Holding Space with Claire Bidwell Smith & Jason Rosenthal
This is a unique time in our world for people who are experiencing grief and loss on many different levels. As a therapist who has specialized in grief and anxiety for over a decade, I hope to use the knowledge and tools I have amassed to help others who are struggling. These weekly discussions are open to anyone who wants to join, and each week I'll be bringing on a special guest to help explore our collective grief and anxiety. We will offer coping tools and techniques and take live questions from participants. If you can't make it to the call you will receive a recording.
Claire Bidwell Smith is an internationally renowned author, speaker, and grief expert. She is the author of three books of nonfiction: The Rules of Inheritance, After This: When Life Is Over Where Do We Go? and Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief. Her books have been published in 18 countries and Claire lectures and writes regularly about grief.
Jason B. Rosenthal is the co-author (with his daughter Paris) of the New York Times #1 bestselling book, Dear Boy,. He is also a foundation Board Chair of the Amy Krouse Rosenthal Foundation which supports both childhood literacy and research in early detection of ovarian cancer. Jason is also a public speaker, lawyer and devoted father of three. He is the subject of an essay written by his wife, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, called “You May Want to Marry My Husband.” That piece is heartbreaking, brutally honest, and funny. It is a creative play on a personal ad for Jason—in which a dying wife encourages her husband to go on and find happiness after her death. The column quickly went viral, reaching more than five million people worldwide. Jason is passionate about helping others find ways to fill their blank space as he continues to fill his own.
Jason’s memoir, My Wife Said You May Want To Marry Me, was published on April 21, 2020 by Harper. It is an inspiring personal account of life, love, loss, and new beginnings in which Jason describes what came next: his commitment to respecting Amy’s wish, even as he struggled with her loss. Surveying his life before, with, and after Amy, Jason ruminates on love, the pain of watching a loved one suffer, how he and their three children move forward with resilience, showing how change and growth can come from the most challenging times. As he reflects on Amy’s gift to him—a fresh start to fill his empty space with a new story—he shares important and inspiring lessons on hope and resilience in the wake of tremendous loss.
Jason resides in Chicago, a city he is proud to call home.
