Paths Through Despair to Gratitude and Faith: A Manual to Guide Group Facilitators, Bereaved Spouses and Partners Through Grief. - Paperback

by Cheri Avery Black (Editor), Anita Pernell-Arnold (Author)

Death is a spiritual and psychological phenomenon that we encounter and from which we know we must suffer and recover. Why then are we so traumatized by the loss of a spouse or committed life partner?

In this illuminating new book, Paths Through Despair to Gratitude and Faith, author Anita Pernell-Arnold describes the process of grieving, outlines strategies proven most effective for successful resolutions, and provides a detailed curriculum for working with groups of persons who have lost their spouses or life partners.

Perfect for those in need of guidance through the pain of losing a loved one, for practitioners interested in a holistic approach when interacting with clients, or for churches, funeral homes, and healthcare providers wishing to establish support communities, this book lights the way.

Readers will learn to identify issues that those in the throes of grief may encounter, take note of the progress made and yet to come, and determine the next steps to be addressed.

Integrating spiritual and psychological approaches to healing, this one-of-a-kind guide will open doors for persons in mourning to accept the loss and transition, appreciate the love experienced, and to create and embrace a future of personal growth, joy, gratitude, and grace.

Author Biography

Anita Pernell-Arnold is a trained group facilitator of the Episcopal Walking the Mourners Path program for the bereaved and consults on caregiving, life planning, and human challenges. A certified psychiatric rehabilitation practitioner, retired, Pernell-Arnold has worked as director of staff development and training, executive director of a community mental health center, director of mental health services for a major city, and adjunct professor. She has a BA from Brooklyn College and a MSSW from Columbia University.

Pernell-Arnold cofounded the Partners Reaching for Improved Multicultural Effectiveness (PRIME) Instituteof the Behavioral Health Education Division at Drexel University, and is the author of numerous publications including Multicultural Policy Development, New England Institute of Addiction Services, and the 2014 best-seller Pathways to Vibrant Health and Well-Being. She founded Transformation International as a base to provide consultation on humanitarian insights to women and professionals in many walks of life.

Pernell-Arnold was married almost thirty-five years before the death of her husband. She has two adopted daughters, one step-daughter, three grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. She enjoys church, community service, reading, dance, sun, and the beach.