The Sudden Loss Survival Guide: Seven Essential Practices for Healing Grief

by Chelsea Hanson, Jan Warner (Foreword), Marty Tousley (Afterword)

“ The Sudden Loss Survival Guide  is a must-read guidebook for everyone who has experienced an unexpected loss of any kind in their life.” – The Grief Reiki
Healing after loss .  When a loved one passes unexpectedly, the person left behind can lose their bearings. After the sudden death of her mother, Chelsea Hanson, a nationally-recognized grief educator and founder of With Sympathy Gifts and Keepsakes, didn’t know where to turn for help, what to do next, or how to put the pieces of her life back together. Hanson’s  The Sudden Loss Survival Guide  gathers everything that she learned during her own recovery process and provides an indispensable road map to aid those who’ve experienced a life-changing loss. A proactive, intentional approach.  While you cannot control losing a loved one, you can consciously guide your own recovery. Through the application of simple, proactive practices,  The Sudden Loss Survival Guide  will empower you to overcome the darkness and anxiety of grief. Action-based tools.   The Sudden Loss Survival Guide  includes heart-lifting prompts and action steps that guide you towards reengaging in life and discovering deeper meaning. Through Hanson's grief healing practices, this book delivers the essential answers and tools needed to survive, cope, and heal from the devastating impact of sudden loss. The Sudden Loss Survival Guide  is a distinctive grief recovery handbook. In this book, Readers of grief books like  Your Grief, Your Way ,  I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye , or  Grief Day By Day  will learn how to live again with the help of  The Sudden Loss Survival Guide .

Genres: Grief, Nonfiction

276 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2020

About the author

Chelsea Hanson is a nationally recognized grief educator, life coach for bereaved women, author of The Sudden Loss Survival Guide, and founder of the online memorial gift store, With Sympathy Gifts and Keepsakes (http://www.withsympathygifts.com).

Following the sudden death of both of her parents, Chelsea developed her signature system, The Seven Essential Practices to Heal Grief, a program that transforms deep grief into insightful healing. Her mission and calling is leading the bereaved through this unique transformative approach to reconcile their sorrow while continuing to honor the memory of those they love. Her gentle, supportive programs guide survivors in transforming setbacks into opportunities to live a meaningful life.

Chelsea’s published books, grief support programs and online store have been used by more than 700 funeral homes across the United States and Canada.
If you too, would like to make your life and work matter, get her free mini-class, Say Yes to Life at http://www.chelseahanson.com and to inquire about grief support services, contact her at info@chelseahanson.com.

Reviews

[Elaine Mansfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chelsea Hanson’s book, The Sudden Loss Survival Guide: 7 Essential Practices for Healing Grief, offers practical tools for one of life's most vulnerable times. As a hospice bereavement group leader and speaker, I learned the vast different between sudden loss and an expected death. Both are difficult, but there are particular challenges and shocks with sudden death. Hanson understands those challenges and offers heart-felt reassurance and a variety of easily accessed healing approaches while giving the reader freedom to explore and experiment. I highly recommend this book for those whose loss has been sudden or even if it was expected, since every death feels sudden for the one who grieves.
~ Elaine Mansfield, 'Leaning into Love: A Spiritual Journey through Grief'

[Sharon K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grief is such a punch in the gut that it is close to impossible to see our way out of it without some kind of help. The best kind of help involves a support system and a way to reflect on our experience of sudden loss. This book could be used for any step along the way, from helping someone even know what the first steps to take might be, to helping a person build a support system in which they heal by giving and accepting help to a great book for an active support group to read together (a Zoom book group at this stage. I liked this book a lot for the practical advice the author gives, within a very safe and comfortable way. When you read this book, you almost feel the author is right there with you. Grief is so overwhelming; Chelsea Hanson helps you through it. Highly recommended.

[Sherry Richert · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one, or who knows someone who is grieving, this book is a beautiful gift. It is quiet and comforting, and also full of practical tips and tools.

This book is like having a best friend who really understands you and is with you 24/7. That’s Chelsea. You can tell she really cares.

This is a book from her heart to ours.

Chelsea suffered the loss of her mom and dad suddenly, when she was young. She writes from her own experience, sharing a framework for healing from those experiences. That said, one of my personal reasons for loving this book is that Chelsea goes beyond simply healing.

In her own words, she says, " This book offers you the Seven Grief Healing Practices, which is a process to transform, heal, and transcend grief over time." She is not just helping us “get through” grief or “get over” grief, she is taking us on a compassionate journey of letting grief transform us.

This is huge. But we don’t have to do it by ourselves. And we can do it on our own timeline. We can take as long as we need with each of Chelsea’s steps.

