God Help Me, I'm Grieving

Book excerpt: Have you lost someone--or something--dear to you? At some point, whether through the loss of a friend or family member, a decline in health, or the end of a career or a relationship, everyone will encounter grief. After nearly twenty-five years in the mental health field, author and licensed professional counselor Katherine B. Barner is well-acquainted with the ways grief can impact a life. While grief is unavoidable, it is also a valuable aspect of the human experience. Utilizing Biblical examples of human grief--and God's acceptance of its complicated rawness--Barner demonstrates how a person's response to loss does not indicate a lack of faith but testifies instead to their humanity and the life-affirming choice to love and be loved. Filled with practical tips for handling loss and avoiding contention with those who lack compassion or grieve differently, this valuable resource includes a section dedicated to navigating holidays and events while grieving. Crafting this guide from her professional experience as well as from lessons learned during her own seasons of mourning, Barner offers compassion and guidance to those suffering a loss. Designed not only to assist readers through the process of grief but to grant them permission to fully experience it, God Help Me, I'm Grieving validates each reader's unique response to loss, allowing it to become a vehicle of inner change and spiritual and emotional growth.