#136- DGB Newsletter - May 2026 | | |
May 17 - ONLINE
Oathbreaker Ceremony
A Sacred Activism
Community Ritual
FREE!
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June 4, Winsley, UK
Palliative Care
Research Conference
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June 6 and 13 - ONLINE
Re-Imagining Loss and Grief
with Dr. Terri Daniel
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June 18 - ONLINE
Embodied Grief Companionship
Centre for Death & Society
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COMING SOON...
SAVE THE DATES!
July 25 -ONLINE
Spiritual Bypassing:
Symposium
See full story below
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Aug. 21 - 25 - Seattle, WA
Annual Grief Therapy
Learning Retreat
with Dr. Robert Neimeyer
See full story below
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Sept. 4-17 - Bali, Indonesia
Sacred Stillness Retreat
with Austyn Wells
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"In war, there are
no unwounded soldiers" -
Jose' Narosky, Argentine writer
As America's political climate gets more irrational and more dangerous, once again I open this missive by invoking sacred activism.
I know some of you are uncomfortable with addressing social issues in what is perceived as a spiritual platform. But some of you also see that social justice and spirituality can't be separated.
When I began this newsletter 17 years ago, it focused exclusively on mystical experiences related to death and the afterlife. Over the years it expanded to include the intersection of religion and psychology, which addresses the human condition while living on earth in addition to experiences beyond the body and physical incarnation.
Since I started mentioning sacred activism here about eight months ago, about 500 people have unsubscribed, objecting to what they saw as a "left-leaning" political posture. But it's not about taking sides. It's about moral clarity and accountability.
In this issue there's an article about an online event that calls out the current political administration for its ethical violations. I hope you will see it as a call for peace and clear thinking rather than a reason to unsubscribe.
Dr. Terri Daniel, CT, FFGT
Clinical Chaplaincy, End-of-Life Educator
Bereavement and Trauma Support
office@deathgriefandbelief.com
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END-OF-LIFE, AFTERLIFE AND BEREAVEMENT
| | Tibetan Buddhism and Near-Death Experience
by
Kevin Williams | | |
Participate in a Study About
How People Perceive a "Good Death"
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A study is being done by the University of Ottawa to gain a better understanding of how people experience and imagine a good death.
Participants are asked to complete an online survey which asks them to reflect on a recent experience of loss. To complete the survey, you must be at least 18 years of age, and experienced the loss of someone close to you in the past 12 months. The survey will be completed online, and should take approximately 10 to 20 minutes to complete. The survey will ask questions about services that the deceased utilized and their overall experiences throughout the dying process. FIND THE SURVEY HERE
| | Advice to Doctors About End-of-Life Discussions | |
"A report in JAMA Open Network found “early discussion of end-of-life (EOL) care preferences improves clinical outcomes and goal-concordant care. However, most EOL discussions occur approximately one month before death, despite most patients desiring information earlier. Failing to initiate these discussions can lead patients to face treatment or hospitalization that is unwanted or unwarranted, or to pass away in situations that weren’t what they would have chosen. These experiences can be traumatic for patients and loved ones." READ MORE...
| | Honoring Ancestors and Carrying Light | | |
Dr. Karen Wyatt shares her observation that our society is currently in a massive collective grief spiral, largely due to unaddressed grief from the COVID pandemic. Collective community rituals are needed to help us express and alchemize this grief together... to help our families, neighbors, and community-members come together in simple ways to acknowledge grief. LISTEN HERE
See related Substack post HERE
| | Gen X Women
are Losing Their Religion | "Women have long been the backbone of religion in America, more likely than men to identify as religious, say faith is important in their lives, attend services and pray. That’s especially true for older women, according to Pew Research. But times are changing. And more young women seem to be giving up on God — or at least organized religion." READ MORE... | | | Cancer Nurse Becomes Archbishop of Canterbury | "The new archbishop of Canterbury knocked three times on the doors of the city’s great cathedral on Wednesday, ceremonially demanding to be allowed inside, in a tradition laid down over centuries by each new leader of the Church of England. But this time, for the first time ever, a woman came knocking. And the doors were opened. " READ MORE... | | | A New ASK DOCTOR DEATH Podcast Episode! | | In support of our upcoming symposium on spiritual bypassing, the latest episode of our Ask Dctor Death podcast features two renowned experts on religious trauma recovery -- Janice Selbie and Dr. Clint Heacock. They will sharing their experiences of being raised in religious cults and how spiritual bypass was expressed when their communities faced loss and grief. LISTEN HERE | | Oathbreaker Ceremony
ONLINE Sunday May 17 - Free to the public | | |
Editor's note: If you are uncomfortable with spiritual leaders addressing political issues, or if you find this event offensive, we fully respect your opinion, and ask that you simply ignore this announcement rather than feel that you have to unsubscribe from our newsletter and lose access to all our other content.
This is an online community ceremony facilitated by a group of spiritual leaders from United Theological Seminary in St. Paul, MN. The ceremony will be followed by an open discussion to share ideas for rebuilding hope, restoring ethical leadership, and reclaiming a sense of safety.
It is a non-partisan, ritual container for community witnessing and healing, providing an opportunity for the public to witness and name broken oaths, reflect on personal and collective impact, and participate in a symbolic act of acknowledgment .
It is not aligned with any religious tradition or belief system, but rather it is a call for peace and human dignity across religious, national and cultural boundaries.
It is not about public outrage; it is about sacred accountability and moral clarity
DETAILS AND FREE REGISTRATION HERE
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WORKSHOPS, CLASSES
AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
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Online Saturday, July 25
SPIRITUAL BYPASSING:
Counseling and Support Perspectives
Six CE Credits for Psychologists, Nurses, Social Workers and More!
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Spiritual bypassing describes a form of negative religious coping in which religion or spirituality is used as a psychological defense mechanism to avoid facing painful situations, particularly how this mechanism might be used to cope with loss and grief. The term was coined in the mid-1980s by John Welwood, a Buddhist teacher and psychotherapist who described it as a coping device through which people use spirituality as a defense mechanism.
In this unique online seminar, you'll work interactively with some of today's most respected leaders at the intersection of psychology and spirituality. Join us for a day of unique content addressing critical issues in these fields.
| Grief Therapy Learning Retreat
August 21-25
Bainbridge Island, WA.
Earlybird Discount Ends June 15 | |
Registration is now open for the Portland Institute’s annual Grief Therapy Learning Retreat. The 5-day, 4-night event will feature a rich program of professional continuing education, yielding up to 21 hours of APA and ABSW approved CE credits and ample opportunities for self-renewal in the lush Pacific Northwest forest of IslandWood, an ecological retreat on Bainbridge Island, just off the coast of Seattle.
Sessions will cover these topics and much more:
- Meaning-Centered Grief Therapy
- The 5 Laws of Transition
- Specialized group therapy formats
- Creative writing approaches
- Broken heart syndrome
- Ground-breaking research on grief
- Narrative interventions for young children
- Trauma-informed techniques for self-regulation and self-care
- Creative and arts-assisted methods for individual and groups
- In-depth case studies
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS AND REGISTRATION
Earlybird discount ends June 15!
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Navigating the Social, Emotional,
Spiritual and Political Journey Through
Aging, Illness and End-of-Life
| | Endwell Advisors offer hands-on, compassionate assistance to help you address the concerns you may not feel comfortable discussing with friends, family or even your health care providers. We can literally walk beside you, meeting with your family to facilitate a difficult end-of-life discussion, helping you fill out an advance directive, or planning every detail (and even officiating) a memorial service. Visit us at www.EndWellAdvisors.com | | |
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