We can let this journey be our own, while at the same time not feeling alone.

Just one more note: one of my very favorite parts of Chelsea’s book is her chapter on "remembrance as a pathway to healing.” I love Chelsea’s viewpoint on ongoing remembrance because "Your grief is an expression of your remarkable love.” Our deep love for people is why we grieve. I so appreciate that Chelsea helps us keep that love alive inside of us.

I recommend buying this book and keeping it on the shelf so you have it right at your fingertips when you need it. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you know someone who is currently grieving the loss of someone beloved, please buy them this book.

[Deb Kosmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has written a highly readable valuable resource for people immersed in grief and the shock of sudden loss. She writes in a style that is straightforward,concise,well organized, and easy to read, valuable qualities for those caught up in the fog and confusion of grief. The author covers every facet of grief, from normalizing the feelings and reactions grievers may experience, proving reassurance that they “are okay” it is the situation that is not. She provides useful insights, tools, suggestions, and encouragement to the reader and does so in a way that the reader knows that the author genuinely cares for her readers and that she herself has experienced the heartbreak of the sudden losses of loved ones in her own life. As a retired social worker and grief counselor I have read hundreds of grief books. This is by far one of the best. Personally I have experienced the sudden death of my father, my teenage son, and my sister. This book would have been very helpful to me at that time. I highly recommend it to anyone who is grieving, whether it is a sudden or expected death, to anyone who wants to better understand a loved one who is grieving and how to be more supportive in a helpful way, and to grief counselors, chaplains, funeral directors, and human resource professionals who can than help this book get into the hands of hurting hearts looking for help. This book provides that healing help. Deb Kosmer

[Fasiha Haq · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent guide on how to understand, process and move forward from the loss of a loved one. This book explores the raw emotions people experience and invites the reader on a healing journey through intentional practices that are simple yet profound with the understanding that the journey is not linear or time bound. The overarching concepts of the 7R's could also be applied when faced with the loss of something major in life- it may be loss of meaning, purpose, career, freedom. Each person handles loss of life and loss of something very meaningful in their life differently. This book can serve as a companion to help you heal and feel in control at a time when everything feels like it is out of control.

[Victoria Devereaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful and helpful book, a must-read for anyone who has/had experienced a loss of any kind. The one practice that is really helping me is reconnecting with my loved ones in the spiritual realm. Chelsea teaches this in a most loving and comforting way that is easy to learn. This is wonderful book to have by your side while on you’re grief journey and I would also recommend gifting this book to someone who is also experiencing a loss of any kind, I am sure it would be a great benefit to their healing.
-Carol-ann

[Jana Ostrowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think The Sudden Loss Survival Guide would make an excellent gift for any grieving friend, family member, or even yourself. It is a comprehensive guide that offers practical advice, taking you through different practices to help heal from your grief. I especially liked practice seven, which details ways to remember your loved one. There are so many different ideas throughout the book that you are sure to find some comfort to help you heal in your best way.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for a book that I could add to a gift basket for a grieving friend. This book is helpful without giving advice. The author shares her personal grief journey in a way that is relatable and engaging. Hearing her story allows me to reflect on the losses that I’ve experienced and know that I’m not alone in my grief. Others experience similar emotions and it can all be talked about and felt.

[Kristin M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful resource for those going through loss or someone in the helping fields. It addresses the feelings so beautifully and lays out a framework for healing on your own time. As a person who has a lot of anticipatory grief, it is very reassuring to know there is a book like this for support. It's layout is easy to follow and offers many "workbook" options for planning how your life will look like going forward. An invaluable resource!

[Maggie Chula · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this beautiful book of love and light, Chelsea Hanson offers the practice of reconnecting with a loved one in the spiritual realm to continue the relationship in a new, different way. This essential aspect to healing is often missing in traditional grief support books, and Hanson teaches it in a way that anyone can understand and apply. You’ll be inspired to believe that you can connect to the spirit of your beloved and use the eternal, unbreakable bond of love to heal

[Anne]

I found the book the Sudden Loss Survival guide to be a true gift for anyone experiencing a loss. This guide sets out the process of healing in a gentle and hopeful manner. I highly recommend it because each chapter takes the reader of their own journey with practical suggestions and explains beautifully the nuance that mourning, grief, and sorrow bring.

[Amany · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sudden Loss Survival Guide is more of companion than a book
For me it was an eye opener for suppressed grief over many years
It doesn't only call out your attention to the denied feelings, it provides a road map to way of dealing with the feelings of loss and keeps your company till you safely recover
The writer takes you gently into a journey through which you rediscover yourself

[Mary Barnes-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the Sudden Loss Survival Guide because it is not just a book you read once and you’re done, it’s more like a friend that you can keep going back to again and again as you attempt to navigate YOUR grief.
I recommend the book because after over 9 years of unsuccessfully trying to deal with my own losses, I finally feel heard and understood and have hope, that I will be able to now work through my grief with Chelsea’s help.

