Simple Acts of Care
How to Help When Loved Ones are Hurting
Will be published approx. on 3. December 2026
Book
Hardback
144 pages
978-1-68555-519-1 (ISBN)
Description
Simple Acts of Care is a thoughtful, practical guide for friends, family members, and community members who want to show up with empathy and intention, offering guidance on how to help in ways that truly support rather than overwhelm.
When a friend or family member is supporting someone through illness, loss, or upheaval, the instinct to help is immediate. Yet even the most well-intentioned words and gestures can sometimes miss the mark, adding pressure or discomfort instead of relief. Offering genuine support requires thoughtfulness, humility, and a willingness to shift how we show up.
Through short, reflective essays and practical guidance, Simple Acts of Care draws on deep personal and professional experience to explore what it really means to be helpful to someone in crisis. Natalie Silverstein brings her background as a writer, speaker, and longtime advocate for compassionate action, informed by her lived experience on both sides of caregiving.
The book invites readers to reconsider common habits around caregiving and support, offering gentle suggestions for changing perspective, language, and actions so care feels grounding rather than overwhelming. Designed to be read in small moments and returned to as needed, this is a reassuring companion for anyone who wants to support a loved one with clarity, compassion, and intention.
When a friend or family member is supporting someone through illness, loss, or upheaval, the instinct to help is immediate. Yet even the most well-intentioned words and gestures can sometimes miss the mark, adding pressure or discomfort instead of relief. Offering genuine support requires thoughtfulness, humility, and a willingness to shift how we show up.
Through short, reflective essays and practical guidance, Simple Acts of Care draws on deep personal and professional experience to explore what it really means to be helpful to someone in crisis. Natalie Silverstein brings her background as a writer, speaker, and longtime advocate for compassionate action, informed by her lived experience on both sides of caregiving.
The book invites readers to reconsider common habits around caregiving and support, offering gentle suggestions for changing perspective, language, and actions so care feels grounding rather than overwhelming. Designed to be read in small moments and returned to as needed, this is a reassuring companion for anyone who wants to support a loved one with clarity, compassion, and intention.
More details
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
approx. 12/2026
Simon + Schuster LLC
€8.89
Not yet available
Persons
Natalie Silverstein is an author, podcast host, and nonprofit founder. She is the author of Simple Acts: The Busy Family’s Guide to Giving Back (2019), named one of the Top Books for Parents Who Want to Raise Kind Kids by HuffPost, and Simple Acts: The Busy Teen’s Guide to Making a Difference (2022). She hosts the award-winning Simple Acts, Big Impact podcast. Natalie is the New York coordinator for Doing Good Together, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping families engage in meaningful service. She is a founding member of Impact 100 NYC, a women’s giving circle that has distributed over one million dollars to nonprofits. Along with her husband, she is co-founder of The Silverstein Foundation for Parkinson’s with GBA. Natalie holds a master’s degree in public health from Yale University and lives in New York City with her husband and three children.
R.A. Smith is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Sonoma County, California. Her illustration work includes the picture books Fun in the Mud, Little Loon Finds His Voice, Our Friend Moon, and Our Friend Earth. She has also illustrated adult nonfiction titles including Embrace the Work, Love Your Career, Reflect and Reset, and Simple Acts of Care. R.A. is passionate about bringing stories to life through pictures and thoughtful design. Her work is rooted in traditional drawing and painting, combined with vector graphics. She collaborates with local entrepreneurs and authors, as well as independent publishers.
Meghan Riordan Jarvis, MA, LCSW, is a podcast host, TEDx speaker, and trauma-trained psychotherapist specializing in grief and loss. With 20 years of experience, she speaks on the importance of understanding grief and supporting grievers. Meghan hosts the popular blog and podcast Grief Is My Side Hustle and offers a free writing workshop, Grief Mates. She is also the author of End of the Hour, a memoir on trauma, loss, and healing. For more, visit meghanriordanjarvis.com.
R.A. Smith is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Sonoma County, California. Her illustration work includes the picture books Fun in the Mud, Little Loon Finds His Voice, Our Friend Moon, and Our Friend Earth. She has also illustrated adult nonfiction titles including Embrace the Work, Love Your Career, Reflect and Reset, and Simple Acts of Care. R.A. is passionate about bringing stories to life through pictures and thoughtful design. Her work is rooted in traditional drawing and painting, combined with vector graphics. She collaborates with local entrepreneurs and authors, as well as independent publishers.
Meghan Riordan Jarvis, MA, LCSW, is a podcast host, TEDx speaker, and trauma-trained psychotherapist specializing in grief and loss. With 20 years of experience, she speaks on the importance of understanding grief and supporting grievers. Meghan hosts the popular blog and podcast Grief Is My Side Hustle and offers a free writing workshop, Grief Mates. She is also the author of End of the Hour, a memoir on trauma, loss, and healing. For more, visit meghanriordanjarvis.com.