The Other
Side Of This
The messy truth about grief for teens.
A book for teenagers who've lost someone and can't find language for what that actually feels like. Honest, real, and unpolished, all written by someone who's been there.
This is not a book of quick fixes.
Most books about grief for teenagers are written by those who’ve studied loss; this is written by someone who lived it.
I was 14 when my father died, and I’ve spent more than 20 years figuring out what that actually meant.
The Other Side of This removes the “five-step plan” and walks through the honest, messy chapters of life after loss: the feelings nobody talks about, the masks we wear, the search for home, and what the other side of this can actually look like.
Seven chapters.
Real language.
Real understanding.
Your loss is part of your story, not the end of it.
WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR?
For teenagers navigating loss
For parents looking for a bridge
For counselors and educators
INSIDE THE BOOK
Seven Chapters. No Shortcuts.
CHAPTER 01
The Day Everything Changed
The last ordinary morning. What shock actually feels like. Why your brain protected you from the worst of it and why that's not weakness.
CHAPTER 02
All the Feelings You're Not Supposed to Talk About
Relief. Jealousy. Anger at them for leaving. The longing. Laughter. Every feeling that doesn't fit the picture and why every single one of them is normal.
CHAPTER 03
Nobody's Normal
Going back to school. The mask you wear. What "I'm fine" actually means. And why the kid who looks like they have it together is carrying something you can't see.
CHAPTER 04
Finding Your People
You don't need someone who understands your grief. You need someone who gives you a break from it. What real friendship looks like in the middle of loss.
CHAPTER 05
Where Is Home
Grief doesn't just take the person. It takes the whole world built around them. The search for somewhere that feels safe and what home actually means.
CHAPTER 06
The Things We Keep
A zipper book in a plastic bin. The smell of a truck. An airport window. What it means to carry someone forward and why the physical things are just containers for something that never leaves.
CHAPTER 07
The Other Side of This
It's not a finish line. It's not the day the grief stops. It's a Tuesday afternoon playing catch with your kid. Full, messy, ordinary life with the grief woven into it, not gone. Just carried differently.
ALSO INSIDE
Reflection exercises at the end of every chapter
Not homework. Not grades. Just something small to do with what you just read when you're ready.
Early Praise
“The adult version finds the words the teenager could not, giving language to grief that so many young people struggle to express.”
Zulma B. Williams, CSW
Psychotherapist
From The Author
"I wrote this book because I've been on the other side of this — the side where it's raw and fresh and it hurts."
I was 14 when my dad died. I was 14 when my dad died. My mom was still alive, but in many ways, she had already been gone from my daily life for years. And I found myself sitting in a spare bedroom in my grandparents' house, trying to figure out what any of this meant now.
What I actually needed was someone to sit down next to me and ask, “What do you need right now?” Not “what stage are you in?” Not “have you tried journaling?” Simply, “What do you need?” Right now. In this moment.
Nobody asked me that, so now I’m asking you. This book is our conversation.
It’s here.
The Other Side of This is now available. If you're a teen who's lost someone, or an adult who loves one, this book was written for you.
FREE DISCOVERY CALL
If you need someone to talk to, I’m here. Let’s start a conversation.
If you’re grieving and trying to find your footing, let’s have a 30-minute call. No sales pitch, no pressure, no commitment.