There are times in my life as a wife, mother, nurse and doula that I need to fill the role as comforter. This is not always an easy task. That is why, when I was able to review The Art of Comforting, I was more than happy to do so.
In THE ART OF COMFORTING, Val Walker reminds us of the importance of making real connections and helps us best support the people we love. An experienced rehabilitation counselor, Walker consulted 13 top professionals from a variety of fields who use comforting skills professionally every day. Her advice will help readers in a variety of situations, and is especially helpful to parents – answering questions like…
• How can we get our children to communicate about their feelings offline?
• How can we best explain hardship and death to our children?
• Which creative activities can we do when kids need comfort and stress relief?
• How do our American cultural norms prevent us from being good comforters?
• What should we say – and not say – to upset family members?
What I enjoyed about this book is that Walker provided tips for the comforter on a basic level (do’s and don’ts for example) and also went more in depth on how to comfort those you come in contact with. The author discusses the ways to comfort young and old alike. I would recommend this book for anyone with a child that needs comforting (say in cases of divorce or loss) or anyone that works with those that are in need of comforting. It is a great way to sharpen your skills and learn new ways to be better at comforting people.
The Art of Comforting can be purchased for $15.95. You can also find Tarcher Books on Twitter and Facebook.
Disclosure: I received this book to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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