Death Cafe Links and News Page
This is a summary of recent articles on grief. I hope you find them interesting and helpful in exploring your own grief experience.
I'm a psychotherapist in the San Francisco area specializing in aging and grief. You can find more resources on my website www.jbamft.com.
Death cannot be truly understood. Death is better understood within the soul, our essential being, and our heart. In a culture where dying and death is feared, we have no verbal language to express the immensity of dying, death or grief; no aptitude to be a faithful witness or to comprehend how it feels to be dying. What we most profoundly think and trust, what we passionately love, fear, or desire, undeniably escapes sufficient verbalization— as with death.
After my father passed away, 10 weeks after I witnessed the attacks of 9/11 (and unrelated to it), I collected and translated poet Rainer Maria Rilke's letters of condolence. 17 years later I published Rilke's The Dark Interval: Letters on Loss, Grief and Transformation. The book helped me get through a very dark period of loss and grief. It might be of help to others.
I am humbled to be the translator of the great poet Rilke, whose words have sustained me for a long time. And I am honored that singer/songwriter Rosanne Cash, a great lover of poetry and Rilke, recorded this book ...
Clinical resources for Professionals
Renate Werner filmed a death cafe hosted by Josefine Speyer in London as part of this German TV program, available until October 2019.
In Germany every second person dies in hospital, but it does not have to be that way. People could die at home, well cared for and not being alone. "plan b" shows how we bring dying and death back into our midst.
To watch this film for free go to the website and download the 30 minute film.
This is a round-up of recent articles on grief and grief counseling. I hope you find it useful and interesting. Jacob Brown www.jbamft.com
The temporary paradox of death in life: writing a tanka for our family pet on his passing
Posted by Jools Barsky on Dec. 27, 2018, 5:19 p.m.
The first Wednesday evening of this month, (October 3, 2018) our family’s Great Dane passed away peacefully resting under a cedar tree. His body had been breaking down...
Link: https://theuncarvedblog.com/tag/death-cafe/
See more and comment...Recent articles of grief and grief counseling
Posted by Jacob Brown - Grief Therapist on Dec. 24, 2018, 12:21 p.m.
A roundup of recent articles on Grief and Grief Counseling. I especially recommend the article from the Washington Post on how a nun helps prepare for end of life.
The Process of Passing is a workbook designed to help the reader come to terms with their mortality, while building and validating their memorial legacy and preparing for what lies ahead.
This is our newest work and we are so grateful to have the oppertunity to share it here.
Hand blown glass cremation pendants, beads and marbles created with the ashes of your loved one.
Having hosted a very successful event featuring a leading near-death experience researcher last year, and having spent several years researching various related phenomena, I felt moved to write a little introductory book that might be helpful to people approaching the subject of death in a fearful way.
I am a professionial writer, a qualified teacher and a qualified bereavement counsellor, so I guess all these strands combined in the impulse to write the book. Anyway, I am happy to send an electronic copy to anyone who wants to take a look. Just email phil@anotherwayassociates.com.
It is deliberately short so should only take a couple of hours to read. And if anyone wants to get in touch after reading, please feel free to do so. My email address again is phil@anotherwayassociates.com
New fiction book written about a Death Cafe:
As in life, death is not without its agenda. This is something seventy-nine year old Edna Reid finds out when her partner, Ted, suddenly dies.
To cope with her loss, she sets up a Death Cafe to break down the taboo around death and to encourage other members of the community to discuss it openly. Over tea and cake, the participants hide their fears behind a veil of dark humour.
Religious fanaticism clashes with Victorian spiritualism as Edna’s meetings trigger lively conversations on the fragility of life, anxiety over dying, cost of funerals, and making sure long-lost greedy relatives don’t benefit from inheritances.
Soon, a series of events begin to unfold which threaten to undermine Edna’s livelihood and the Death Cafe meetings. These events just happen to coincide with the arrival of a mysterious stranger into the village.
Who is she and why is she so hostile to Edna?
Link: https://jane-davis.co.uk/2018/09/04/virtual-book-club-angelena-boden-introduces-ednas-death-cafe/
See more and comment...Summary of the thoughts of one of Canada's prime thinkers on death and dying, Ernest Becker.
Link: https://hansimann.wordpress.com/2018/05/21/how-we-die-in-homage-to-ernest-becker/
See more and comment...
We have Japanese Death Cafe in Sydney, Australia once in a month.
We talk in Japanese and hold meeting on the fourth Wednesday every month from 10:30-12:00 at the Starbucks, Chinatown.
We have the facebook page of this. (In Japanese)!
This documentry film by Jane and Jimmy Edmonds will be screened all over the UK. On Thursday 7 June 2018 it will be shown at the Phoenix Cinema in Finchley followed by a Q&A session which they invited me to facilitate. If you live in London, do come!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING…
“Beautifully made, poetic in its grace, deeply moving and inspiring”
Roger Graef, Documentary film maker
“A very personal labour of love that never feels indulgent. Good stuff”
Charlie Phillips, Head of Documentaries (multi media) Guardian News and Media
“At the heart of this film, lies a profound question about how our society deals with grief …. how can our society support and welcome the bereaved rather than reject them?”
Alice Jolly (author)
“Powerful and important stories”
Dr Katherine Shear, Centre for Complicated Grief
“Masterful …Essential viewing for anyone trying to rebuild their lives after tragedy”
Prof Robert Neimeyer, Dept Psychology University of Memphis
Link: https://alovethatneverdiesfilm.com/#screenings
See more and comment...