[Saul Ebema · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book! there have been many books written about grief but this book is one of the best in that field. These Seven Essential practices for healing grief, actually work and are very practical. I highly recommend this book as a must read.

[Emily Thiroux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not for only sudden loss, but for any loss, this book is so easy to read. Full of inspiration and practical advice of things to do to help you on your journey of loss. Chelsea Hanson's style is loving and comforting. Reading this book is like having the perfect conversation with the person who knows you, gets you, and can help you the most. This book is also a perfect gift for a friend who is grieving. I am so glad I read this book.

[Linda Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opens our hearts and minds to the healing and grieving process which allows each and every one of to go at our own pace. Very inspiring!

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

 I picked up the book because I lost my father over a year ago, and the information and guidance in the book has helped tremendously! 
 
This book is not only filled with comfort, love, and acknowledgement for your loss, but also filled with incredibly useful ways to work with your feelings.
 
Although this book is for sudden loss, it really is for the loss of any person due to any reason. (The author wrote it after the loss of both of her parents and two miscarriages.)
 
The book is a judgement-free zone, and no losses are minimized. You will feel understood and validated after reading the book.
 
The author is clear that this is a book of healing, when you are ready to go down that path. I learned that you don’t have to carry the grief forever, but instead, can gradually learn how to carry the love at your own pace, own time, and own way.
 
I especially liked the section about continuing the bond of love with those we love. Love is eternal, and this bond can help us heal.
 
Overall, the book offered many useful insights on grief, and this helped me to begin to shift my perspective on loss, love, and dying.
 
I hope you pick up this book. You’ll find useful support and gentle help for a very difficult time.
 
I’d give it more than 5 stars if I could. I believe it is a must-read!
 
 
 
 

[Chinaminder · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are 'all at sea’ in grief from an unexpected death of a loved one, then ‘The Sudden Loss Survival Guide’ will help you keep your head above water, and eventually, find the safety of the shore.

Grief educator Chelsea Hanson is a sympathetic companion and an understanding voice. Her father died when she was 4 years old, her mother died suddenly when she was in her 20s, and twice she lost unborn babies to miscarriages.

She offers seven practices to find comfort, healing and meaning in loss, with ways to understand loss, allow grief, find support, reconnect spiritually, discover meaning and purpose, reveal your legacy to your family, and honour your loved one.

With real life examples and stories, as well as a selection of exercises and encouragement to try new things, the book is both empowering and inspiring. Underlying the easy-to-read chapters is the message that you can grieve and heal your own way. ‘The Sudden Loss Survival Guide’ opens your eyes to the possibilities and gives you permission to fully express your grief in order to transform your life and honour the one you lost.

I like in particular the chapter on turning your learnings (and regrets) from the sudden death of a loved one into your own legacy letter communicating what really matters. Sure, this is heavy, but if you are reading this book then you most probably are in a situation where matters of life and death are more evident and poignant rather than being hidden away in secrecy and silence.

In the seventh practice, there’s lots of fresh ideas about how to honour your loved one and creatively treasure the memories.

‘The Sudden Loss Survival Guide’ is written in a light, accessible style, and with its range of suggestions and practices. This book will appeal to anyone who has suffered a sudden loss. Not only is this book suitable for a griever, but also it should be read by those working in the grief field, and even someone looking to understand and support a friend or colleague who is going through the multi-faceted, all-encompassing grief that comes with an unexpected death.

[Jayna L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I began that insurmountable and agonizing journey in my life without the love of my life I likened my journey as a rollercoaster. The deep dips and slow climbs were so profound someone once asked me if I was perhaps Bipolar (instead of a grieving Widow? Really?) I knew then that not everyone understands the Rollercoaster of Grief. It's real.

"Hang on when riding the rollercoaster of grief... Hang on to faith. Hang on to love. Hang on to memories. Hang on to life". Chelsea Hanson

In the "Sudden Lose Survival Guide" the Author gives her Seven Grief Healing Practices as encouragement to HANG ON! And you must. You are not alone.

This book is written in a practical but very personal way. Drawing from personal experience of sudden loss, the Author is able to share her experience, strength and hope in an eloquent and helpful way. No matter where you are on your journey this book allows you to find relatable experiences and practices for healimg.

It's been 12 years since my Husband passed and although I wish I had know about these healing practices back then this book gave me comfort and validation that the love I shared with my Husband never dies.

There's so much more I could say about this book but instead I'll just say strape in tight and "hang on to hope". You are not alone.

