Solace in the Storm - by Merle Griff (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Life can change in an instant. Even when the water seems calm, you can be thrown suddenly into the unfamiliar storm of caregiving.

Most people will serve as a caregiver at some point in their lives, whether to their children, their spouse, their parents, or even their grandchildren. Despite how common the experience is, it's difficult to find quick, easy, and practical advice to help you survive the never-ending stress of caring for a loved one.

For anyone searching for support in moments of family crisis, Dr. Merle Griff's Solace in the Storm can be your guide. Griff, a therapist who has helped families overcome the challenges of providing care at all stages of life, offers easy-to-apply solutions to common caregiving problems.

Whether it's dealing with uninvited opinions from friends and family members, communicating with healthcare professionals, or finding time for yourself, Solace in the Storm provides the direction you need to ride out even the roughest seas. Griff provides stories from people who have been where you are now--and her own life--to help readers get through what seems like the impossible.

Caregiving can be needed at any point in your loved ones' lives. In this book, Griff looks at caregiving throughout the human lifecycle, starting with infancy through caring for adult parents. And she gives advice on how friends and family can help, either by lending a hand or by learning what to say--and what not to say.

Solace in the Storm will serve as your lifelong resource for quick tips, resources, and words of support and encouragement--a companion you will turn to again and again.

From the Back Cover

Overwhelmed caring for a loved one?
INTERGENERATIONAL THERAPIST AND RADIO HOST
DR. MERLE GRIFF CAN HELP!

Almost everyone serves as a caregiver at some point in their life, whether to their children, their spouse, their parents, or even their grandchildren. Despite how common the experience is, it's difficult to find quick, easy, and practical advice to help you survive the never-ending stress of caring for a loved one. But you are not alone.

Enter Dr. Merle Griff, a therapist who has helped families overcome the challenges that come with providing care at all stages of life. Bringing her clinical background to bear, along with her own experiences caring for her children, her husband, and her mother, Dr. Griff offers easy-to-apply solutions to common caregiving problems to provide you with peace, comfort, and confidence to overcome these challenges.

Whether you're dealing with uninvited opinions from friends and family members, communicating with healthcare professionals, or finding time for yourself, Solace in the Storm provides the guidance you need to ride out even the roughest waters. Stories from people who have been where you are now--and from her own life--serve as examples for you to apply to your own circumstances and help you create channels of calm amidst the raging seas.

Solace in the Storm is your lifelong resource for quick tips, resources, and words of support and encouragement--a companion you will turn to again and again.

Review Quotes

It's not every day that you come across such an empowering self-help book filled with incredible nuggets that are easy to digest and incorporate into everyday life as we care for our loved ones. No matter which stage of life you find yourself as a caregiver, Dr. Merle Griff has written a roadmap to help guide you through what can be an overwhelming and complicated experience. Her book is beautifully written, peppered with positive and concise anecdotes that can be easily put into practice. As someone who sees both the direct as well as the indirect negative impact that caring for a loved one can have in the workplace, both on the individual caregiver and the organization as a whole, I truly believe that the tools that Dr. Griff shares in her book can only serve to minimize what is typically a very disruptive time in their lives. I want to thank Dr. Griff for sharing her insights in such a genuine and meaningful light.

Andrew Bloom

President and chief executive officer Corporate Synergies Group

A warm, wise, and most important, practical resource for the many challenges facing today's families. Highly recommended!

Joshua Coleman, Ph.D.

Psychologist and author Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict

Thanks to Dr. Griff for crafting a meaningful, moving, and motivational guide to caregiving. This is a resource readers will turn to again and again, as the lifespan approach connects with all as we progress along our caregiving journey.

Jed Johnson, MSW, MBA

Managing director

Aging Services CARF National and International Accreditation Services

Dr. Merle Griff is a source of wise and practical guidance, with years of direct experience and professional education to back it up. What greater endorsement for a book about handling family situations could there be? The book offers not only useful knowledge and guidance but also a warmly engaging style that enables readers to readily understand and see how these insights can be applied to their own situations.

Karen VanderVen, PhD

Professor emerita Department of Psychology in Education University of Pittsburgh

Dr. Merle's professional and personal experiences have allowed me as the reader to better understand the multiple dynamics of caring, and how to approach new situations. Caring requires a healthier, more capable caregiver. I know more now than I did before reading.

David Webb

Senior advisor and host

Veteran Services USA

The David Webb Show, Sirius XM: The Patriot Channel

I have known Dr. Merle Griff for several decades, and she is exceptionally insightful about the needs of family caregivers and those we care for. Merle combines her personal and professional experiences as she listens, learns, and focuses on the practical, actionable, and realistic takeaways that family caregivers so desperately need. This book will surely be a key resource for those who are caring for others.

Amy Goyer

Nationally known family caregiving expert Author of Juggling Life, Work, and Caregiving