Counseling the dying

"What is it like to be dying? What do the dying need and want? How do the living feel about the dying? How much should the dying know? What is the relation of life to death? What are the philosophical and theological questions encountered? These are some of the vital questions discussed and answered in Counseling the Dying...Most of those who counsel the dying have been trained in only one of a number of aspects involved in death. The physician is trained to think of death as his enemy and to fight death as the way of preserving life. His view of death is primarily organic and biological. The clinical psychologist is trained to understand the meaning of behavior and concentrates on the mind and emotion of the patient. The pastor, committed to the inevitability of physical death, is concerned that his counselee find a meaning in life that is so rich in value that it will not be overwhelmed by death. In this book, these various perspectives are brought together. The place and importance of each counselor's duties are investigated; problems are analyzed; various solutions are suggested; and methods for integrating individual counseling efforts are outlined. The authors share their thoughts, feelings and professional insight with the hope that it may make it possible for others to counsel more wisely, minister more effectively and share more meaningfully." -- Book jacket