Healing Your Grieving Heart for Teens: 100 Practical Ideas

by Alan D. Wolfelt

With sensitivity and insight, this series offers suggestions for healing activities that can help survivors learn to express their grief and mourn naturally. Acknowledging that death is a painful, ongoing part of life, they explain how people need to slow down, turn inward, embrace their feelings of loss, and seek and accept support when a loved one dies. Each book, geared for mourning adults, teens, or children, provides ideas and action-oriented tips that teach the basic principles of grief and healing. These ideas and activities are aimed at reducing the confusion, anxiety, and huge personal void so that the living can begin their lives again. Included in the books for teens and kids are age-appropriate activities that teach younger people that their thoughts are not only normal but necessary.

Genres: Nonfiction, Grief

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, yet boring.

I found the content of the book to be very helpful, and have used some of Dr. Wolfelt's advice in my daily life. I would 100% recommend his tips and advice to any grieving teenager.

However, while the content was good, I did have a hard time getting into the book. The way Dr. Wolfelt wrote this was boring, at least to me, and I was unable to (at first) sit down and read the whole thing. Instead, whenever I needed grief advice, I would pick up the book, flip to a random page, and read it, which was useful. When I eventually read it cover to cover, I felt bored and frustrated after a few minutes.

I would definitely recommend this book, but suggest that anyone who reads this not try to read it all at once, and instead flip to a random page when you need advice. Or, just read the tips (each page has a new one at the top), and only read the descriptions if you are interested. This book would also be good for parents to read, to help their grieving teen, or for families to read together.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author explains that grief is what we think and feel on the inside when someone we love dies, while mourning is the expression of those thoughts and feelings. This book contains 100 practical ideas for understanding and mourning "expressing" grief. This is a quick read, as the tips are short and bulleted. This book is perfect for the teen who loves lists. Some sample ideas include:
- Keep a journal
- Turn to your family
- Share memories
- Ignore hurtful advice

Teens can take what they want and leave the rest. All the advice is helpful and seeks to move the reader forward, but may not apply evenly to all readers. Mourning is stressed as a healing necessity, which many teens may need to be encouraged to do. This book can be a gentle nudge.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this to review as a potential gift for grieving tweens. It's almost 20 years old and that shows, but it's still full of solid advice, tips, and ideas for honoring the sadness, keeping active and/or distracted, and embracing life, and I may end up purchasing a copy. Definitely not one to read cover to cover, but rather to page through and see what seems helpful at a given time.

[Mitzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had some decent ideas, but felt a little out-dated to me. Both in verbiage and best-practices.

[Wenny Kohongia · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion, no doubt that Dr. Wolfelt is an expert for grief healing. He really knows what he is talking about, I even feel like he is one of grieving teens coz he describes well the feeling that I can only feel but can not describe.
The best part is he knows that the most annoying advise ever for grieving teen is “wake up and continue your life”. He gives better tips like don’t have to hurry if you are not ready; take your time to feel every emotions such as sad, anger, mourning; and how to deal with it in positive way.
I’ve been there so I know that he is right, I couldn't really continue my life if I’m not done with these natural steps.

http://letsread-wkohongia.blogspot.co...

[avizena zen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kehilangan orang tercinta memang sangat menyakitkan. Di buku ini, anda bisa terbantu untuk sedikit melupakan kehilangan dengan 100 ide, rata-rata adalah dengan menulis jurnal dan memoar tentang almarhum.

[Lindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple tips for understanding and encouraging self-expression for the teen years during times of grief.