Print ISBN: 978-1-943001-49-1
eBook ISBN: 978-1-943001-50-7
First responders spend their careers stepping into other people’s worst moments—yet rarely have the space or language to face their own. In Being Human, Being Strong, Dr. Beth Hewett brings compassion, clarity, and deep expertise to a topic that is both universal and too often avoided: grief.
With honesty and heart, Hewett weaves together personal stories, first responder interviews, practical tools, and modern grief theory to illuminate what loss really is, why it affects us so profoundly, and how first responders can begin to heal. From childhood losses to line‑of‑duty tragedies, from family shifts to accumulated “stacked” grief, she guides readers through understanding, naming, and tending to the pain they carry.
This book offers hope, permission, and a path forward. It reminds every reader—responder, supporter, or family member—that to grieve is to be human, and to face grief with intention is to become strong.
The beautiful cover art After the Avalanche was painted by Shawn McCowell.
Being Human, Being Strong is a groundbreaking guide to understanding the often‑ignored reality of personal grief in the lives of first responders. Drawing from years of experience as a thanatologist, bereavement specialist, and ICISF instructor, Dr. Beth L. Hewett offers an essential, accessible exploration of how loss affects first responders not only on the job, but at home, in family systems, in identity, and across a lifetime.
Through powerful real‑world interviews, relatable stories, science‑based models, and practical activities, Hewett helps readers recognize the grief they carry, map their own history of loss, and learn healthy ways to mourn. She demystifies how grief affects the body, mind, and spirit; how trauma and loss interact; and how cultural and occupational myths—like “don’t feel,” “stay strong,” and “just move on”—silence the very emotions that make us human.
Both a companion to ICISF’s Foundations of Grief for First Responders course and a stand‑alone resource, this book guides first responders, peer supporters, chaplains, clinicians, and family members toward healing, resilience, and renewed connection. Hewett’s message is clear: Grief is not weakness—it is evidence of love. And when we learn to work with it, it can make us stronger.
The beautiful cover art After the Avalanche was painted by Shawn McCowell.
Beth L. Hewett, PhD, CT, CCISM, CEOLS is a Certified Thanatologist, Compassionate Bereavement Care™ specialist, Certified Critical Incident Stress Management specialist, and Certified End-of-Life Doula. She is a public speaker and the author of Grief on the Road to Emmaus: A Monastic Approach to Journeying with the Bereaved, Good Words: Memorializing through a Eulogy and More Good Words: Practical Activities for Mourning, and coauthor of Supporting a Grieving Workforce.
Dr. Hewett supports the bereaved as a grief coach and spiritual companion. Her work includes pre- and post-death bereavement, healing ceremony and ritual, and mindful mourning activities. Her publications, to include articles and blogs, can be found at www.goodwordsforgrieving.com.
