The Plain Guide to Grief

My second book published in December 2020, is very different from anything on loss and grief published before. It tells you what to expect in the weeks and months ahead, in plain, simple language. Your grief is unique. Nobody has ever grieved like you are doing now. Even other members of your family are going through a different grief. Luckily there are enough aspects of grief that most people go through, so I hope you will recognise your own thoughts and feelings in this book. There can be no method that meets the unique needs of your grief. I have helped hundreds of people come to terms with their loss and move forward. In twenty years, I have never worked the same way twice.

If you are reading this because you are currently grieving a loss, then most likely a person close to you has died. However, this book can help with other equally difficult losses. Loss of a job, of health, of a friendship or an intimate relationship, are just some of the losses that can cause you to grieve. People with much loved pets can grieve the loss just as they would a human friend. Throughout this book, ‘loved one’ can refer to pets too. In chapter 6 and 7 I explain why different kinds of loss may also cause you to grieve differently.

The plain and simple words of this book are important when your loss is new. In the early days after a loss, people tell me how hard it is to concentrate. They find reading difficult. They tell me that sometimes they get to the bottom of a page and can’t remember what they just read. This book allows for that. I have deliberately chosen to use simple words, short sentences and not too many words on a page. You will also notice the large typeface so that there are not too many words on each page.

I have worked as a bereavement counsellor for twenty years. In that time, I have supported hundreds of grieving people of all ages. People that have lost parents, partners, children, brothers and sisters, other friends and family. Some deaths were sudden and a shock, others were peaceful and expected. Some were from illness, others from violent events and accidents. These people taught me almost everything I know about loss and grief. Many of these people have been generous enough to let me study their grief closely, learn from their stories, and tell them to you. Although I have put the words together, you could say that this book has been written by hundreds of people who have been bereaved.

Here’s an introduction with a peek inside the book:

Some of my favourite reviews. You can read more on Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars A really easy read and a practical, helpful and caring guide on how to cope with grief

I have bought so many books on grieving but haven’t been able to read them properly mainly as completely exhausted and overwhelmed from grieving to read properly. This book is written like a caring friend who is talking to you and really addresses in simple words how to deal with all of the emotions and questions that grief suddenly throws at you. It’s unique in that it covers Covid deaths in the book and grieving whilst locked down. It is also printed in large print which I found made it an easy read. I recommend Dr Wilson’s book to anyone needing a plain and easy guide on how to navigate grief.

 5.0 out of 5 stars A must read book for anyone who has suffered a loss

As a Counsellor and Palliative Care Support Worker I was curious to see what this book had to offer to those both working with and experiencing grief. My opinion having read it a couple of times now is that it is an absolute gem of a book. The author has considered the condition of the grieving reader in every way, the larger type font, the managable paragraphs, the ability to dip into any chapter and not read it from cover to cover. I highly recommend this resource to professionals working with death, loss and grief, and also to any of us who have suffered a loss in life. It is written in a very clear to understand way, yet opens up wider topics such as models of grief that plants concepts with the reader that they could go on to learn more about should they wish to. I certainly will be recommending this book to colleagues, clients and those in life I meet who are enduring grief, as we all do at some point in our lives.

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read

Having to go through the trauma of losing my beautiful wife, I was absolutely lost, not knowing if the thoughts and emotions I had were normal, or ” right or wrong”. How do you make sense of the turmoil which is alien to your normal thought process? Reading this book and the way it’s written, helped me to come to terms with, and start to understand the sadness, madness and roller coaster of my minds ups and downs. The way it is written helps you understand the quicksand and quagmire of grief your having to shuffle through. I highly recommend this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very comforting

I bought this book after loosing my cousin to suicide, I was desperate for some guidance and comfort in my grief as I’d never lost anyone so close before. The book is so gentle and contains genuine moments of magic which you feel your heart can really hold onto in painful periods. This book gives forward practical and deep resolutions and meaning for the pain you are feeling, I felt John was speaking to me personally and his own experiences with grief enveloped the book with a deep understanding. I will be buying this for other members in my family as I know they will benefit from this too. It is also a book I imagine I can keep going back to over the years and still find peace within the pages.

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