Working It Through

Working It Through is Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's reflection on her experiences leading death and dying workshops around the world. The book chronicles her interactions with terminally ill patients, their families, and healthcare workers as she helps them process grief and mortality. Through a series of workshops and personal encounters, Kübler-Ross demonstrates her approach to helping people confront death and loss. She documents the practical methods and exercises used in her sessions, while sharing stories of participants working through their emotions. The narrative moves between different settings and groups, from hospitals to retreat centers, showing how people from various backgrounds face similar core struggles with death and bereavement. Kübler-Ross includes letters and direct accounts from workshop participants who describe their journeys through grief. This book expands on Kübler-Ross's established five stages of grief model while emphasizing the individual nature of processing loss. The work stands as a testament to the human capacity for healing and growth through even the most challenging life transitions.

Readers appreciate Kübler-Ross's personal reflections and the inclusion of real patient stories dealing with death, grief, and loss. Many note the book provides comfort during bereavement and helps normalize grief emotions. Several reviews mention the accessible writing style makes complex psychological concepts understandable. Common criticisms include repetitive content that overlaps with her other books, particularly "On Death and Dying." Some readers found the religious/spiritual elements too prominent. A few reviewers felt the book focused too much on Kübler-Ross's own experiences rather than providing practical guidance. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (328 ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (47 ratings) Sample review quotes: "Helped me process my mother's death in ways therapy couldn't" - Goodreads reviewer "Too much about her personal journey and not enough concrete tools" - Amazon reviewer "The case studies gave me perspective on my own grief" - Goodreads reviewer

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🌟 Elisabeth Kübler-Ross wrote this book in 1982 as a companion to her groundbreaking work "On Death and Dying," offering personal stories and insights from her workshops with terminally ill patients. 💫 The author established the first modern hospice facilities in the United States and revolutionized how the medical community approaches end-of-life care. 🌟 Throughout the book, Kübler-Ross shares letters from patients and families who attended her workshops, providing raw, firsthand accounts of dealing with death and grief. 💫 Before becoming a death and dying expert, Kübler-Ross worked with Holocaust survivors in the aftermath of World War II, which profoundly influenced her understanding of human suffering and resilience. 🌟 The book explores how different cultures approach death and mourning, drawing from the author's experiences working with indigenous peoples and various cultural groups around the world.