Death and loss to be examined

Death and loss to be examined

People can learn about loss and grief from a poet and world leader on these subjects at a workshop to be presented by Mercy Hospice Auckland, the University of Auckland and the National Association for Loss and Grief.

Professor Bob Neimeyer is Director of Psychotherapy Research in the Department of Psychology at the University of Memphis, USA. He has published 20 books on the topics of death, grief, loss and suicide intervention as well as Rainbow in the Spring, a book of contemporary poetry, and more than 300 articles. He is the editor of the journal Death Studies and is on the American Psychological Association’s Task Force on End-of-Life Issues.

He will present the two-day workshop on 8-9 July at Auckland University’s Tamaki Campus.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Prof Neimeyer taking this workshop as he is internationally recognised as a leader in teaching and research on loss and grief,” says Mercy Hospice Auckland CEO Jan Nichols.

“He will be examining the quest for meaning as well as discussing death and loss and how it affects people’s families. Our palliative staff are keen to learn all they can on the subject to assist people who are terminally ill and their families to come to terms with death and loss and several will attend the workshop.”

Jan Nichols says as a poet Prof Neimeyer will undoubtedly also be interested to hear that Moonlight, an anthology of New Zealand poems on death and dying is being launched at Mercy Hospice Auckland the same week as his workshop - on 18 July.

Mercy Hospice Auckland provides palliative care services for around 900 terminally ill patients and their families each year, who are among the more than 400,000 plus residents in the Auckland DHB area.

People wanting to attend the workshop can register at: www.mercyhospice.org.nz

ENDS

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