Most Popular Books by Claire Bidwell Smith

In an exploration of the afterlife that is part personal, part prescriptive, Smith invites us on her journey into the unknown. She wonders: How do we grieve our loved ones without proof that they live on? Will we ever see them again? Can they see us now? Chronicling our steps along the path that bridges this world and the next, Smith undergoes past-life regressions and sessions with mediums and psychics and immerses herself in the ceremonies of organised religion and the rigour of scientific experiments to try and find the answers.

A powerful and searingly honest memoir about a young woman who loses her family but finds herself in the process. In this astonishing debut, Claire Bidwell Smith, an only child, is just fourteen years old when both of her charismatic parents are diagnosed with cancer. What follows is a coming-of-age story that is both heartbreaking and exhilarating. As Claire hurtles towards loss she throws herself at anything she thinks might help her cope with the weight of this harsh reality: boys, alcohol, traveling, and the anonymity of cities like New York and Los Angeles. By the time she is twenty-five years old they are both gone and Claire is very much alone in the world. Claire''s story is less of a tragic tale and more of a remarkable lesson on how to overcome some of life''s greatest hardships. Written with suspense and style, and bursting with love and adventure, The Rules of Inheritance vividly captures the deep grief and surprising light of a young woman forging ahead on a journey of loss that humbled, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

From one of the leading grief therapists, this compassionate and accessible guide to grieving offers a new framework for understanding and navigating loss. An intimate guide to grieving that offers hope and healing within loss from one of the nation’s top grief therapists. Conscious Grieving is a book for anyone seeking guidance and support after loss. Renowned grief therapist Claire Bidwell Smith combines her deeply personal experience of loss with her long career spent working with thousands of people to introduce a new approach to grief, one that promotes hope and even transformation. What does it mean to grieve consciously? Most of the time, when we lose someone we love, it feels like grief is just happening to us. We feel out of control, and overwhelmed. Claire reminds us that while loss is something that inevitably happens to all of us, how we choose to grieve is up to us. When we can consciously engage with our grief, rather than avoiding it, we can access profound pathways to healing. Presented in a series of thoughtful, brief vignettes that don’t overwhelm the reader, Conscious Grieving offers a new framework for each stage of grief: Entering, Engaging, Surrendering, and Transforming. Entering – staying present and taking care of ourselves as we navigate the shock and upheaval of a new loss. Engaging – navigating that first year after a loss by staying in tune with our needs as more complicated feelings of depression, guilt or anger surface. Surrendering – facing the changes to our identity and who we are becoming in the face of loss. Transforming – through ritual, honor, hope, and grace, and learning to carry our grief with intention so that we can continue to grow, heal, and thrive. Grief asks a lot from us. But the ability to grieve is a birthright. We grieve throughout our lifetimes. We grieve the deaths of loved ones yes, but also moves, divorce, illness, injustice, time lost, changes in the world and healing from these losses requires that we evaluate everything we ever considered meaningful. Healing means making our lives worth the pain we endure when we lose someone we love. And transforming through grief is an opportunity afforded to all.

With this groundbreaking book, discover the critical connections between anxiety and grief—and learn practical strategies for healing, based on the Kübler-Ross stages model. If you''re suffering from anxiety but not sure why, or if you''re struggling with loss and looking for solace, Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief offers help and answers. As grief expert Claire Bidwell Smith discovered in her own life—and in her practice with her therapy clients—significant loss and unresolved grief are primary underpinnings of anxiety. Using research and real life stories, Smith breaks down the physiology of anxiety, providing a concrete explanation that will help you heal. Starting with the basics questions—“What is anxiety?” and “What is grief?” and moving to concrete approaches such as making amends, taking charge, and retraining your brain, Anxiety takes a big step beyond Elisabeth Kübler-Ross''s widely accepted five stages to unpack everything from our age-old fears about mortality to the bare vulnerability a loss can make us feel. With concrete tools and coping strategies for panic attacks, getting a handle on anxious thoughts, and more, Smith bridges these two emotions in a way that is deeply empathetic and profoundly practical.

