Description
Just as there are stages in the grieving process when a loved one dies, so are there stages in the grieving process when a relationship dies. In this clear, comforting guidebook, therapist Daphne Rose Kingma explains those stages. She shows you how to work through them, and how to make the end of a relationship the beginning of a new you. A veil of romance probably covered the beginning of your relationship. You can pierce this veil to explore the real reasons you entered your relationship, what you hoped to get out of it, and why you chose the partner you did. An ending should not be seen as a failure, but as the product of good and legitimate causes. You can grow to understand the emotions of parting, and the conscious–and unconscious–journey we all must take. One of the book’s most helpful features is the section called “Rituals for Parting.” There you’ll find practical exercises to help you cope with the ending and move on to the next stage of your life. You can learn to recognize and keep what was good in your relationship and discard what was bad; you can learn to reaffirm and reshape your sense of yourself; you can accept and enjoy being “single” again. Finally you can prepare for a new, better love relationship, strengthened by what you’ve learned.
