Any grieving includes a journey into oneself, which Hoffman does with exquisite transparency and honesty. In these letters, he finds places of connection and similarity as well as places of disconnect and differences. Both are part of his healing process and deepening his connection with his father. As he shares, through writing these letters he has found a way to preserve meaning and relationship and to even grow closer with his father. Hoffman also investigates how the process of grieving and writing these letters helped strengthen and center his connection with himself while returning to his lifelong commitment to living with relational depth.
Letters are also written to family members, colleagues, mentees, and others, illuminating the impact his father had upon people surrounding him while engaging in a communal grieving process. While reading, keep some tissue handy as Letters for My Father is sure to bring tears and prompt self-reflection from the reader.
Louis Hoffman, PhD, is a son, husband, father, friend, and dog companion. Professionally, he is a licensed psychologist, the executive director of the Rocky Mountain Humanistic Counseling and Psychological Association, and the Editor of The Humanistic Psychologist. An avid writer, he has written or edited over 25 books and over 100 journal articles and book chapters. Due to his contributions to professional psychology, he received the 2020/2021 Rollo May Award and has been named a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and seven of its divisions (1, 10, 12, 32, 36, 48, 52). Dr. Hoffman teaches and provides clinical supervision at the University of Denver and is a supervisor at the Center for Humansitic and Interpersonal Psychotherapy. He maintains a private practice in Colorado Springs. During his free time, he enjoys reading, writing, hiking, close time with friends, and bicycle riding. For more information on Dr. Hoffman and his other books, visit www.louis-hoffman.com.
Dr. Hoffman’s other books on grieving and loss include Capturing Shadows: Poetic Encounters Along the Path of Grieving and Loss (with Michael Moats) and Our Last Walk: Using Poetry for Grieving and Remembering Our Pets (with Michael Moats and Tom Greening).