I like to take a new book with me when I travel. So, last time I boarded a plane, I had the book, When Children Grieve, in hand. I’d been through the grief recovery program twice—once as a first time participant and again for training to become a Grief Recovery Specialist.
As a child of divorce, I carried a lot of baggage into many of my relationships—including my marriage. When I finally discovered a freedom that I believe can only be found in the Grief Recovery Method, I discovered a passion—I am compelled to show parents how they can help their children learn the tools of grief recovery at an early age.
As I turned the pages of the book that serves as the foundation for parents, I saw myself again and again as the little girl who had struggled for 40 years to know what to do about this unresolved grief. If you were to open the pages of my now dog-eared book, you would see highlights of the things I never knew, misunderstood, and want parents everywhere to know. You will also see ink in the margins that say “good” and “this is me,” as well as asterisks marking the items I want to share and never want to forget.
The losses most likely to occur appear below in the sequence they can commonly occur in a child’s life.
· death of a pet
· death of a grandparent
· major move
· divorce of a child's parents
· death of parent[s]
· death of a playmate, friend or relative
· debilitating injury to the child or to someone important in the child's life
The authors of the book, When Children Grieve say, “Establishing a foundation for dealing effectively with loss can be one of the greatest gifts you can give your child. “[1]
To learn more, contact the Grief and Wellness Group today and take your first steps toward giving your children what they need to fully recover from the hurts life brings.
[1] John W. James, Russell Friedman and Dr. Leslie Landon Matthews, When Children Grieve, 2001 (New York: HarperCollins Publishing, 2001), 3.

Grief Recovery Specialist
Shanna is an author, writer, editor and project manager who has served various organizations for more than 20 years. She has written, developed and contributed to more than 60 books. As a child of divorce, she has a passion to see parents equipped to help their children successfully navigate grief and loss in hopes that they can live free from the pain unresolved grief can cause. Shanna has a B.A. in Communications. She and her husband reside in Indianapolis, IN .