Companioning You!: A Soulful Guide to Caring for Yourself While You Care for the Dying and the Bereaved

by Dr. Alan Wolfelt

Overview

Based on Dr. Wolfelt's unique and highly regarded philosophy of "companioning" versus treating mourners, this self-care guide for professional and lay grief caregivers emphasizes the importance of taking good care of oneself as a precursor to taking good care of others. Bereavement care is draining work, and remaining empathetic to the painful struggles of mourners, death, and dying, day in and day out, makes caregivers highly susceptible to burnout. This book demonstrates how caring for oneself first allows one to be a more effective caregiver to others. Through the advice, suggestions, and practices directed specifically to caregiving situations and needs, caregivers will learn not to lose sight of caring for themselves as they care for others.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781617223174
Publisher:	Companion Press
Publication date:	03/01/2022
Series:	The Companioning Series
Edition description:	Second edition
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Dr. Alan Wolfelt is a speaker, grief counselor, and Director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition. He is the author of Understanding Your Grief, Healing Your Grieving Heart, Companioning the Bereaved, and many other bestselling books on grief and bereavement caregiving. 

Table of Contents

If Someone Gave You This Book 1

Introduction 3

Part 1 Understanding Your Own Companioning Philosophy and Style 9

My Companioning Philosophy 11

My Personal Tenets of Companioning the Bereaved 15

Embracing the Importance of Companioning You 22

Exploring Your Personal Loss Background, Current Issues, and Motivations 25

Zen and the Art of Erasing Worktapes 34

Understanding Caregiver Burnout 39

The Spillover Effects of Burnout 45

Emotional Involvement and Stress 47

The Overeating Caregiver 49

The Perfectionistic Caregiver 53

Part 2 An Eight-Week Self-Companioning Makeover for Caregivers to the Dying and the Bereaved 59

Before You Begin 61

Week 1: Acknowledge the Reality of Any Imbalance and Surrender to It 64

Week 2: Inventory Any Hurts and Unhappiness You Are Experiencing 69

Week 3: Create a Vision for Moving Forward and Set Your Intention 75

Week 4: Set Aside Time Each And Every Day From Now On To Touch Base With Your Spirit 82

Week 5: Rebalance Your Daily Habits and Schedule 88

Week 6: Carve Out More Sacred Downtime- Weekly, Monthly, Yearly 95

Week 7: Seek Joy 101

Week 8: Revise 107

A Final Word 111

A Self-Companionship Manifesto for Caregivers to the Dying and the Bereaved 113