Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross is one of the world’s most renowned authors in death and dying studies. Her books – most of them beaming with hope and acceptance – have sparked conversations about the most taboo of subjects, making them more acceptable in mainstream conversations.

Kübler-Ross was born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1926 and is a pioneer in the field of psychology. She received her MD in 1957, becoming a psychiatrist in the Zurich University Hospital psychiatric clinic. Throughout her academic career, Kübler-Ross became passionate about understanding bereavement and emotions attached to death.

Her passion for this subject led her to question why there was not more focus on grief understanding and implementation of it within healthcare systems. She wrote many books on death, dying and bereavement – perhaps the most famous being On Death and Dying.

On Death and Dying was published in 1969 and became one of the most popular books in the field of death studies. The book outlines the five stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Rather than looking at death as an ending, Kübler-Ross proposed it as a “process” where one can go through experiencing the different emotions of grief before feeling a sense of acceptance.

Kübler-Ross used her studies as a platform to engage with the public, advocating for a new way of understanding and approaching the topic of death. In addition to her work on death and dying, Kübler-Ross wrote many other books with the same goal in mind.

Her other books, such as Death: The Final Stage of Growth and On Life After Death, focus on the notion of death being a part of our human experience. Kübler-Ross presented the argument in her books that we should not fear death, but instead accept it as a natural part of life.

Additionally, Kübler-Ross wrote books on topics such as loss, trauma and creating a supportive environment for individuals experiencing grief. Her focus on treatment and understanding of this sometimes difficult subject has sparked many conversations in the healthcare sector and helped to create more reflective and comfortable conversations around death.

Kübler-Ross’s contribution to the world of death and dying studies has been felt throughout the decades, and she has made the conversation more publicly acceptable than it ever has been. Her books provide a platform to discuss death and dying in a more comfortable manner, as well as gain more insight into how we can best handle a situation when it arises.

Though Kübler-Ross passed away in 2004, her books and impact still resonate with readers. Her words of wisdom, compassion and understanding have helped to enlighten the conversation around death, making it more manageable for those that come across it.