Giveaway: print or eBook copy of Healing Through the Chaos: Practical Care Giving
We are giving away one copy of Healing Through the Chaos. If you are in the US and win, a print copy will be mailed to you. If you are outside the US and win, you’ll be emailed access to an eBook copy.
***This giveaway is now closed – congrats to Cynthia A.! Tamara will be sending you private email in just few!***
The Interview with Author Tandy Elisala
Creative Grief Studio Alum Tandy Elisala is passionate about helping family caregivers go from being overwhelmed and stressed to empowered and calm. Tandy left her 23-year corporate executive career to take care of both parents simultaneously while raising three kids as a single mom. She shares her caregiving journey in her first book, Healing Through the Chaos: Practical Caregiving, and gives other family caregivers a guide to navigate the often-challenging journey. Tandy also went through cancer four times and learned how to heal using conventional, complementary, and alternative therapy. Tandy is a family caregiver coach, a multiple best-selling author, inspirational speaker and mom to three adult kids, one angel dog and one diva cat. She also offers reminders of hope, inspiration and empowerment via her free Daily Dose of Hope from Tandy.
We had the opportunity to connect with Tandy a bit about her book and about her heARTwork and experience:
Q: What led you to write this book on caregiving? What were your intentions in creating it?
Tandy: What led me to write this caregiving book was twofold. First, I wanted to help other family caregivers navigate the complex issues associated with caregiving. I wanted to create the resource that I wish I had had when thrust into my caregiving role. Second, I saw it as an opportunity to help me grieve the loss of my parents.
Q: What did you learn about grief before and during the process of writing the book?
Tandy: I learned that grief is a very individual thing and everyone grieves differently. I also learned about anticipatory grief and how this impacted my role as a caregiver, daughter, mother, and writer. Some parts of the book were difficult to write during caregiving. What was unique in my case, though, was I started writing the book during caregiving. My parents provided feedback on my draft and I incorporated their changes in the book. In a way, it was a great way for us to communicate on a lot of different levels.
Q: The Family Action Guide located at the end of each chapter includes practical tips for caregivers. How did the idea of including a Family Action Guide occur to you? Why is it important?
Tandy: The idea of including a Family Action Guide occurred to me after writing the first few chapters. I realized that there was so much information about each topic and I wanted to provide a more concise way for readers to take action based on their own needs and circumstances. I believe the Family Action Guide is an important part of the book because it helps meet caregivers where they are.
Q: As you know, in the CGS, we stress that there is not “one right way” to go about grieving and to avoid prescriptions for steps that “must be” done. Please talk about how that relates to your Family Action Guide. Do you expect readers to complete each action?
Tandy: There is definitely no ‘right way’ to grieve and I don’t expect readers to complete each action guide at the end of each chapter. The opposite is true! I know that readers may be in different places in their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual journey and, as such, may need one, three, or all of the action guides. It’s designed to be individual based on the reader’s needs.
Q: Where can someone buy a copy?
Tandy: Anyone interested in buying a copy of Healing Through the Chaos may do so by clicking here (using this link you will receive a personalized autographed copy of the book). Alternatively, you may purchase a copy through Amazon.