The Humanist Approach to Grief and Grieving

By Jennifer Hancock

About The Humanist Approach to Grief and Grieving
The Humanist Approach to Grief and Grieving by Jennifer Hancock is the resource that non-religious individuals experiencing grief need. This book provides a rational and compassionate approach to bereavement that acknowledges the unique needs of Humanists.

Unlike other approaches to grief, Humanism refuses to provide false hope of reunion that is a staple of religious belief. Jennifer Hancock recognized the need for a book on Humanist grief after presiding over her first funeral as a Humanist officiant. She felt the pain of the bereaved and longed to provide them with comfort.

Grief is a difficult emotion to process, and not much has been written about it from an explicitly Humanist perspective. However, Humanism provides an excellent framework for coping with grief that is rational, compassionate, and responsible. This book offers insights and meditations to help readers contemplate their approach to grief and find a way to live their lives fully despite their loss. If you are struggling with grief, Jennifer Hancock’s book provides a valuable resource to help you through this difficult time.

The Benefits of Taking a Humanist Approach to Grief
Taking a humanist approach to grief can offer numerous benefits. Humanism emphasizes rationality, compassion, and social responsibility, which can help individuals navigate the complex and emotional experience of grief in a way that is both meaningful and practical. By accepting grief as a natural part of the human experience, and focusing on finding ways to live fully despite loss, individuals can find a sense of peace and purpose in their grieving process. Humanist principles can also provide a helpful framework for individuals who reject religious or supernatural explanations for death and afterlife, allowing them to find solace and comfort in the present moment and in their memories of their loved ones.

Who is this book for?
This book is ideal for anyone who is experiencing grief and looking for a rational and compassionate approach to bereavement. It is especially valuable for non-religious individuals who may feel excluded from traditional religious resources for coping with grief.

Funeral directors and celebrants may also benefit from reading this book as it provides insights and guidance on how to approach grief from a Humanist perspective, which can be useful in their profession.

In addition, parents with children who are experiencing grief may find this book helpful in navigating the grieving process with their children in a way that is compassionate, responsible, and non-religious.

Overall, anyone who wants to approach grief in a rational and compassionate way, while maintaining their sanity, will find this book to be a valuable resource.

Why Buy This Book?
With insights, meditations, and practical advice, Jennifer Hancock helps readers come to terms with their loss and find a way to live fully despite their grief. Whether you are grieving or providing support to someone who is, this book offers a helpful and humane approach to dealing with one of life’s most difficult challenges.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jennifer Hancock
• Release date: Apr 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301253586

Jennifer Hancock

Transforming Lives Through Humanism By sharing her pragmatic Humanist approach to living life fully and intentionally, Jennifer has transformed the lives of those who have been touched by her work. By encouraging people be the best, most ethical humans they can be, she consistently challenges people to think about and question who they are, what they are and more importantly, how they want to be. She is one of the few individuals in America who was raised as a Humanist and she brings her delightful sense of humor, creativity, and compassion combined with a no-nonsense approach to all of her work and her coaching. She will help you focus on what really matters in your life and will teach you the practical skills you need to live your life the way you know you should be: ethically, compassionately and responsibly.

Book preview

The Humanist Approach to Grief and Grieving

by Jennifer Hancock

How to grieve and maintain your sanity

A rational and compassionate approach to bereavement

Published by Jennifer Hancock at Smashwords 2013

Copyright 2013 by Jennifer Hancock

ISBN: 9781301253586

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Other Books by Jennifer Hancock

The Humanist Approach to Happiness: Practical Wisdom

Jen Hancock’s Handy Humanism Handbook

The Bully Vaccine

Other Products Available:

The Humanist Approach to Happiness Life Skills Course

The Bully Vaccine Toolkit

Learn more at: www.jen-hancock.com

Acknowledgements

To my daughter Loretta Rose: I still miss you.

To Albert, whose wisdom and willingness to share his own experience with grief was so instrumental in helping my husband and me find the courage to try again.

To everyone who reached out to comfort us in our time of grief and who supported us as we learned to live with our loss. The love you shared provides comfort to me still.

And to everyone who has ever asked me about the Humanist approach to grief, I wrote this book for you.

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Table of Contents

1: Introduction

2: A Humanist Prescription for Grief

3: Excerpt: The Humanist Approach to Grief

4: Meditations

5: Children and Grief

6: Getting Help

7: Resources

8: About the Author

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Chapter 1: Introduction

Grief is one of the hardest and most profound emotions humans ever experience. At times, it feels like you are losing your mind, and that you will never experience normalcy again. I know. I’ve been there, having lost a child in the eight month of pregnancy.

While there has been a lot written about grief, not much has been written from an explicitly Humanist perspective. The needs of a Humanist, while grieving, are slightly different from others because Humanists, being rationalists, refuse to allow themselves to be comforted by the false hope of reunion that is a staple of religious belief.

Death is certain. We cannot escape it and as a Humanist, I don’t want to. I want to face death and grief with the same courage, compassion and reason that I approach all other aspects of my life.

I decided to write this book to help people who are experiencing grief come to terms with it in a rational and compassionate way. After presiding over my first funeral as a Humanist officiant, I realized that a book on Humanist grief was needed. I felt