Few of us know how to navigate the territory of traumatic loss successfully. Sweet Sorrow shows how we can respond and grow stronger from loss and suffering. Written by psychologist and certified bereavement trauma specialist Dr. Sherry Cormier, Sweet Sorrow chronicles the decade following the loss of her husband, father, mother, and only sibling.
Dr. Sherry’s carefully considered work provides perspective on grief and healing over time. Its longer-term approach allows readers to have a more complete and accurate picture of the oscillations of grief over time. The book describes not only the immediate agony of the author's losses, but also the process of starting over and making a successful new life as a single person full of hope and joy.
Sweet Sorrow combines Sherry’s psychological expertise and clinical experience with the compelling art of memoir to illuminate the surprising ways in which loss survivors can grow and even thrive to achieve wholeness after heartbreaking, traumatic losses. Using findings from post-traumatic growth, as well as evidence-based psychological approaches, Sweet Sorrow illustrates through story and example:
— Ways for grief survivors to start over
— Tools to manage chaos and stress
— How to let go, and to heal with new strategies and re-storying
— Resources and recommendations for self-care
— Tips and suggestions to respond creatively and helpfully to those around us suffering loss
Sweet Sorrow is a work of inspiration intended to accompany readers through the processes of loss and grief much like a helpful Sherpa might guide a lost traveler. The author provides critical insight into the journey of death as experienced by a spouse.
— Valeria interviews Dr. Sherry Cormier.
Sherry is a psychologist and consultant who engages in public speaking, training, and grief mentoring. She is former Professor at both the University of Tennessee and West Virginia University. Cormier holds a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University and both her master’s and doctoral degrees are from Purdue University.
She is the author of Counseling Strategies and Interventions for Professional Helpers (Pearson Education, 9th edition), and the co-author of Interviewing and Change Strategies for Helpers (Cengage Learning, 8th edition). She is the co-writer and co-producer of over 50 training videos for Cengage Learning.