrates on the grief experiences of widows and widowers and guides them through 10 weeks of sharing and learning about their personal journey through grief. It is most effective in a group but also suitable for the individual reader. The workbook has been used in churches for many years. This revised edition includes new material.

I was widowed with two small children when I went to Robyn's grief group. The Grief Recovery Workbook gave me insight and understanding of the grieving process. By working through the book and sharing my grief with others, I was able to recover and find a new life. Diane Ullom, Elder, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, Menlo Park, California.

I was stunned by the severity of my grief following the death of my husband. Attending this group and using this workbook over the years enabled me to navigate through my grief. Since then, I have seen many widows and widowers gain an understanding of their grief while walking through their own personal grief journey. Merrilee Harter Mitchell, Elder, Stephen Minister and Coordinator/Facilitator of Widows/Widowers Grief Recovery of the East Bay, Oakland, California

I would recommend this book to anyone suffering the loss of a spouse at any stage of recovery. Don Schreiber, retired engineer, Los Altos, California

Grief Recovery
A Workbook for Widows and Widowers

Includes:
Week 1 The Loss - Numbness and Shock
Week 2 Facing Our Loss - How we and others are not prepared to deal with loss
Week 3 When the Grief Returns - Realizing the full extent of our loss
Week 4 The Journey Through Grief - Understanding our personal grief journey
Week 5 Choosing to Recover - Taking responsibility for our recovery
Week 6 Reconciling with the Past - Understanding our past losses
Week 7 Turning the Corner - Starting to look toward the future
Week 8 Finding a New Place in Life - Discovering new roles
Week 9 Building a New Life - Integrating the past with the future
Week 10 Getting Back in Balance - Moving beyond loss
Plus: How to Survive the Holidays
Frequently asked Questions
A Christian Perspective of the Grieving Process
How to Start and Lead a Widows and Widowers Ministry at your Church

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665538589
Publisher:	AuthorHouse
Publication date:	11/04/2021
Pages:	90
Sales rank:	457,614
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.19(d)

About the Author

Robyn Ledwith Mar is a graduate of Stanford University, a breast cancer survivor, the mother of four adult children and has six grandchildren. She was widowed at age 56 and was asked by her pastor to start a support group for other widows and widowers in her church. Based on her own grief and loss experience and research into the grieving process, she wrote Grief Recovery: A Workbook for Widows and Widowers, followed by The Next Step: Moving On, and How to Recover from Loss for other losses. Her second husband, Mun J Mar, died in May 2018 and she has moved to Southern California.

Read an Excerpt

Table of Contents

Grief Recovery: A Workbook for Widows and Widowers
Week 1 The Loss - Numbness and Shock
Week 2 Facing Our Loss - How we are not prepared to deal with loss
Week 3 When the Grief Returns - Realizing the full extent of our loss
Week 4 The Grieving Process - Understanding our grief
Week 5 Choosing to Recover - Taking responsibility for our recovery
Week 6 Letting Go of the Past - Making changes, learning to say goodbye
Week 7 Turning the Corner - Starting to look towards the future
Week 8 Finding a New Place in Life - Discovering new roles
Week 9 Building a New Life - Integrating the past with the future
Week 10 Getting Back in Balance - Moving beyond loss
Plus: How to Survive the Holidays
How to Start and Lead a Widows and Widowers Ministry at your Church

WEEK I The Loss - Numbness and Shock

Initially after our loss we are in a state of shock. Whether the death has been anticipated or is unexpected, we find that we are disoriented, frightened and confused. We can't grasp what has happened. Our world has stopped. There seems to be no future, only blackness and emptiness. Even though we may feel numb, underneath there is terrible pain. We know that we must get through the first few days of our loss, so we refuse to feel the pain. We may be so turned inward that we are unaware of what we are doing. We may be trying so hard to control our emotions that we deny ourselves the comfort of tears. It is important that we give ourselves permission to feel the loss, to grieve, to cry out.
While grieving we may not be able to pay attention to everyday matters. It may seem that we are out of touch with reality. Our minds are in a state of emergency, similar to the body's reaction to a major injury. We may not hear what others say to us or respond coherently. We may initially be able to cope and seem efficient, only to collapse a few days later.
Your decision: To recognize that you have suffered loss, are in deep grief, and need help.