Dr. Jessica Thomas will be holding a book signing for Choosing Light: Transforming Grief through the Practice of Mindful Photography and Self-Reflection at our office on July 30th at 11 AM.
Order the book through the publisher for 30% off here with code RLFANDF30 or order on Amazon. Learn more about Dr. Thomas and the book below.
From Sara Moller, our Social Activities Coordinator: “As the Social Activities Coordinator for Alzheimer’s San Diego, I had the honor of observing the facilitation of Mindful Photography, a program offered for our care partners. The four-week program was powerful because not only did it offer support, but it also transformed each person’s ‘lens’ and way of seeing their role as a care partner, and their relationship with their loved one. The practice outlined by Dr. Jessica Thomas offered a gentle and creative path toward empowerment as care partners became aware of their ability to choose how they want to perceive their experiences, create meaning and gain insights through the world of photography. During the course of the four weeks, we saw significant shifts in perspective, as care partners transitioned from feeling frustrated in their current situations, to feeling gratitude for the present moment. One of our care partners emphasized, ‘This program has truly changed how I see life. I am a much happier person now.’ at the end of our four weeks. I could not recommend Dr. Thomas’s Mindful Photography more, and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to experience the wonderful program.”
About the Book
Part guide and part fellow traveler, Choosing Light draws on Dr. Thomas’ own life losses and research to build a bridge of compassion to readers, inviting curiosity about the relationship between the visual world without and the personal world within. This creative nonfiction explores meaning making through the acts of noticing, creating and perceiving one’s lived experiences of grief and loss.
Captivating portrayals in chapter four reveal the visual narratives of four grievers who processed and transformed their grief through the mindful photography and self-reflective practice, Within & Without. Readers will feel inspired and connected as they learn to contemplate new perspectives regarding life and death. While emphasizing the importance of processing grief, this book also underscores the significance of communal mourning, enduring connections, and healing rituals. In a culture often averse to discussions on death, this work strives to illuminate the overlooked dimensions of collective grief, urging communities not to hastily bypass their mourning. Through reflection and practice, this book fosters increased wisdom, creativity, self-nurturing, and the discovery of profound new meanings amidst impermanence and change.
About the Author
Dr. Jessica Thomas has spent over a decade studying transpersonal psychology, psycho-spiritual development, mindful photography, and the art of reflection. Her approach to death education, program development and clinical supervision integrates Eastern philosophy and Western psychology– which deeply considers how we are interconnected. A leading figure in the intersection of mental health, academia, and the death industry she is professor at Lewis & Clark College where she teaches on death, loss, and psycho-spiritual development. Dr. Thomas holds a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology and MS in Marriage and Family Therapy while also serving on the board of The NW Association for Death Education and Bereavement Support. As a death and grief educator and therapist, she is passionate about expanding the ways in which we engage in conversation around death and dying. She strongly believes that exploring one’s own grief and loss experiences and sharing those experiences in community with others can promote a healthier society. Dr. Thomas is also the author of Choosing Light: Transforming Grief through the Practice of Mindful Photography and Self-Reflection and esteemed doctoral research, Mindful Photography and its Implications in End-of-life Caregiving: An Art-based Phenomenology.
“I honor my grief experiences as wisdom gained when I host a Within and Without Mindful Photography reflection group or train a facilitator or teach courses on death and dying. Bit by bit, I contribute toward a systemic shift in our society where we can be more death accepting rather than death denying and where there is more access to social grief support rather than grief isolation.” — Jessica Thomas PhD (Website)
