Sudden Loss, Slow Grieving
'Dr Moore's 1000-day-plus journey evocatively and beautifully describes the mental devastation that personal loss can leave in its wake and offers us the remarkable combination of expert commentary and an intensely personal captivating narrative.'
- Peter Fonagy OBE, Professor of Contemporary Psychoanalysis and Head of Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, UCL
'A book that appeals to different audiences. It will reach out to those who have lost loved ones and need the comfort and solace of knowing that they are not alone in their suffering.'
- Lusia Stopa, Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Southampton
Vanessa's husband Paul dies suddenly and tragically on their regular Sunday morning swim.
How will she cope with her dilapidated house, her teenage children, the patients who depend on her? Will therapy help? Why do mysterious white feathers start appearing in unexpected places?
As a clinical psychologist, Vanessa Moore is used to providing therapy and guidance for her patients. But as she tries to work out how to survive the trauma that has derailed her life, she begins to understand her profession from the other side. Like her, many of her patients were faced with life events they hadn't been expecting - a child born with a disability or life-limiting illness, a sudden bereavement, divorce, failure - and it is their struggles and stories of resilience and bravery that begin to help her process her own personal loss.
Taking us through her journey towards recovery as she navigates the world of dating and tries to seek the right therapy, Vanessa uses her professional skills to explore the many questions posed by unanticipated death and find a way forwards. Beautifully written and honestly relayed, Sudden Loss, Slow Grieving is a heartbreaking grief memoir of the process of healing experienced as both a bereaved wife and clinical psychologist.