(Columbia, SC) – Author, speaker, Richland County Councilmember, and nationally recognized trauma-informed advocate Tyra K. Little is challenging society’s understanding of grief with the release of The Grief Etiquette Collection, a three-book series designed to help grieving individuals, their supporters, caregivers, professionals and communities navigate life’s most difficult moments with compassion and confidence.
Available now through Indelible House (an independent publishing imprint of Living Legacy Holdings LLC), the collection introduces a new framework for understanding grief – one that recognizes grief as an experience extending far beyond death and acknowledges that every person’s role in grief is constantly evolving. To commemorate the release, Little will host a book launch celebration and signing on Sunday, August 30 (National Grief Awareness Day) from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Books-A-Million in the Village at Sandhill, 164 Forum Dr, Columbia, SC 29229. This event is free and open to the public.
Little’s perspective is shaped not only by her professional expertise but also by profound personal loss. She is the mother of three sons and has endured the unimaginable loss of two of them to homicide, eleven years apart. Rather than allowing tragedy to define her, she has dedicated her life to helping others heal.
“I didn’t write this collection because I studied grief; I wrote this collection because I carry it,” said Tyra K. Little. “My hope is that no one feels alone or unsupported during the hardest moments of their lives.”
The Grief Etiquette Collection includes:
· Grief Etiquette: A Practical Guide for the Grieving, Their Supporters, and Professionals – a comprehensive guide featuring twenty chapters that explore the many forms of grief while providing practical guidance for those experience loss and those walking alongside them.
· The Grief Etiquette Workbook – an interactive companion designed to help readers process grief through guided reflection and personal exercises.
· The Grief Etiquette Pocket Guide – a portable reference for healthcare professionals, clergy, educators, first responders, and anyone supporting someone through grief.
Unlike traditional grief resources that focus primarily on the death of a loved one, Little explores the grief associated with divorce, illness, estrangement, unemployment, trauma, changing life circumstances, and other deeply personal losses that often go unrecognized. She also addresses a frequently overlooked reality: the families of those responsible for acts of violence experience grief as well and deserve compassionate support.
“Grief is not a destination or a title we carry forever. Grief is fluid. The person comforting someone today may be the one searching for comfort tomorrow,” said Tyra K. Little. “I wrote this collection because every person, at some point, will either grieve or walk beside someone who is grieving. We deserve better tools for both.”
In addition to serving on Richland County Council, Little is the founder and executive director of Both Sides of the Coin Initiative, a nonprofit organization providing trauma-informed programming to individuals and families impacted by violence, including survivors of violent crime and families of offenders. She is also the founder of Living Proof with Tyra, a trauma-informed strategy firm, a United States military veteran with nearly 21 years of combined Navy and Air Force service, a Certified Trauma-Informed Practitioner, and an Everytown Survivor Fellow.
Building upon the principles outlined in the books, Little is also developing a trauma-informed certification program and a collegiate curriculum centered on grief etiquette and trauma-informed care. Whether comforting individuals through grief or advancing policies that protect residents from hate and intimidation, Little has built her life’s work around creating safer, more compassionate communities. Most recently, she led the passage of Richland County’s historic Hate Intimidation Ordinance – the first county-level legislation of its kind in South Carolina.
For more information or to order the Grief Etiquette collection, visit https://griefetiquette.org/. Contact Khali Gallman at info@epitome-llc.com for media requests. Digital and print review copies are available on request.
