Can Anyone Tell Me?: Essential Questions about Grief and Loss

From psychotherapist and leading grief expert Meghan Riordan Jarvis comes answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about grief, offering hopeful real-world lessons and practical steps for navigating loss.

If you’ve experienced the trauma of loss, you might find yourself struggling with the “whys” of grief: Why can’t I remember anything? Why can’t I sleep? Why do I feel angry and isolated? Why do I suddenly dislike my friends? Psychotherapist and grief specialist Meghan Riordan Jarvis shares a research-based resource filled with clinical insights to these questions and more, along with practical steps for navigating loss. “Though each experience is unique, we all grieve in our bodies,” says Meghan. “By recognizing grief as a kind of trauma, we better understand why our mind and body respond in sometimes perplexing ways to loss.”

In this accessible guide, Meghan provides the answers you’re seeking on the grieving process, offering profound real-world stories and hopeful lessons, informed by neuroscience and biophysical science. Whether you’re grieving or are supporting someone who’s going through loss, you’ll find valuable insight. From sorting through the physical materials left behind to honoring the experience of continuing bonds, Meghan breaks things down into manageable bites as a series of commonly asked questions on the brain, body, emotions, sense of self, relationships, timeline expectations, and how to get the right support. Here you’ll explore:

• Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the grieving process
• Explanations for what you’re going through
• Guidance, tips, support, and practice ideas for grievers and their support network
• For grievers: assessment of symptoms and history with loss
• For supporters: potential offerings for support that feel most authentic
• Ways to engage and move through the experience

Grief and loss are inevitable parts of life. What you’re going through is normal, and becoming grief-informed will help you begin to feel less confused and alone. Whether you’re currently grieving or are looking to support a loved one, here is guidance to uncover the answers to why and discover what you can do to help.