By Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D. When a death is sudden and unexpected, as is typically the case with a military death, it’s that much more difficult. Violent or self-inflicted death, whether accidental or intentional, often leaves mourners in shock for weeks, months and sometimes years. The death of a younger person is always naturally challenging. […]
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Eulogy or Remembrance: The Importance of Educating the Family About the Value of Remembering Backward While teaching a recent workshop for mental health clinicians, a participant raised his hand and asked, “Is the eulogy all that important to a funeral?” His question reminded me that when people question the value of funerals (or a
Eulogy or Remembrance…the Value of Remembering Backward Read More »
“Don’t Play Music, We Might Cry” Educating Families About the Value of Music Sadly, I frequently have families experiencing grief state some variation on the following: “Don’t play music, we might cry.” Of course, when they say this I remind myself that I have the opportunity to teach them why music is often an important
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A common media question I have been asked recently is “What do you think about having funerals before the person is dead?” As you probably know, these are often referred to as “living funerals.” Living funerals have been referred to by the media as an “up and coming” trend that appears to be growing in
“Living Funerals” They Just Might Be Out of Order Read More »
Q&A with Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D., director of the Center for Loss & Life Transition, death educator, grief counselor, author After a significant loss, it’s common for a person to feel like they’re going crazy. The sudden absence of a loved one is not only devastating but also disorienting. Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D., a leading death educator
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