Lessons Learned on Grief
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This is a memoir of my personal and professional experiences with grief. The story begins with my wife becoming sick with cancer at age 27. Her sickness and death was devastating and transformed my world. The first several chapters are about my personal grief journey. I was a middle school counselor when she died, and in dealing with her loss I embarked on a new career as a bereavement counselor. At first I was just a volunteer facilitating support groups for widowed men for the American Red Cross in a program called “First Step”. I eventually did a my doctoral study on this program. When this program ended, I was invited to begin a bereavement program for St. Brigid parish in Westbury, NY. I facilitated support groups there for over three decades. Eventually, I started another bereavement program for St. Bernard’s parish in Levittown, which features specialty groups for bereaved parents and survivors of suicide. Most of the book is about lessons I have learned from my clients about loss. In addition to support groups, I have seen clients privately for many years. My lessons on grief also include what I have learned from people who I trained to become support group facilitators, from students in my graduate course at Hofstra University, and from my work for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The book has a broad perspective; it speaks about many different losses, i.e. death of a spouse, child, sibling, parents, death by suicide and complicated grief. It is unique in that most books on the topic are either personal accounts from well-known people, i.e. Option B by Sheryl Sandberg or professional works by experts in the field, i.e. Living Beyond Loss by Monica McGoldrick. This both combines both perspectives in an easy to follow writing style. It is written for grieving individuals and their caregivers. Since it is a memoir, I am the main character but I also speak about the many individuals who have influenced me in my work. People who have suffered unimaginable losses, and yet somehow managed to survive and lead meaningful lives. They have inspired me to write this book so others can benefit from their grief journey.
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Reviews for Lessons Learned on Grief
Up close and personal in grief experiences. Amazon Reviewer - This book, as one begins to read it, takes you slowly and unpredictably into its subject of grief and mixes and blends you with it so as you emerge feeling one with the book. It's very cleverly written so as not to allow you to distance your pain and grief from the grieves of other people, including the author's. The book is easy to read and captivating. It's not boring or overwhelmingly technical. It is soothing to the soul and illuminating to the mind. Many examples of grief identified in the book come from actual members of previous support groups headed by Dr. Sabatini. It's a well worth read.
Helps deal with grief. Amazon Reviewer - Lessons Learned on Grief by Luciano Sabatini is really helpful to anyone experiencing the loss of a loved one. It describes the grief of the author that he experienced due to the loss of his wife. It gives encouragement to anyone who is going through the grieving process. I recently lost my husband and this book was very relatable to me and helped me to deal with the pain.
Easing the journey. Amazon Reviewer - This is the perfect book for anyone who is struggling with a loss of any kind. Dr. Sabatini shares his personal experiences in a manner that supports anyone in any stage of their grief journey. Thank you, Dr Sabatini for your guidance and insights. My journey is lighter for reading your book.
Helps deal with grief. Amazon Reviewer - Lessons Learned on Grief by Luciano Sabatini is really helpful to anyone experiencing the loss of a loved one. It describes the grief of the author that he experienced due to the loss of his wife. It gives encouragement to anyone who is going through the grieving process. I recently lost my husband and this book was very relatable to me and helped me to deal with the pain.
Easing the journey. Amazon Reviewer - This is the perfect book for anyone who is struggling with a loss of any kind. Dr. Sabatini shares his personal experiences in a manner that supports anyone in any stage of their grief journey. Thank you, Dr Sabatini for your guidance and insights. My journey is lighter for reading your book.
