Grief: Five Stages of Grief Recovery Highlighted by Grief Expert Aurora Winter

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Jan 18, 2011, 08:20 ET

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As the victims of the Arizona shootings are laid to rest at funerals and memorial services, our nation needs to know what steps to take to heal our grief.

"People often don't know what to do to recover from grief," said Aurora Winter, Founder of the Grief Coach Academy, and author of "From Heartbreak to Happiness." "Time alone does not heal. The right actions heal."

Here are five steps to take after the funeral or memorial service:

Express your feelings
Get support
Accept your feelings and the situation
Let go of the hope for a better yesterday
Help others

EXPRESS YOUR FEELINGS

"Unexpressed feelings are like food poisoning. Don't keep the poison inside," said Aurora Winter, who founded the Grief Coach Academy after the death of her husband at the age of 33. She is passionate about helping grieving people. "If you express your feelings, you get to release them."

GET SUPPORT

After the funeral or memorial service, get support. "Healing is a process, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. But without the right help, people can suffer from unresolved grief for years," says Aurora. "Get support to move through grief more quickly. Talk to a professional, such as a certified grief coach."

ACCEPT YOUR FEELINGS AND THE SITUATION

"Acceptance is a key stage of grief recovery. When we resist our feelings or the situation, we create enormous stress," says Aurora. "When I finally accepted my husband's sudden death at the age of 33, it was life-changing. I realized that, if I was given a choice, I would choose my fate. I would still marry him, would still have our son."

LET GO OF THE HOPE FOR A BETTER YESTERDAY

"No matter how much we think something should not have happened, yesterday is never going to change. Never. Peace comes when we let go of the hope for a different or better yesterday," says Aurora.

HELP OTHERS

"The final stage of grief recovery is to help others," says Aurora. She found peace after her husband's death by helping other people heal from grief. "Helping others gives meaning to what otherwise would be a meaningless tragedy."

Aurora's book "From Heartbreak to Happiness" is her intimate diary of healing after her husband died suddenly at the age of 33, leaving her widowed with a 4-year-old son.

"If I can go from heartbreak to happiness, you can, too," says Aurora.

"From Heartbreak to Happiness" reveals the stages of grieving and healing and is available as a complimentary ebook at http://www.AuroraWinter.com or http://www.stages-of-grief.com.

Dr. Wayne Dyer endorsed Aurora's book, "From Heartbreak To Happiness": "I read every page of this beautiful diary -- it touched my heart and I'm sure it will impact yours."

If you would like to learn more about how to help grieving people, visit http://www.GriefCoachAcademy.com and get a free Mp3 or CD.

About Aurora Winter

Formerly a film and TV executive producer, Aurora Winter has over a decade of experience with the media. Aurora is the founder of the Grief Coach Academy, which is dedicated to training coaches how to coach their clients through grief, and From Heartbreak to Happiness®.

She's a popular guest on radio, TV and print, and has reached over a million people with her message of hope, healing, and happiness. She's a sought-after workshop leader, coach trainer, speaker, and author.

Aurora co-stars with best-selling authors including Bernie Seigel (author of "Love, Medicine, and Miracles") and others in the award-winning documentary feature film "What If."