welcome to a2z healing toolbox®
Navigating grief and trauma with practical tools and resources
Welcome to the A2Z Healing Community!
I’m Susan and in 2012, my life took an unexpected turn into the world of grief and trauma after the sudden death of my bagpiper-surfer-professor husband. The path that I walked for the following years—as a young mother, widow, and social worker—led me to create the A2Z Healing Toolbox® workshops. I found that the tools and resources I was using to help and heal my son and I were also helping others along their journey.
Welcome to the A2Z Healing Community!
I’m Susan and in 2012, my life took an unexpected turn into the world of grief and trauma after the sudden death of my bagpiper-surfer-professor husband. The path that I walked for the following years—as a young mother, widow, and social worker—led me to create the A2Z Healing Toolbox® workshops. I found that the tools and resources I was using to help and heal my son and I were also helping others along their journey.
Both personally and professionally, I began emphasizing healing with intention, education through action and envisioning post-traumatic growth. The A2Z approach is full of positive and practical tools and resources that have been studied, researched, recommended by professionals, and tested by thousands of peers, mentors, and colleagues. Integrating these tools into my new life has been part of my own active healing process, and it can be part of yours too.
I wanted to share the A2Z approach beyond my workshops, so I wrote my first book, A to Z Healing Toolbox: A Practical Guide for Navigating Grief & Trauma with Intention, which was published in 2018. This book is the recipient of five prestigious publishing awards- 2018 IPPY Bronze Award in Psychology and Mental Health; 2018 INDIE Finalist Award in Health & Wellness; 2018 American Book Fest Finalist Best Book Award in Health, Psychology & Mental Health; 2019 Benjamin Franklin Gold Medal in Psychology; 2019 Living Now Gold Medal Winner in Grieving/Death & Dying.
In addition to leading A2Z Healing Toolbox® group workshops, individual healing sessions and professional development trainings, I stay active in the larger grief healing community. I serve as the Programs and Education Manager for the Soaring Spirits International widowed community, work with Gold Star surviving spouses through The Sugar Bear Foundation and provide psycho-educational classes and curriculum for families of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Through these non-profit organizations, I continue to provide grief and trauma education to both individuals and community organizations, develop nationwide peer mentoring programs for the young widowed community, and coordinate social-emotional programs for families living with grief and trauma.
I live in San Diego with my son, therapy dog, and an inspirational community of peers, mentors, and supporters. Exercise and nature have been key parts of my healing journey. When I’m not working, you’ll find me hiking, kayaking, paddle-boarding or running with my dog on the beach.
Sending you hope and healing,
Susan
Susan Hannifin-MacNab
Founder, A2Z Healing Toolbox®
Professional Biography
Susan Hannifin-MacNab, MSW, PPSC is a social worker, educator, and author who holds a Masters in Social Work, a Bachelors in Education and credentials as a teacher and school social worker. After the sudden death of her young husband, Susan founded A2Z Healing Toolbox®, a heart-based business that assists the bereaved in integrating authentic, practical, action-based tools into their lives while healing with intention. She facilitates conference workshops, podcast interviews, individual coaching sessions, virtual healing communities, professional development trainings, psycho-educational retreats, and keynote presentations. Susan’s five-time award winning book, A to Z Healing Toolbox: A Practical Guide for Navigating Grief & Trauma with Intention, is used by mental health practitioners and bereaved communities world-wide. She also serves as the Programs and Education Manager for Soaring Spirits International- a non-profit organization that provides programming, support and hope to the global widowed community- and works in support of surviving military spouses and first responder families through The Sugar Bear Foundation and The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
Work With Me
One on One Sessions
Small Group Support