"Emlékszem az első nyárra anyám halála után. Érzem a gin-tonik szokatlan ízét. Lassú melegét, ami átjár. Tompítja a fájdalmat és enyhíti a félelmet." A halált, a gyászt és a veszteséget öt lépésben engedjük közel magunkhoz: elutasítás, düh, alkudozás, depresszió és belenyugvás. Erre az öt jelképes fejezetre oszlik Claire Bidwell Smith könyve is, amelyben felidézi a szülei halálának árnyékában eltelt fiatalságát, majd azt az utat is, amelyet e súlyos teherrel a lelkében megtett. Hosszú volt ez az út, alkohol és drogok buktatóival, pusztító és függőséget okozó kapcsolatok zsákutcáival. Claire alig múlt tizennégy éves, amikor a szüleinél szinte egyszerre diagnosztizáltak rákbetegséget, és csupán huszonöt éves, amikorra már mindkettőjüket eltemette. A kétségbeesés és a magány eleve kudarcra ítélt kapcsolatokba űzte, amelyben démonaival küzdve megsértett másokat, és maga is megsérült. Fájdalma egyszerre volt pajzs és gát is: egyfelől védelmezte a további fájdalomtól és a szembenézés kényszerétől, másfelől érzéketlenné tette az élet új lehetőségei iránt. A gát leomlásával azonban végül szembenézett félelmei forrásával és emlékeivel, s végre elfogadta szülei halálát. Útjának leírása kegyetlenül őszinte és kegyetlenül gyönyörű. Mindnyájunkhoz szól, hiszen a gyász mindennapos tapasztalat, mindnyájunkat utolér. Claire Bidwell Smith küzdelme nem volt hiábavaló: célba érésének egyik bizonyítéka, hogy ma sikeres gyászterapeutaként dolgozik Los Angelesben. "Bátor és okos könyv nagy-nagy veszteségekről és még nagyobb szeretetről. Mindaz a nyers igazság, mindaz a küzdelmek árán elért kifinomultság, melyet ez a visszaemlékezés elénk tár, teljesen lenyűgözött." (Cheryl Strayed, a Vadon szerzője)

Grief and anxiety are inextricably linked. Anxious Grief is the missing link to grief treatment that professionals have been waiting for. Written by bestselling author and renowned grief therapist Claire Bidwell Smith, this book serves as a beacon to any clinician working with clients who are experiencing loss in any form, grappling with anxiety surrounding death, or looking for meaning behind the bigger picture of their lives. With Claire''s own journey of loss, grief, and healing woven throughout, this workbook provides you with the tools to walk alongside the griever, bear witness to their experience, and help carry the burden of their loss. Filled with worksheets, exercises, guiding questions, and meditations, this book will help you: - Respond to and normalize grief anxiety - Approach family, workplace, and lifestyle dynamics - Work with feelings of anxiety, anger, and guilt - Explore religion, spirituality, and rituals - Support clients to cultivate self-compassion and resilience - Utilize mindfulness and meditation - Navigate the delicate therapy termination process - And more! No one will journey through life untouched by loss, but we can serve as steady companions for clients as they navigate this difficult terrain.

Enfant unique, Claire a seulement 14 ans lorsqu’elle apprend que ses deux parents ont un cancer incurable. Quelques années plus tard, elle se retrouve seule au monde, perdue. Comment vivre en l’absence de ceux que l’on aime ? Pour faire face à son deuil, Claire se noie dans l’alcool, les relations toxiques avec les hommes, l’anonymat des grandes villes... Une descente aux enfers qui va durer plus de dix ans. Mais au final, la jeune femme se rend compte que malgré toutes ses tentatives, elle ne réussit pas à fuir le chagrin. Ce livre est le récit d’une tragédie dans laquelle tout le monde peut se reconnaître. C’est surtout un témoignage sur la manière dont on peut, finalement, surmonter les tourments de la vie. Une leçon d’espoir : oui, ce qui ne nous tue pas nous rend plus fort. L’histoire vraie d’une descente aux enfers et d’une renaissance.

