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You Are Not Alone: A Heartfelt Guide to Grief, Healing, and Hope
2018 Winner of the Foreword INDIES Book Awards, Grief/Grieving 2019 Finalist in Psychology/Mental Health International Book Awards 2019 Readers' Favorite Silver Medal Winner in Nonfiction - Grief/Hardship
Are you grieving? Do you know someone who is grieving and you don't know how to help them? You Are Not Alone takes readers into Debbie's personal journey of grief, from the first gripping chapter, when her husband dies unexpectedly in her arms. Throughout the book, Debbie takes readers by the hand and offers them gentle insights and suggestions for healing and hope, while sharing her powerful story of loss and the spiritual journey that led her to know love never dies.
This book is a life raft in a grief storm.
Just as she has helped many as a psychotherapist specializing in trauma and grief, Debbie and her wisdom can help you too.
She wants you to
You Are Not Alone will gently guide you from grief, to healing, to hope and transformation.
Are you grieving? Do you know someone who is grieving and you don't know how to help them? You Are Not Alone takes readers into Debbie's personal journey of grief, from the first gripping chapter, when her husband dies unexpectedly in her arms. Throughout the book, Debbie takes readers by the hand and offers them gentle insights and suggestions for healing and hope, while sharing her powerful story of loss and the spiritual journey that led her to know love never dies.
This book is a life raft in a grief storm.
Just as she has helped many as a psychotherapist specializing in trauma and grief, Debbie and her wisdom can help you too.
She wants you to
You Are Not Alone will gently guide you from grief, to healing, to hope and transformation.
- GenresGrief
268 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2018
18 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 15, 2020
Writing a good grief book is no easy feat. Focus too much on your own personal story and it can seem self-indulgent and unrelatable; concentrate on tips for coping and it can be too preachy and prescriptive. However, Augenthaler strikes the perfect balance in You Are Not Alone. After a decade of working in bereavement support, I have read countless grief books and recognize that I am highly critical as I have sought to find only the best recommendations for my clients. As I whizzed through this book, I was struck by Augenthaler's emotional connection through her personal story, coupled with practical and more universal suggestions to support those who are grieving. Each chapter focuses on an aspect of her grief journey - from the initial days of the loss to years later - followed by a reflection with a lesson from her story and tips for the reader. Despite using her own loss as a framework, Augenthaler is mindful to say, "This is how it worked for me, and this may work for you too. But there is no 'normal' or right or wrong when it comes to grief," helping readers find their own path ahead.
While I found this to be a helpful and easy read for grievers and those supporting them alike, I would caution those in the immediate wake of loss in reading this. The initial chapters are raw and emotional as Augenthaler details the last moments of her husband's life, the experience at the hospital, and the wakes and funeral. For those who are still working through this phase themselves, it may be triggering or just "too much". There are also religious and spiritual overtones throughout the book. While this is certainly an important aspect to many people's grief journeys, this may be a turn off for those who do not find comfort or connection spiritually.
Overall, this was a well-written, thoughtful reflection on grief and foresee it being a key support to many, especially when feeling utterly alone in their grief.
While I found this to be a helpful and easy read for grievers and those supporting them alike, I would caution those in the immediate wake of loss in reading this. The initial chapters are raw and emotional as Augenthaler details the last moments of her husband's life, the experience at the hospital, and the wakes and funeral. For those who are still working through this phase themselves, it may be triggering or just "too much". There are also religious and spiritual overtones throughout the book. While this is certainly an important aspect to many people's grief journeys, this may be a turn off for those who do not find comfort or connection spiritually.
Overall, this was a well-written, thoughtful reflection on grief and foresee it being a key support to many, especially when feeling utterly alone in their grief.
July 27, 2018
My Recommendation: This is an incredible resource for anyone grieving. It may be too much if the grief is fresh because of Augenthaler’s incredibly vivid writing and experience. I found her advice to be useful and thought-provoking and I’m sure I’ll revisit this again at some point in the future.
My Response: When the publicist reached out to me about this book I said yes.* I didn’t know if I wanted to say yes, because my mother had passed only weeks before, but I knew at some point I would want/need to read this.
In many ways, I wish I would’ve read it sooner or at the very least before I read Grief Works . What I was looking for in Grief Works, an in-depth “this was my experience of grief” story and this is how I survived, struggled, thrived, etc.
I teared up a few times reading this one, not so much because of my experience (although that did happen at least once), but because of how heartfelt and how beautifully written Augenthaler’s work is. She goes in-depth into what feel like the four stages of grief and even talks about them at some point, but on the whole she stays pretty far away from psychotherapy babble and writes about her personal experience.
Click here to continue reading on my blog The Oddness of Moving Things.
* I received a copy of You Are Not Alone from the publicist in return for my honest opinion. No goods or money were exchanged.
My Response: When the publicist reached out to me about this book I said yes.* I didn’t know if I wanted to say yes, because my mother had passed only weeks before, but I knew at some point I would want/need to read this.
In many ways, I wish I would’ve read it sooner or at the very least before I read Grief Works . What I was looking for in Grief Works, an in-depth “this was my experience of grief” story and this is how I survived, struggled, thrived, etc.
I teared up a few times reading this one, not so much because of my experience (although that did happen at least once), but because of how heartfelt and how beautifully written Augenthaler’s work is. She goes in-depth into what feel like the four stages of grief and even talks about them at some point, but on the whole she stays pretty far away from psychotherapy babble and writes about her personal experience.
Click here to continue reading on my blog The Oddness of Moving Things.
* I received a copy of You Are Not Alone from the publicist in return for my honest opinion. No goods or money were exchanged.
February 26, 2019
This is my go-to book on grief. The author tells her own personal story and ends each chapter with heartfelt take-aways that are helpful for the milestones and cul-de-sacs in the long and unknown road to healing through grief. This book is soft while also taking the grieving process seriously.
It addresses the "ups" of the ups-and-downs of the road, touching on how we may begin to feel better and then feel guilty, what's "normal" including eating too much or not being able to eat at all, the rituals we form to connect to the deceased, and the signs some experience after we lose someone we love. Debbie Augenthaler normalizes the spirals of the feelings in a way that only a psychotherapist could, without being clinical.
This book gets 5 stars. I've bought multiple copies to give to friends and family and to keep on my shelf for when someone close to me loses someone they love. Buy this book today. You'll be glad you did.
It addresses the "ups" of the ups-and-downs of the road, touching on how we may begin to feel better and then feel guilty, what's "normal" including eating too much or not being able to eat at all, the rituals we form to connect to the deceased, and the signs some experience after we lose someone we love. Debbie Augenthaler normalizes the spirals of the feelings in a way that only a psychotherapist could, without being clinical.
This book gets 5 stars. I've bought multiple copies to give to friends and family and to keep on my shelf for when someone close to me loses someone they love. Buy this book today. You'll be glad you did.
August 9, 2019
I found this book helpful in navigating my grief as a widow. She had some good advice.
December 5, 2019
If you’ve lost a partner, or if you want a study in raw pain, this one’s for you
My Full Review
My Full Review
November 19, 2021
Reading her story and experiences really helped!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews