ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the support that can be provided in death-relevant situations by people with professional training, but also by friends, families, and the community at large. Professional caregivers and community volunteers who choose to work with hospice programs try to comprehend the whole person, rather than just the terminal illness. They also usually have less need to protect themselves from the impact of dying and death. Ancient death education had much to do with how one should prepare for the ordeal of judgment after taking that last breath. Medieval society's raw encounters with dying and death produced striking themes and images. Death education and counseling had to begin anew after centuries of avoidance. The boundary between counseling and education can be crossed easily from either side. Counseling and therapy are options that may be worth considering but not to the neglect of the many other factors that could provide comfort and peace of mind.
