I Used to Be ___ - by Chuck Elliott & Ashley Elliott

About the Book

Grief naturally follows loss, but we do not have to be stuck in negative spaces forever. These biblical mental health techniques help you understand your emotions, accept your new reality, and step into the future, stronger.

Book Synopsis

Navigate Through Grief with Biblical Mental Health Tools

When you suffer a loss, you enter the realm of "used to be." You used to be married. You used to be employed. You used to be pregnant, secure, healthy, sober, thin. You used to be a son or daughter, a brother or sister, a mother or father. And in that used-to-be space there is deep emptiness, loneliness, and sorrow. It's a place we all dwell for a while. But it's not a place in which we are meant to remain.

The path forward includes exploring the unseen elements of grief. With this book, pastor Chuck Elliott and counselor Ashley Elliott light the way to a better future. Sharing biblical advice and proven mental health techniques, they help you learn how to fully feel and face your grief, hold onto your faith, and develop healthy ways to see yourself, your life, and your loved ones. They offer coping strategies for when moving forward seems impossible and guide you toward building new thinking patterns that will result in true healing and growth.

Maybe you "used to be" something--but there is a future waiting when you "will be" once more.

From the Back Cover

Hope, joy, and stability can be yours again

When you suffer a loss, you enter the realm of "used to be." You used to be married. You used to be employed. You used to be pregnant, secure, healthy, sober. You used to be a son or daughter, a brother or sister, a mother or father, a husband or wife. And in that used-to-be space, you can feel stuck. Though you may dwell there for a while, it's not a place you are meant to remain.

With this book, pastor Chuck Elliott and counselor Ashley Elliott light the path to a better future. Sharing biblical advice and proven mental health techniques, they help you learn how to fully feel and face your grief, hold on to your faith, and develop healthy ways to see yourself, your life, and your loved ones. They offer coping strategies for when moving forward seems impossible and guide you toward building new thinking patterns that will result in healing and growth.

If you "used to be" something, it's not the end of the road. It's up to you to decide what you "will be" in the future.


"Without properly managing our hurt and disappointment, our emotions can take us down a path of even greater pain. Chuck and Ashley, because of their own deep pain and loss, offer a plan to push through fear and restore and rebuild our emotional health. It can be done, and there's a plan of hope in these pages."--Gregory L. Jantz, PhD, founder of The Center: A Place of HOPE

"A valuable resource for those who want to come through their experiences better, not bitter."--Dr. Michelle Bengtson, board-certified clinical neuropsychologist, host of Your Hope-Filled Perspective podcast, and award-winning author of Breaking Anxiety's Grip

About the Author

Chuck and Ashley Elliott are content creators who have partnered with YouVersion, RightNow Media, and an array of other national organizations. They serve as advisory board members for the AACC's International Christian Coaching Association. Frequent speakers and popular workshop leaders, their numerous certifications in psychoeducational programs equip them to help others build relational success. In addition to speaking and writing, Chuck is a pastor at Bethel Church in Evansville, Indiana, and Ashley is a licensed counselor at Auxilium Psychological Services. Learn more at chuckandashley.com.