When I was in college a dear friend’s mother suddenly died. I had no idea how to support him so I researched all the death and dying literature I could find and discovered the work by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler Ross “On Death and Dying.” That book and Elisabeth herself who became my mentor, had a profound influence on my life. I learned from reading about death how to live a more meaningful life. She believed that death forces us to recognize what is truly most important in all our lives- unconditional love. To know that one is loved and love able is the essence of being human. Her dying patients taught her this and she passed on this wisdom to myself and many many other of her followers. Elisabeth’s work with dying patients inspired me to found a palliative care/hospice program for children in memory of a dying teen who espoused many of her same ideas. Over ten years Running this program I supported many many families experiencing the most unimaginable pain. Witnessing their grief gave me the skills to now support people facing all levels of loss to learn and grow and transform their lives. As a licensed psychotherapist and Transition focused Life Coach with a Doctorate in Psychology, a Masters in Social Work and extensive training in Pastoral Psychology, I use Elisabeth’s wisdom from dying patients every day to help people live!