Customer Reviews

The Infinite Thread: Healing Relationships beyond Loss

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When my parents died I was filled with a wide variety of feelings, from relief (that they were no longer suffering), to a deep sense of loss, to fear about where I would now find that support which only parents can provide, to a new sense of freedom. Often the conglomeration of feelings was like a whirlwind that swept me up. Although I didn't find a really helpful book at the time, I did discover that at least I was not alone. Many people I met reported similar experiences. Over the years, through friends, therapists and reading I came to a place of peace about life without my parents. But when this book came along, many years later, I was attracted to it immediately. This is a book that I would have loved to have had in my possession ten years earlier. I thought how wonderful it was that someone had written it.

I have since discovered, in reading The Infinite Thread, that there were still areas of my parents' deaths that I had not resolved for myself, and the book really helped to reach back and come to a deeper understanding.

This is one of those books that should be on everyone's shelf.

When my father was diagnosed with fatal brain tumors, I was pregnant, my sister and I were not talking to each other, my mother was spiraling in and out of a deep depression and I was dealing with many heavy issues around losing my dad. He and I had a rocky relationship and we had been having a hard time connecting for the prior 20 years. Alexandra's book helped me enormously to deal with many issues -- through his illnes, his dying, and after he was gone. Talking through my heart (a dimension she discusses in her book) gave me a huge break-through in my communications with my dad. In some magical way it allowed my *real* conversations with him to shift to a different, more peaceful and accepting level. Working with her exercises enabled my dad and I to come to a place of forgiveness, prior to his death, and after, that I couldn't have imagined possible. It's an excellent book for working with ANY unfinished grief. It's practical, easy to read, and offers hope and guidance to anyone dealing with losing a loved one or reeling from the effects of having lost a loved one in the past.

READING THE INFINITE THREAD BROUGHT A LOT OF THINGS TOGETHER FOR ME. I WAS ABLE TO APPLY IT TO THE LOSS OF A RELATIONSHIP IN MY LIFE. I THINK THE BOOK IS CLEAR AND WELL WRITTEN. ALEXANDRA MAKES THE IDEA OF COMMUNICATING INTERNALLY VERY REAL AND VERY POSSIBLE. THERE WERE AREAS THAT JUST CLICKED FOR ME. I AM GRATEFUL THAT SHE COULD EXPERIENCE THESE EVENTS AND PUT THEM SO BEATIFULLY IN TO WORDS TO SHARE WITH US.

I was wary, at first, of using the concepts in this book with my therapy clients whose loved ones had died. Seeing how some of them had felt stuck in their grieving for a long time, I decided to tell them about this book. It has proven very useful to discuss the ideas and exercises offered by Kennedy and I have begun to use them in my work. This has opened up room to talk about the loss of a loved one in a very different way. Outlined in this book are active approaches to grieving that can be very healing. Kennedy's writing style is informal,combining her professional wisdom with her personal experience. I highly recommend this book for clinicians and for anyone coping with the loss of a loved one.

It is wonderful to find a useful and compassionate book that helps deal with the regret that often remains after a loved one dies. I had many unresolved feelings, especially anger and distrust, toward each of my parents after they died. Alexandra's heartfelt and practical exercises took the fear and guilt out of expressing my feelings, and gave them a healing container. This book is useful for therapists and family members.

The Infinite Thread is a beautifully written and easy to read book by Alexandra Kennedy. There are many exercises in it to help in the grieving process. I first learned about the sanctuary from Alexandra's book, "Losing A Parent". My daughter died 6 years ago and I created a sanctuary for her and myself in my home. The first few years I cried mostly. Now, I still cry, but I use the sanctuary to talk to my daughter and meditate. The sanctuary has helped me continue my relationship with my daughter and has helped me learn and grow from the most difficult task of my life. The Infinite Thread has many more exercises to try and I look forward to using them. I highly recommend this to anyone. I have given several copies of the Infinite Thread to friends and family, who have recently lost a loved one.

This book is both inspirational and practical. It is a rare and insightful combination to find real answers and a broad perspective on a subject as infinite as loss. Ms Kennedy speaks from her heart of personal experiences and the exceptional healing of her students and clients. The losses range from those as ordinary as saying good-bye to a good friend, or losing a treasured object, to the agony of the death of a child or a parent with whom one has never reconciled. The techniques are ones we can do in our bedroom with the ordinary stuff of life like writing a letter or creating a sanctuary, but framed with an extraordinary wisdom and a depth of love that allows for a radical change of heart and the freedom from the paralysis of unresolved grief.

Alexandra Kennedy guides the reader with deftly crafted compassionate exercises that help us process the many emotions that arise when we lose a loved one. Using visualizations, dreams and inner dialogue the connections we have to those we love are not lost but strenghtened and in the process we are able to heal ourselves. Powerful and wise for clinicians and lay people alike.

The Infinate Thread is a must-read for any one working in the helping professions. I'm a supervisor of clinical graduate students and I plan to assign it as required reading in my class. Alexandra peers into this timeless issue with such beauty and grace that even if you haven't experienced the death of someone close recently you would certainly benefit by reading this book.

What a trip! If you can imagine yourself for just one second in a buddha state then Alexandra Kennedy has brought you there and given you the key to cope with your very personal grief. A must for all of us who think there is more to this reality.