Starting Over After the Death of Your Life Partner
If you think this is just another book about coping with the loss of a partner… You’re in for a surprise! Based on her long-running class “Gaining Traction,” grief counselor Vicki Panagotacos delivers a step-by-step program that will open your eyes to a new way of life. Panagotacos helps you think clearly about what you want — and don’t want — as you move forward after loss. Tapping into personal stories told in her classroom, backed by research that reveals what secretly drives many of our decisions, Panagotacos gets you emotionally prepared to go after the life you deserve.
How Will this Grief Book Help Me?
So, if you have a busy calendar but little joy… if you’re constantly second-guessing yourself… if the thought of another relationship makes you cringe… by the end of this book you will:
- have the tools to harness anxiety and deal with uncertainty
- be ready to commit to experiences not previously considered; and
- know when to say “yes” or “no” to that new relationship.
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Reader Praise
Review of current books, Association of Death Education and Counseling Feb 2015 Forum Newsletter Rev Paul A. Metzler, DMin
Panagotacos, Vicki. Gaining Traction. Starting Over After the Death of Your Life Partner. Steady Guide Press, 2014. ISBN: 978-0-9915805-0-7. Softcover, 159 pages.
Panagotacos has written an engaging self-help book for those who have lost a life-partner. A teacher, grief counselor and hospice professional, she provides 14-chapters to guide a bereaved person through numerous insights and self-inventories (named TR-ACTIONs) to motivate new behavior and enable clear decision making. She has led many workshops using this process that makes bereavement manageable and facilitates growth toward a positive future. She offers a rich array of quotations from those who have already traveled the road of grief and provides many references to other relevant books and articles.
Comments from Vicki’s Clients
“Finally a well-written book that picks up where grief support and counseling stops. Gaining Traction is a book that should be read by all who are starting over after the loss of a spouse.”
Ken M., Grief Support Group Facilitator
“I had the pleasure of working with Vicki and the Gaining Traction material during my second year of grieving the loss of my husband. Her class was such a radical change from my first year support group that my initial reaction was resistance. The work soon shifted my attention and I understood that I had to make some changes–and that I could actually choose what I would change. The experience was the best thing that could have happened to me, and I ended up with a better life than I had before my loss. I will be forever grateful to Vicki for the work she inspired me to do.”
Fran D.
“Working with Vicki and the Gaining Traction material was a meaningful experience. She opened my eyes and helped me deal with my anger. This book will help move a grieving spouse to a more positive place.”
Ann L.
“It has been three years since my husband passed away. I have come a long way, but I still had issues that need to be dealt with. In reading Gaining Traction and doing the exercises, I found the incentive to start the process.”
Becky B.
“I love this book. Vicki provides a wealth of wisdom and a roadmap for how to accept and move forward after deep loss. Read and reread this at your own pace – but read it. It is a must-have book for getting back to living fully.”
Paul S.
“As a widow with three kids, I can’t express how helpful Vicki’s counsel has been me and my family. Whether you are in her class – or reading Gaining Traction, she doesn’t let you forget that “life is for the living.”
Betsy H.
“Loved this book. It provides a terrific roadmap for life – no matter what the circumstances.”
Linda F.
“There was nothing to prepare me for the profound grief and sadness that came with the loss of my husband. Working with Vicki and the material in Gaining Traction helped me regain my self-confidence and move on to enjoy my life again. Looking back on my progress, I don’t believe I could have done as well without the exercises and techniques.”
Irene B.
“After my spouse died I attended grief counseling for two years, but after reading Gaining Traction I realize that counseling just skimmed the surface. I wish I had had this wonderful fully-packed reference 10 years ago. Better late than never!”
Michelle B.
“I wasn’t sure I needed any help with my grief because I had many good friends who would listen. But after just a few classes with Vicki Panagotacos, I realized I had something to learn. Vicki’s skills, so aptly reproduced in this book, helped me. Recently members of our class had a reunion dinner. We were on our way – all of us exceptionally active–free to honor our deceased spouses and relish our new lives. The material in Gaining Traction provided the vital information we needed to get to where we are.”
Art B.
Free Excerpts & Downloads
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Contact: vicki@vickipanagotacos.com or call (650) 793-0868
General Book Information
- Paperback/Kindle
- 170 pp | English
- ISBN-10: 0991580508
- ISBN-13: 978-0991580507
- Library of Congress Control Number: 2014937481
- Publication: April 19,2014, 1st Edition
