
Sudden Loss, Slow Grieving
A clinical psychologist's personal journey through grief
Vanessa Moore(Author)
Kyle Books (Publisher)
Published on 31. August 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-0-85783-942-8 (ISBN)
Description
'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.
- 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.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Octopus Publishing Group
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
265 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-85783-942-8 (9780857839428)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
02/2021
1st Edition
Kyle Books
€3.99
Available for download
Person
Vanessa Moore is a clinical psychologist. She studied Psychology at the University of Bristol, gained her PhD in Experimental Psychology from University College London and trained as a clinical psychologist at the Institute of Psychiatry. She has had a long career in the NHS working in clinical, teaching, research and senior management roles. She specialised in working with children and families early in her career and she has published extensively in academic journals, mainly in the field of child psychology. She is a specialist magistrate in the family courts and she lives in Hampshire.