cover image HEALING THE HURT, RESTORING THE HOPE: How to Guide Children and Teens Through Times of Divorce, and Crisis with the RAINBOWS Approach

HEALING THE HURT, RESTORING THE HOPE: How to Guide Children and Teens Through Times of Divorce, and Crisis with the RAINBOWS Approach

Suzy Yehl Marta, . . Rodale, $23.95 (320pp) ISBN 978-1-57954-591-8

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 (Apr.)