Die ergreifende Erzählung einer jungen Frau, die durch die Trauer zum Leben findet: Claire Bidwell Smith verliert beide Eltern an den Krebs – die Mutter mit 18, den Vater mit 25. Als sie sich unausweichlich auf den Verlust zubewegt, stürzt sie sich in alles, was von dieser Last ablenkt: Männer, Alkohol, Reisen und die Anonymität von Großstädten. Doch am Ende erkennt sie, dass sie vor der Trauer nicht fliehen kann. Claires Geschichte ist weniger tragischer Schicksalsbericht als vielmehr eine bemerkenswerte Lektion darüber, wie man mit einem der größten Schicksalsschläge des Lebens fertig wird. „Ich ohne euch“ ist mitreißend, aufwühlend, lebensbejahend, poetisch, voller Liebe und Abenteuer.

In dit prachtige debuut krijgt Claire Bidwell Smith, enig kind, op veertienjarige leeftijd te horen dat haar beide ouders zijn gediagnosticeerd met kanker. Wat volgt is een coming-of-age verhaal dat zowel hartverscheurend als inspirerend is. Claire probeert om te gaan met het gewicht van deze harde realiteit door zich te storten op jongens, alcohol, reizen en de anonimiteit van steden als New York en Los Angeles. Op haar vijfentwintigste zijn haar beide ouders overleden. Ondanks het verdriet weet ze zichzelf, en uiteindelijk ook haar geluk, te vinden. Claires verhaal is een bijzondere les over hoe een aantal van de grootste ontberingen van het leven overwonnen kunnen worden.

A memoir

本书带你认识,面对与克服丧恸焦虑,你会在作者与案主们的故事中看到自己的遭遇,不论是来不及陪伴母亲咽下最后一口气而深受罪恶感折磨的女儿;认为父亲的死是母亲隐瞒病情所致而时时将自己视为受害者的儿子;妻子死于癌症并留下两名稚子,怪罪世界不公又满心愤怒的丈夫;把病重的老伴留在疗养院孤单死去而觉得自己一辈子不能好过的太太......书中提供书写,说故事,冥想,重新训练大脑,计画身后事等具体方法,引领你走过丧恸的煎熬,打开生命的各种可能性.

Pravila nasljeđivanja podijeljena su u pet dijelova od kojih je svaki naslovljen prema jednom od pet stadija žalovanja. Svaki dio počinje citatom iz kultne knjige O smrti i umiranju u kojoj je autorica Elisabeth Kübler-Ross prvi put identificirala pet stadija žalovanja: poricanje, ljutnja, pregovaranje, depresija i prihvaćanje. Bidwell Smith istražuje svaki stadij slijedom kojim se pojavljuju no čini to na nelinearan način. Svaki od pet dijelova započinje s Claireinim tinejdžerskim godinama (kad je njezinim roditeljima dijagnosticiran rak) a potom preskače godine do autoričine odrasle dobi, pri čemu je svako poglavlje označeno godinom i autoričinom dobi. Claireina majka umire odmah nakon što Claire upiše fakultet, a otac kad Claire ima 25 godina. Autorica se odjednom suočava sa svijetom u kojem - čega je bolno svjesna - više nema nikog svoga, nikog tko bi je bezuvjetno volio. Bidwell Smith pokazuje kako vas žalovanje može promijeniti na najdublje i najneočekivanije načine. To je studija o gubitku i boli koju je napisala osoba što je tonula u najmračnije dubine očaja i usamljenosti no koja je uspjela isplivati na drugu stranu ojačana i osnažena iskustvom patnje.