Mental Health Resources

“To love means to open ourselves to the negative as well as the positive- to grief, sorrow, and disappointment as well as to joy, fulfillment, and an intensity of consciousness we did not know was possible before”

-Rollo May

 

 Books

  • Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death by Irvin D. Yalom

  • To Love and Let Go by Rachel Brathen

  • Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief by Joanne Cacciatore

  • First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Through Anxiety by Sarah Wilson

  • The Sunflower: On the Possibilities of Forgiveness and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal

  • The Gift of Therapy by Irvin D. Yalom

  • Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

  • The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD

  • The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle

  • When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chöddrön

  • When People Grieve by Paula D’Arcy

  • The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Scared Work of grief by Francis Weller

Grief & Loss Resources

  • Hospice Austin: bereavement resources including (English and Spanish speaking) individual (children, adolescents, and adults), couple, family, and group counseling at discounted rates or in some cases free of charge. They also have free monthly webinars and presentations.

  • Christi Center: free and ongoing grief support for several different types of losses and all ages in both English and Spanish. They also have free resources and information on their website.

  • The Austin Center for Grief & Loss: they strive to help anyone in need regardless of their ability to pay and also offer sliding scale fees. They offer individual counseling for all ages as well as Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) in both English and Spanish to deal with trauma. They also offer peer-based support groups as well as different types of therapy groups and workshops.

  • Podcast: I had the pleasure of being on Hannah Garland’s well-being podcast where we discuss and I explain all about: grief & loss, death, and hospice care. Hannah Garland is a local Austin holistic health coach who has several other podcasts related to wellness and well-being as well as vegan recipes and other insightful information. You can find her website filled with recipes, podcasts, and blog posts here.

  • The Center for Prolonged Grief: goal is to increase awareness of prolonged grief in the general population.   It is important that prolonged grief sufferers, their family members and friends understand this problem and learn that help is available.

  • The Dougy Center: provides grief resources pre and post death throghout the lifespan and includes resources in Spanish

Terminal Illness Resources

  • Hospice Austin: provides comfortable and caring hospice care for terminally ill patients including resources and support for their caregivers.

  • Texas Oncology: provides a multitude of resources for patients with a wide range of cancers and for all ages as well as their caregivers. Includes: resources, support groups, counseling, transportation, and care assistance.

  • Hospice Foundation of America: provides information and resources about hospice care.

  • Flatwater Foundation: committed to providing those diagnosed with cancer, as well as their families and loved ones, with mental health support in both traditional and non-traditional ways and family support.

Mental Health Resources

Resources for Children

  • Resources for bereaved children of different faiths, beliefs, cultures, and communities

  • Short Animated Films to help children understand grief and other loss implications

  • Resources, Handouts, and Workbooks for children and youth experiecning a loss

  • The National Child Traumatic Stress Network according to their website, was created to raise the standard of care and increase access to services for children and families who experience or witness traumatic events. 

  • Sesame Street Resources to support and help children understand death and cope with grief

  • Free, downloadable book that follows a young girl after she is struggling to deal with the death of her mother

  • Virtual play counseling lounges as well as other at home grief activities

  • Lighthouse Tip Sheets which were created as resources for families, schools, healthcare, and community service agencies, to help support children and youth through their grief journey.

  • Book: When Dinosaurs Die by Laurie Kransny

  • Book: Lifetimes: A Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children by Bryan Mellonie

  • Book: Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss by Pat Schweibert and Chuck DeKlyen

  • Book: A Terrible Thing Happened: A Story for Children Who Have Witnessed Violence or Trauma by Margaret M. Holmes and Cary Pillo

  • Book: When Someone Dies: A Children’s Mindful How-To Guide on Grief and Loss by Andrea Dorn

  • Book: The Grief Rock: A Book to Understand Grief and Love by Natasha Daniels and Lily Fossett