Crossing the Bridge: Creating Cermonies for Grieving and Healing from Life's Losses [Paperback]

Sydney B. Metrick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1995

creating ceremonies for grieving and healing from life's losses

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This poetically written self-help book encourages those who have experienced loss to reclaim their sense of hope and trust in the universe through creative arts and self-designed ritual. Metrick defines bereavement sufficiently broadly to enable almost any reader to find her suggestions useful. Although death and divorce are the major losses she covers, Metrick also suggests acknowledging and mourning the loss of a dream, broken promises, getting fired, theft, and similar experiences. Support groups, keeping a journal, and making a scrapbook are some of the more conventional means to healing she suggests, but she also considers building an altar, crafting power objects, holding a give away, burning symbols, and many other possibilities. A strong, heart-filled book. Pat Monaghan

Product Details

• Paperback: 124 pages
• Publisher: Celestial Arts (November 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0890877386
• ISBN-13: 978-0890877388
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,026,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sydney Barbara Metrick is the author of The Art of Ritual : Creating and Performing Ceremonies for Growth and Change (with Renee Beck) and I Do: A Guide to Creating Your Own Unique Wedding Ceremony (both published by Celestial Arts). For more than twenty five years, she has worked with individuals, couples and groups to support or celebrate various 'rites of passage' in the circle of life. Using creative expression, ceremony and strategic planning techniques, Dr. Metrick addresses 'new beginnings' like births, weddings, and house blessings as well as healing, aging and memorials.
Committed to building community through the arts, Dr. Metrick has worked with the Richmond Arts and Culture Commission and Point Richmond Music bringing visual arts projects and performance to children and adults.
Dr. Metrick has a master's degree in transpersonal counseling psychology and a doctorate in expressive therapy. She is also a certified clinical hypnotherapist and a certified professional co-active coach. A long time animal lover, Dr. Metrick is a pet bereavement counselor through the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement.
Originally from Chicago, Dr. Metrick resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and looks forward to an eventual move to Mexico.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even the bad dreams can come true..., December 5, 1999

By 

James Cochran (Oakland, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crossing the Bridge: Creating Cermonies for Grieving and Healing from Life's Losses (Paperback)

What a great resource this book has been. I recommend it highly, and consider it an excellent resource for friends and family to cope with their own pain around death and dying. Dr. Metrick presents an opportunity to create healthy personalized rituals to deal with death and catastrophic losses. She outlines a process by which - while not eliminating the pain or suffering such losses can cause - we can acknowledge our own feelings through the use of personalized rituals or events and begin to work through all the emotional "stuff" that comes up. She presents a practical framework within which we can begin to heal our hearts and our lives. What a great way to help a friend with this difficult issue. When you can't find the words yourself give them this book. It really can make a difference...and has many times before. What a shame that it's not available right now. There are so many people I'd like to give it to, but I only have one copy.

James Cochran - Senior Real Estate Consultant for RE/MAX East Bay Hills Real Estate in Oakland, CA

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very helpful guide for anyone who has suffered loss., July 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Crossing the Bridge: Creating Cermonies for Grieving and Healing from Life's Losses (Paperback)

I didn't really think a book could help me deal with the heavy loss I experienced in my life. A friend turned me onto this book and it was truly a gift. It explained what was happening to me in a way that made sense. I came to the conclusion that if writing could be this powerful, I'd try some of the ideas offered. I wrote the story of my experience, and over the months of that process I made it back. I recommend this book highly.