Reviews

Book Reviews | Student Testimonials | Public Speaking Testimonials

Mindfulness & Grief Book Reviews

“Heather Stang offers those who are grieving a wise and practical guide. The stories, teachings and meditations in this book will help you find your own inner strength and awakening heart in the midst of great loss.”

TARA BRACH, Ph.D.
Author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge

“When we are more firmly grounded in our bodies, as Heather Stang demonstrates, we are better able literally and metaphorically to find a new footing in the world, and to restore a life of meaning and coherence.”

ROBERT A. NEIMEYER, Ph.D.
Director, Portland Institute for Loss and Transition

“Intellectually we know we must release that which dies. But how? Mindfulness and Grief can accompany you in your grieving, providing wise and compassionate guidance that will support you in this profound and intimate process of letting go.”

JONATHAN FOUST
Former President
Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health

“Heather Stang offers considerable hope for those who might be lost to the process of grief. Not only does she offer hope – she offers ways to be with grief that are effective and that transform it at the same time. Embracing the moment and being present to what is happening rather than despairing in it are just one small but powerful aspect. I highly recommend this book.”

MICHAEL LEE, M.A.
Founder
Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy

“Heather Stang’s Mindfulness & Grief is a must read and must have for those in grief and those who work with the bereaved and the traumatized. Mindfulness practices can help us hold what we think we cannot hold and bear what we believe we cannot bear. Heather makes learning and practicing mindfulness and meditation accessible and her approach is gentle and supportive. Her structure allows those who may be overwhelmed and in pain to take mindfulness one small practice at a time. For grief professionals, the practices are easy to implement and effective. As both a professional therapist and a grieving person, I highly recommend this book.”

KARLA HELBERT, LPC, C-IAYT, E-RYT,
Author of Finding Your Own Way to GrieveYoga for Grief and LossThe Chakra System in Grief and Trauma

“Whatever effects one level of mind, body and spirit, effects all. By combining current grief research with ancient healing practices, Heather Stang’s Mindfulness and Grief adds an important voice to holistic grief healing.”

CHRISTINE JETTE, R.N., B.A.
TheGrievingHeart.info

“Perfect for the beginner, Stang offers instruction that is easy to follow and understand. This book is also appropriate for the experienced mindfulness practitioner as it provides a framework around using your established practice to work with grief and loss…. No matter your experience with meditation and/or mindfulness, Stang does a wonderful job of normalizing and supporting the grieving process. This is a great read for anyone, as we all experience loss in our lives.”

ROSE KRESS, ERYT-500, LFYP-2
LifeForce Yoga Educator

Student Testimonials for Heather’s Courses

Initials, first names or pseudonyms are used to honor client confidentiality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ I came to Heather’s programme when I was floundering after the death of my partner. I bought many, many different books on grief and loss but this particular book has become my trusted companion. The programme has been my life jacket in a very stormy sea of grief. I am the person who ultimately has to swim and get back to land but having this programme has given me hope that I will get there, in my own time and with the help of Heather and my companions in the online sessions.

Access to the virtual materials and especially the weekly online meetings with Heather are invaluable. Twelve months after the death of my partner, I use the meditations regularly and refer back to the book often and as I need to; certain chapters chime with my changing situations and are an anchor.

My alumni group has become a precious focal point, being with people from 3 continents in a virtual environment of trust and respect is so very powerful. I can only speak for myself, but I am starting to live with my grief and be able to think about a future again. With gratitude and love to Heather and my group.

ALEXIS

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Heather offers a unique and effective approach to grief by beautifully entwining grief education with expressive arts, mindfulness, and journaling. Her online programs offer excellent meditations and discussions about grief related issues. Heather’s calm and compassionate presence are a healing balm in times of great loss. She explains grief so well that you feel as if she walks through the process with you and deeply comprehends the ever changing path of grief. I found her program to be both educational and experiential, an unusual combination in the field of grief. I greatly appreciate her expertise, wisdom, intuition, and compassionate approach. I recommend her programs without reserve! Thank you!

CCM

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This course has brought me back to a mindfulness practice and has been instrumental in my finding peace and equanimity with the loss of my husband and the resultant changes in my life. I recommend this course for anyone who has suffered from the loss of a loved one.

HKS

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ My experience has been that I have found in Heather´s online course a refuge where I can connect with awareness my ongoing grief process.
The lessons of each week allowed me to relate intimately with what in my grief appeared either in my thoughts, emotions and physical sensations.
My relationship to life after this loss is about a profound change and I appreciate Heather’s support to discover it.

GRACE

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Before this course I was having anxiety and depression. The weekly practice was powerful, but integrating my practice into my daily life was especially helpful. I am calmer now. Even when I focus on my grief, it doesn’t seem as overwhelming.

 C.B.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This course reminded me of how powerful the breath can be in experiencing the here & now, and letting go of what we cannot change…. the past. It helped me get out of my head and back into my body. It helped me improve my awareness of deeply held beliefs that I could benefit from examining. It is a step towards healing my grief.

L.M. 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This course provided me with much more growth opportunity than I expected. I am living more fully, breathing more deeply, and I have a better awareness of myself. I am truly grateful.

