A timely primer for people facing the death of a loved one, their own death, or bereavement is now available from a long-time Victoria Hospice counsellor.
Susan Breiddal’s In the Shadow of Angels: Intimate Stories from a Hospice Counsellor makes the reality of death accessible through an intimate, raw, and realistic portrayal of the art of providing loving end-of-life care.
Stories about how ordinary people have faced death and dying in a range of situations and approaches to difficult conversations are intended to inspire discussions, the author says.
“I am introducing the topic in hope that people will begin to dip their toe in thinking about it, feeling about it, and wondering about it. The stories are meant for people who have ever wondered what it’s like to face their own death or to face the death of the people who they care about,” she says.
“Think about how you want to face the inevitable of people in your life dying – and your own dying too. Have these conversations with the people around you and decide how you want to enter into that realm.”
Susan is a retired clinical counsellor who joined Victoria Hospice in 1998 as member of the Palliative Response team.
Learn more about about In the Shadow of Angels on this CBC Radio interview.
Susan is offering a limited amount of facilitated, “book club type” discussions for groups of 6-10 people who have read the book, free of charge.