About Thanatology

VISION: To promote death and grief literacy, locally and globally

MISSION: Inspire students to: i) view death, grief, loss, and transition with greater acceptance, ii) live a more intentional and purposeful life both personally and professionally, and iii) optimally support others through loss and transition

Student-centric education that meets students where they’re at
  • Recognizing and valuing the unique perspectives, experiences, and emergent curiosity that students bring to their courses.
  • Combining students’ experience and perspectives with contemporary knowledge of the field to develop their scholarly and professional consciousness
  • Including students’ needs when developing rigorous and innovative curriculum that fosters skill building and growth
Challenging the taboos related to death and dying
  • Death and dying can often be medicalized which suggests that death is “wrong” or “bad.” Being able to shift to a perspective which views death as a natural part of life can be adaptive and transformative.
  • Similarly, grief responses can be pathologized, leading well-intentioned individuals to think the bereaved need to be “diagnosed” or “fixed.”
  • Contributing to a change in attitudes can result in life-affirming policies that assist both the dying and the bereaved.
Cultivating critical thinking and self-awareness
  • Having a greater understanding of death and an ability to adjust to loss often results in less anxiety about death and a greater willingness to live well.
  • Discussing controversial topics increases awareness, a willingness to challenge stigma, and the capacity to support those who are struggling.
Valuing the diverse and interdisciplinary nature of death
  • Distilling the complexities of death and grief can enrich understanding, insight, and growth.
  • Nearly all disciplines are related in some way: counselling, nursing, health care, spirituality, environmentalism, history, economics, philosophy, social justice, geography, policy development, and business are just some of the associated topics.
  • Understanding the intersecting realities allows students to approach their studies in a holistic manner.