The grieving process is part of being human, but far too often, Christian grievers are pushed out of grief and rushed into rejoicing that their loved one is in heaven. Alternately, Christians who allow themselves to grieve openly are shamed for doing so, often resulting in turning away from faith. It is time for a better way to acknowledge that you can struggle with grief and still love God.

Licensed professional counselor and ordained minister Kate Meyer is an experienced, warm, practical guide to walk you through the grieving process. In Faith Doesn’t Erase Grief, she encourages grievers and shows them how to find hope.

Meyer blends up-to-date grief psychology, biblical accounts, and everyday experience. She introduces easily understandable phases of early grief, middle grief, and lasting grief and provides a framework for grievers to build a personalized toolkit to navigate through each phase. She offers a way to acknowledge emotions, ways to take care of yourself just after a loss, and coping skills for the long term. Meyer also discusses the healing idea about the continued but changed bond many grievers experience when their loved one is gone. Each chapter includes a prompt to record what you’re experiencing in the grief journey, and the book concludes with a collection of appendices for detailed, step-by-step directions for coping tools, such as psalm writing.

Grief is a difficult but natural part of life. For grievers, professional helpers, and those wanting to better understand loss, let Faith Doesn’t Erase Grief help you embrace the fullness of grief and discover the first steps toward hope.