Book Review: The Five Ways We Grieve by Susan A. Berger
Today I get to share with all of you this fantastic new book that I got to review. The book is called “The Five Ways We Grieve” and was written by Susan A. Berger, LICSW, EdD. This book is about finding your personal path to healing after the loss of a loved one and is 223 pages in length.
About the Author: Susan A. Berger, LICSW, EdD, founded The Center for Loss, Bereavement, and Healing in Framingham, Massachusetts, where she has a clinical practice and offers workshops to professionals and hospices as well as general audiences. She has served as a hospice volunteer working with the dying and bereaved families. She earned her doctorate in education from Harvard University as well as a master’s degree in social work and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Boston University. She also holds a certificate in thanatology from Mt. Ida College.
Synopsis: In this new approach to understanding the impact of grief, Susan A. Berger goes beyond the commonly held theories of stages of grief with a new typology for self-awareness and personal growth. She offers practical advice for healing from a major loss in this presentation of five basic ways, or types, of grieving. Drawing on research results and anecdotes from working with the bereaved over the past 10 years, Berger examines how a person’s world view is affected after a major loss. The five types of grieving, she finds, reflect the choices people make in their efforts to adapt to dramatic life changes. By identifying with one of the types, readers who have suffered a recent loss, or whose lives have been shaped by an early loss, find ways of understanding the impact of the loss and of living more fully.
My Review: I have dealt with a lot of grief in my 43 years so I was excited to be reviewing this book. I have lost both of my grandmothers and I was very close to both. Almost 3 years ago I lost my great uncle who was like a grandfather to me and helped my mother raise both my brother and I…so I was hoping this book would help me process my grief a little better than what I have been as I knew that I wasn’t healed yet and still needed some help dealing with my grief. The book is broken down into 8 easy to read chapters and I highly recommend that you read the book cover to cover as I found pieces of information that pertained to me in each chapter as I read through it. While reading the book I learned that there are 5 types of grievers.
1. Nomads: Those who have not yet resolved their grief in a way that allows them to move on with their life & form a satisfying new identity.
2. Memorialists: Their main goal is to honor their loved one by creating physical objects or rituals that honor the deceased.
3. Normalizers: They work to recreate the kind of life they lost or wished they’d had.
4. Activists: They focus on helping other people who are dealing with the same disease or issues that caused their loved one’s death.
5. Seekers: They experience loss as a catalyst for philosophical exploration into the meaning of life.
As I read the book I realized that I fall into 2 of these types…the Nomads and the Activists depending on which family member I am still grieving about. I did find some helpful information for the other three types that I can still apply to myself…so that is why I say you really need to read this book from cover to cover as it is chock full of information that you can use to help you understand why you are grieving the way you are and how to deal with it. For a self-help Psychology book, I found it to be extremely helpful and it provided me with great insight and useful information. Matter of fact, I am going to read it again after my mother reads it. (she is going to borrow it from me). I give this book a huge 2 thumbs up!
I would like to thank the PR company for sending me the book for the review. I enjoyed reading it so much that I am going to reread it again next month after my mother borrows the book.
Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. Two Classy Chics is not responsible for delivery of any giveaway items won from this blog. We are not responsible for injury or mis-use of any products won from the Two Classy Chics Blog. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering our giveaways. Thanks!