O'Brien is highly respected and well established as a spiritual presence and clinical guide for the bereaved. Through writing, retreats and the various works of ministry, she has brought together life and faith, even with the intrusion of loss, to be a vital presence often in a church that turns a deaf ear to the bereaved.

New Day Journal is in its third edition, second or revised edition since in the careful care of ACTA. O'Brien wanders ever so gently through the grief work and grief walk, sensitive to the diversity of feelings, experiences and beliefs that accompany one's very personal journey.

The book is a work book, yet it is an inspirational guide and friend. It is written from her Christian experience, but so embraces God's love that it welcomes all in search of that love. It is instructional for those who are putting together support groups and parish based ministries, yet also serves as a very private and personal friend for those who seek or must travel alone.

By exploring the common "tasks" associated with grief work, yet without making those tasks a required pathway or script, O'Brien helps us grasp the depths of these losses in our lives, to see the world as it has become, and, in experiencing our pain, to embrace this new world as we shape the world as it will become through loss to life.

Special attention (in very healthy ways, something not always seen in the church) is given to guilt, anger and despair. We claim our feelings and embrace them so that life and Life can embrace us.
Rev. Richard B. Gilbert, Executive Director The World Pastoral Care Center