Mary Jane Hurley Brant

Mary Jane Hurley Brant, M.S., CGP is practicing psychotherapist, Certified Group Psychotherapist/grief specialist for 41 years, author of When Every Day Matters, essayist of both serious and humorous pieces. Her primary specialty is grief and loss of a child. A rich clinical expertise and loss of her daughter, Katie, gives MJ a heart for helping parents process their grief, especially mothers. MaryJaneHurleyBrant.com for contact information. She facilitates support groups for mothers who have lost a child. Presently has a Facebook group for 200 bereaved mothers as well as outside groups. She see clients in person in Malvern, PA, on Zoom and by phone.

Reviews: Sarah Ban Breathnach, best-selling author of Simple Abundance says "In her moving meditation on what matters most in life M.J.Hurley Brant confronts the unthinkable with courage, compassion and candor. Her memoir is a gift of grace and will become a classic on grief. For those who are hurting, a spiritual blessing awaits in between every line."

Reviews: Larry Kirshbaum, Publishers Weekly Person of the Year, previous CEO at Time, Inc. and Amazon General Interest says, "This is a book that will break your heart and put it back together again. This is a story of a daughter who wouldn't give up and a mother who never lost faith. The reader can't help but be inspired by the indomitable human spirit that resides within Mary Jane Hurley Brant."

Reviews: James Hollis, Ph.D. Jungian Analyst, Executive Director of the Jung Society of Washington, DC says, "For a first-person description of the soul's daily struggle to find its course, this is a book to read. This work arises from a woman whose Jungian perspective brings a depth of insight and working knowledge.... Spoken with eloquence and candor; offering hope without minimizing trauma and lasting pain."

Editorial Review from On Line Book Club - "Mary Jane Hurley Brant has written an extremely emotional story of her experience with losing a child. When Every Day Matters will hit deep down in the soul of every parent who reads this. Some parents may have experienced it themselves and will connect automatically to her feelings....

The book is written partially in the form of letters from the author to her daughter. Throughout the year after the death of her 28-year-old daughter Katie, MJH Brant constructed several letters that described her feelings and emotions. These were written to Katie and were in the form of diary entries that reminisced about all of the moments they shared throughout the course of Katie's decade-long sickness. After each diary entry, MJH Brant went on to explain other things to the reader about the experience that the letter was referring to. She also included several "looking-back" reflections and inspirational quotes that her experiences put on her heart.

Reading a book about a mother losing her child is a very emotional experience. I feel like every person who reads this will be touched in some way and will have a hard time keeping dry eyes. Due to her mother doing an exceptional job of describing her character, I really felt connected to Katie. At times, through the author's words, I felt like I could envision and hear the actual conversations being described.

It was very heartwarming to read about how Katie was such an inspiration to others throughout her sickness, despite the trials, fears, and pains that she had to be enduring. She had such a strong character and faith about her all the way up to her death. Her mother's beautiful way with words captured this spirit in such a way that I can't even begin to describe it....I didn't find any fault with this book. A few times, a word was misused in a sentence. However, this was very rare.

I will rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It is a very beautiful read, and you will feel very attached to the characters, especially Katie, after coming to the end of the story. It is hard to keep tears back while reading. Some may find it difficult to read, especially if they have had similar experiences. However, I hope many will give it a try, as it is very inspiring."

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Mary Jane has been a guest on NPR, is a grief expert writer for Open To Hope Foundation and contributor to their anthology "Inspirational Stories of Handling the Holidays After Loss." Featured 3 times in Phila. Inquirer, The Jung Page, Catholic Standard & Times, Catholic Star Herald, 2009 Villanova Magazine, highlighted in The Huff Post, Moderate Voice, Am. Group Psychothrapy Asso.,TAPS. Mag. for U.S. Military. Expert Writer for Ezinearticles.com, Self Growth.com MJ writes a for The Sandpaper, Aronimink & Green Countrie Living Magazine . She has a private practice in Newtown Square, PA. Active on LinkedIn and Twitter @HopefulMJ