Healing the Hurt, Restoring the Hope (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "ON A CRISP FALL DAY IN THE MID 1980s, I drove to an old, red brick elementary school near Chicago for my first meeting with..." (more)
Key Phrases: grieving youth, sad attacks, bereaved youth, Uncle John, Silver Linings, Magical Thinking (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Flatly rejecting the commonly held belief that children simply bounce back from divorce, death, illness, or life-changing crisis, Marta, founder and president of the international, charity-based grief support organization RAINBOWS, offers a valuable reference guide to parents, teachers, counselors or any "compassionate companion" looking to help a grieving child. Arranged into three major sections, and written in a positive, encouraging style, Marta candidly draws from her own divorce, and the lasting impression it left on her children, as well as on 20 years of firsthand experience and real-life examples from her work, to guide readers through the "the hurt, the healing, and the hope." Warning signs and age-specific behavioral changes help identify children in turmoil, while tips on becoming an empathetic listener, sample questions and conversations, including dos and don'ts, and harmful words, and an entire chapter devoted to activities and projects for any stage of the grief process, will help draw the most reticent child out and move him or her forward on the road to happiness
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Healing the Hurt, Restoring the Hope is a must read for anyone involved with grieving children and adolescents. Suzy Yehl Marta goes far beyond simply providing information, to give adults invaluable and practical tools to help children who are both the most vulnerable and too often the least understood. The drive, compassion, organizational skills, and creativity that Marta demonstrated in building Rainbows into an international godsend for children has been poured into this book, resulting in a resource that is at once instructive and engrossing."--David Royko, Psy.D., divorce mediator, director of the Circuit Court of Cook County's Marriage and Family Counseling Service in Chicago, and author of Voices of Children of Divorce "This is an unequaled tool for everyone in contact with children. Suzy Yehl Marta's tremendous respect for and knowledge of children's developmental stages as well as their healthy and unhealthy reactions to loss help her create the 'instruction manual' every parent wishes they had!"--Laurell Allen Reussow, grief specialist and national board member of SPAN USA, Inc."Healing the Hurt, Restoring the Hope is a treasure of sensitivity and creativity that offers us meaningful and practical methods to help our children. A wonderful resource for parents and professionals. We can all learn from the hands-on experience that Suzy Yehl Marta shares with us."--Vicki Lansky, author of Divorce Book for Parents and It's Not Your Fault, Koko Bear and other books for parents"Sharing her compassion, optimism, and wisdom, Suzy Yehl Marta gives us proven tips, age-appropriate activities, and rituals to help children heal from and get through some of life's most daunting situations. Sensitive, thoughtful, and practical, Healing the Hurt, Restoring the Hope is an important book for parents, grandparents, educators, and any adult who works with children who have experienced a major loss."--Barbara Coloroso, educator and author of Kids Are Worth It! and Parenting through Crisis"Suzy Yehl Marta is a compassionate and knowing observer of children's grief. Her understanding of their reactions to loss and her creative strategies for guiding them through the mourning process make this book an invaluable resource in our challenging times."--Melinda Blau, author of Families Apart: Ten Keys to Successful Coparenting and Loving and Listening: a Parent's Book of Daily Inspirations for Rebuilding the Family After Divorce"Whether you are a parent, grandparent, sibling, teacher, or therapist, the experiences, activities, and wisdom in this book will be your most valued resource in effectively guiding and supporting any child through loss and grieving. It's required reading for all of us."--Dr. Ronald R. Bearwald, school superintendent, Prospect Heights, Illinois "Realistic and insightful. A must read for parents and individuals involved in the lives of children."--Judge Sanford Jones, Fulton County Juvenile Court, Atlanta

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 340 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (April 19, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579545912
• ISBN-13: 978-1579545918
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #476,206 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish this was the 1st book I'd read when my husband left, January 19, 2006

By	C. Meiman (Washington, DC, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My husband moved out 5 months ago, leaving behind his 5-year-old and 2-year-old daughters. Since then, I've looked at plenty of books on divorce (for kids and adults), but this is the one I've been looking for. I agree from personal experience that kids are not "resilient" and don't just automatically "bounce back" from serious loss, regardless of how they may look on the outside. I just bought 5 copies of it for my church, my daughters' 2 schools, my husband, and one to have on hand for friends. Thank goodness I finally found something that will really help me help my grieving children!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to heal the hurt felt by a grieving child, January 26, 2004

By A Customer

When a child loses a parent through death or divorce, people say, "Children are resiliant, they will bounce back." However, this statement ignores the feelings of anger, sadness, guilt or fear that can haunt a child for a lifetime.

This book helps you understand the emotions that a child goes through and how to help the child heal from their grief and loss. It gives practical tools for adults and children who are in a vulnerable state.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book helpfulness, July 1, 2005

By	FLMOM (Florida) - See all my reviews

This book is a must for any teacher, guidence counselor or parent who wants to help a child work through the grief that they may be experiencing as the result of a family death, divorce or other transitional crisis. It is written in a helpful, supportive voice.