[Leslie Brenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been one of the best I’ve read regarding grief/loss. Save yourself time and monies on going to counseling because this book has it all-“relatable life stories of love and loss”, special inspiring quotes, tips to keep your loved ones positive memories alive....but most of all actionable items that are brief and at end of each section on exercises that focus on release of negative feelings and how to keep on expressing emotion instead of locking it up inside. Practical/heartfelt and 100 percent relatable. I will be buying extra copies of this to give to friends/family in the unfortunate event of a loss. I lost my Dad, Mom, and brother in a short time and have been stuck in grief. So glad I was led to this book.
Just a Girl dealing with grief
LB

[Linda M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was amazed how much was in this book! I was looking for something to help my current grief status but found so much more. I can reflect on my past, focus on the present and look forward to ways to cope and plan for the future. The author is so personal, she offers no judgment, and it is easy to connect with her. The entire book is easy to read, yet you can choose to just read the chapters that pertain to you at that time to help you through your grief. This author knows her subject well and she covers topics very thoroughly. Very useful book to use now and in the future! At a time when a person needs support, she is there to help you through!

[Irene O'Garden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wisdom and love pour out of the pages of “The Sudden Loss Survival Guide.”The title accurately describes not only this extremely sensitive and useful book, but the author herself, who has endured sudden losses and now professionally guides others through the brambled paths of grief.

With absolute respect for the reader’s own process, Hanson offers healing suggestions, nourishing questions and tender, tangible practices to help the reader not “move on”, but to move forward, healing and integrating the loss and ultimately intensifying the love which is no longer physical. A tremendous gift for anyone suffering grief from a recent or distant loss.

[Audrey Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I have been lucky enough to have not yet experienced the loss of a loved one (beyond the sudden loss of our beloved family dog), I still found this book to be a wonderful resource with many useful tools. Chelsea's approach is easy-to-read, gentle, and supportive. I loved the comforting voice present in the writing from beginning to end. The advice, guidance, and exercises in this book offer practical tools for reflection and healing, and it is certainly a book of transformation. I highly recommend it for anyone who has experienced loss of any kind.

[Nita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chelsea Hanson's wonderful book offers practices that apply to much more than healing from sudden loss. She gives her readers proven techniques to help them move through any grief, no matter the time line. Her gentle, helpful, loving, and kind words brought me to tears at times, but comforted and soothed me as well. Her book allowed me to access a well of pain I hadn't touched, from losses decades ago. I was surprised and shaken, but moved toward deeper healing. Thank you Ms. Hanson for such a powerful, caring book.

[Dietrich Gruen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chelsea Hanson knows what she is talking about, and it’s obvious she listens to the variety of grieving experiences out there. I especially liked the chapter on cultivating spiritual connection from the spirit world with the soul of your loved one—quite a new practice for me. This book is full of guided imagery, opening up to “signs” and other possibilities of life after life; she speaks to both doubters and true believers. She offers no easy three-step, recipe-like answers. Far from it. If life and death were like that, there would be no need for this book. But this book is needed—by you or someone you love. We all have, or someday will, experience unexpected loss. How well you survive that loss will depend on you grasping the practices so beautifully taught and caught in this timeless book. Grief work is complex—and this book of comfort, healing and transformation will help you integrate your loss into everyday life.

[Leslie Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely more than seven essential practices included in this comprehensive grief recovery book! Something for everyone to come back to time and time again. Although it’s been 10 years since my son was killed in a plane crash, it was definitely comforting and healing to read this book and work through some of the exercises.
I recommend this book to anyone suffering from tragic loss; any loss, sudden or otherwise.

[Elena Conduff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book to guide you through the grieving process. When you read Chelsea's heartfelt words from her life experiences you know there is wisdom in her stories. I was touched by the wealth of information in her book. The Sudden Loss Survival Guide would be a great resource for anyone experiencing loss and grief.

[Donna B Shaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like most, I wasn't taught how to grieve the loss of a loved one. Sudden Loss Survival Guide does just that. Gently and sweetly guides your way. Chelsea Hanson gives beautiful, kind guidelines to follow and reminds us that our loved one is always close by. She even explains how to look for 'signs' that your loved one is near. So reassuring and wonderfully written.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend Chelsea Hanson’s book "The Sudden Loss Survival Guide". From the first few sentences “I see you, I hear you, I know you", the author demonstrates deep empathy and understanding for anyone who has suffered a major loss. She goes on to offer solid strategies to heal from the devastation of loss to acceptance and beyond.

[Amy Paluczak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! It really has helped me with my grief over the sudden loss of my dad during this awful time. I recommend anyone reading this book that has suffered a sudden loss of a loved one.