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Grief & bereavement support
Grief is personal and social. These articles explore accompaniment, rituals, children in grief, and saying goodbye — from practice, research, and lived experience.
26 articles
Being there before going away
Being there before going away By Juliane Uhl Juliane Uhl writes about her ageing grandparents and the moment when family members begin to stop sparing one another and allow help to become necessary. T
3 min
Men’s grief — not a cold lump after all
Men’s grief — not a cold lump after all By Thomas Achenbach Thomas Achenbach examines male grief through reports from widowers and reflections from grief practitioners. Men grieve, the article argues,
5 min
So close to heaven
So close to heaven By Martina Hosse-Dolega Martina Hosse-Dolega writes about the events of 1993 and 1994, when her sons Nico, Robin and Joshua died shortly after birth. The article is a personal testi
5 min
Sternlein’s Journey
Sternlein’s Journey A sensitive picture book about grief, enduring love and the treasure of memory — for children and adults. The article introduces Sternleins Reise , a picture book for families whos
2 min
Foreword
Foreword Dear readers, The first 2017 issue of COLUMBA again contains various contributions dealing with dying and death. These are not pleasant subjects, but they are realities no human being can avo
2 min
Book presentation to Hermann Gröhe, Member of the Bundestag
Book presentation to Hermann Gröhe, Member of the Bundestag The article presents the children’s book Max, sein Opa und Columba by Dr. Jörg Cuno and Esther-Anna Feldbaum. When someone we love is dying,
1 min
Levels of Life
Levels of Life By Thomas Achenbach Thomas Achenbach reviews Julian Barnes’s Levels of Life , describing it as perhaps the best book ever written about grief. It is not a textbook or advice manual, but
4 min
Final Twilight of the Gods
Final Twilight of the Gods By Manuel Stark Manuel Stark tells the story of Elisabeth and Roland Friedrich, a couple who spent a lifetime together and married only at the very end. The piece opens at E
7 min
Max, his grandpa and Columba
Max, his grandpa and Columba Before Easter, the Palliativ-Portal raffled ten copies of the children’s book Max, sein Opa und Columba on its Facebook page. Many people explained why they wanted to read
1 min
Grief is a matter for leadership
Grief is a matter for leadership By Thomas Achenbach Thomas Achenbach argues that every company should have an emergency folder for cases of grief — not only when an employee dies, but also when an em
4 min
Drops that fall into nothingness
Drops that fall into nothingness By Juliane Uhl Juliane Uhl writes from a monastery where she has withdrawn for a few days to think about the meaning of life and the noise of the world. The enclosed m
5 min
What remains of us?
What remains of us? In this column, Juliane Uhl walks through a cemetery looking for the grave of a man from her hometown and asks what will remain of her generation - a generation to whom the whole w
3 min
Rituals in accompanying the seriously ill and dying
Rituals in accompanying the seriously ill and dying Dr. Martin Weiß describes dying and grief as experiences of uncertainty, insecurity and fragility that can push patients, relatives and bereaved peo
9 min
Children and family grief support
Children and family grief support Martina Hosse-Dolega describes children as wonderful teachers who perceive with open eyes, ears and hearts when something is wrong. Children are close to the threshol
7 min
Vorwort
Dear readers, Engaging with the subjects of death and dying requires courage. Far too often in our present-day society, shaped by speed and pressure to perform, we push aside the fact that our time is
2 min