 A.R.


Public Speaking & Workshop Testimonials

“Heather is a seasoned professional whose commitment and passion shines through her work and her presentations. Upon hearing her speak initially at the Association of Death Education and Counseling’s national conference in San Antonio, I followed up with her to explore possibilities and engaged Heather for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s 2016 Management and Leadership Conference. Her half-day preconference seminar there was well attended and participants rated the session highly. It was so successful that we have invited Heather to present at NHPCO’s Intensives (fall, 2016) and lead morning “self-care” meditation sessions for participants. I have every confidence that these sessions and Heather’s presentation will be well received and popular with our attendees. Heather infuses compassion and care into her work and those who participate reap the benefits!”

BARBARA L. BOUTON,  MA, FT
Vice President, Professional Development
National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization

“We were looking for an engaging speaker who could connect well with our donor families, and create a safe and comfortable place for them to learn about meditation for grief and share their experiences. My favorite part of “Meditation for Grief” was the compassion meditation. I felt it really resonated with our donor families and was something that they could incorporate into their daily lives. I also enjoyed the beginning of the workshop where she engaged the donor families and had them share a little bit about themselves and their loved ones. Heather is warm, compassionate, and engaging. She is a great teacher and makes meditation seem attainable and realistic.”

KAYLA SMITH, LMSW
Donor Family Services Coordinator
LiveOnNY

heather stang live on ny organ donation“Your personality is warm and inviting which we felt would allow our donor families to feel safe. As an organization we are very protective of our donor families, we consistently evaluate and scrutinize the services we offer our families. This ensures that we are always offering the best quality of care to grieving families. Your ‘Meditation for Grief’ workshop was absolutely a vital part of that continuation of care we provide.

From my observations both as a participant and a social worker in the donor family services department the most impactful part of the workshop was the guided meditation and group discussion on our individual experiences during the meditation. Our donor families felt safe enough to share their coping strategies both positive and negative. What struck me most was how compassionate you were with our families as they shared their stories. You were not afraid to talk about ‘taboo’ subjects. Your willingness to engage our families on their terms was such a gift for our agency to learn from and most importantly for our donor families. Death and dying is not an easy subject to talk about, but you led the way and allowed for a new perspective on coping with their loss. The workshop’s goal was not take away the pain our families, but rather to help them gain new perspective on their loss and to move forward with mindfulness in their grief journey. The coping tools our donor families were given during our ‘Meditation for Grief’ workshop will serve them well in their journey. I have tremendous confidence in saying this because it’s clearly reflected in our donor family survey responses to the workshop.

I would say that ‘mindfulness’ is a gift you will unpack the rest of your life. Too often we humans are just reacting to things one after another. If you want to get off the treadmill then Heather Stang is the ideal person to guide you. Her work is thoughtful, focused and well researched. I trust her to work with our donor families because of her compassion and openness about her own grief journey. She knows what she’s talking about, but more importantly she helps you find what works best for you.”

YIE YIN FOONG
Family Services Outreach Coordinator
LiveOnNY

alzheimers association caregiver conference heather stang“I was looking for a speaker on Mindful Meditation and wanted someone who could speak to caregivers. I was very excited when I heard you had a background studying death and dying and would be able to understand the grief issues faced by dementia caregivers, as well as understand the stress they face. Based on your experience as a speaker and your education, I knew you would be a good fit. I thought it was amazing that in a medium sized room with over 100 people you demonstrated that we could follow your voice and relax.

I would say [to others that] Heather Stang is a very knowledgeable person and she can help you learn about mindful meditation.  She knows about grief, stress, relaxation and more.  Heather helped over 120 people by speaking at the Western Maryland Dementia Conference; if you have a chance to work with her, I think maybe she can help you too!”

SUSAN DWYER LCSW-C
Education Coordinator
Alzheimer’s Association Greater Maryland Chapter

“Not only is she dedicated to making her presentations informative & well-researched, but she also makes them really entertaining! A colleague came up to me after Heather’s talk who said she’s one of the best speakers we’ve ever had for this organization.”

SUSAN HOUGH
Greater Frederick Advertising Federation

maryland library association mindfulness leadership heather stang“Heather’s approach was exactly the right balance for our group. She provided historical context for mindfulness practice, then led us through a number of hands-on exercises. The large audience was a blend of novices & current mindfulness practitioners. They were all equally engaged throughout her talk. We’re already planning our next training with Heather!”

JAMES KELLY
Maryland Library Association

“On behalf of the whole MHA Staff, thank you for your wonderful presentation at our February staff meeting. I know we all gained valuable and practical techniques for self care.”

LINDA MEYERS
Mental Health Association of Frederick County

“I just reviewed the feedback from the event and all said that the seminar “The Relaxation Response for Dementia Caregivers” was excellent. From my point of view, the program was a gift to people who are stressed by caregiving. What I found amazing was that there was a roomful of 25 people and for 25 minutes there was not one sound but your soothing voice. Who among us takes the time to be quiet and rest? Thank you Heather.”

LINDA RYAN
Arden Courts of Kensington

 

Get compassionate live online grief support with author Heather Stang


Meditation | Journaling | Self-care | Sharing