Seattle Christian Counseling Logo

  • ServicesRead about the expertise available
    • Individual ServicesAddress your personal concerns confidentially
      • Abandonment and Neglect
      • ADHD
      • Aging and Geriatric Issues
      • Anger Management
      • Anxiety
      • Autism Spectrum Disorder
      • Bipolar Disorder
      • Chemical Dependency
      • Coaching
      • Codependency
      • Counseling for Children
      • Counseling for Teens
      • Depression
      • Eating Disorders
      • EMDR
      • Grief and Loss
      • Individual Counseling
      • Infidelity and Affairs
      • Lifespan Integration Therapy
      • Men’s Issues
      • OCD
      • Personal Development
      • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
      • Professional Development
      • Psychological Testing
      • Relationship Issues
      • Sex And Porn Addiction
      • Sexual Abuse
      • Spiritual Development
      • Trauma
      • Weight Loss
      • Women’s Issues
    • Christian Couples CounselingWork through challenges together
      • Couples Counseling
      • Premarital Counseling
      • Marriage Counseling
      • Marriage Intensive
    • Family CounselingEstablish the peaceful home you desire
      • Couples Counseling
      • Counseling for Teens
      • Counseling for Children
      • Family Counseling
    • Group CounselingBenefit from the support of others
      • Men’s Christian Recovery Groups
      • All Counseling Groups
    • Online Counseling
    • Anxiety
    • Depression
    • Marriage Counseling
    • Sexual Addiction
  • LocationsChoose from our variety of office locations
    • Bellevue Office FrontBellevue
    • Bothell Office Front EntranceBothell
    • Edmonds Christian CounselingEdmonds
    • Everett Office Front EntranceEverett
    • Federal Way Office ParkingFederal Way
    • Hansville
    • Kent Office FrontKent
    • Kirkland OutsideKirkland
    • Lacey Christian CounselingLacey
    • Mill Creek OfficeMill Creek
    •  1Monroe
    • Oak Harbor Office OutsideOak Harbor
    • Poulsbo
    • Puyallup Christian CounselingPuyallup
    • Redmond OfficeRedmond
    • Seattle Downtown Christian CounselingSeattle Downtown
    • Seattle Greenlake OutsideSeattle Greenlake
    • Silverdale Office FrontSilverdale
    • Spokane OutsideSpokane
    • Spokane Valley Christian CounselingSpokane Valley
    • North Spokane Christian CounselingNorth Spokane
    • Tacoma Office EntranceTacoma
    • Vancouver
    •  1Online Counseling
  • CounselorsFind the best counselor for your needs
  • CareersBecome an affiliated Christian counselor
  • (206) 388-3929Please give us a call, we are here to help
header-image

Facing the Fear of Death

Seattle Christian Counseling
https://seattlechristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/podcast-facing-the-fear-of-death.jpg 1920 1440
https://seattlechristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/seattle-greenlake-6-scaled.jpg
https://seattlechristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/cropped-cropped-seattle-logo.png
6827 Oswego Place NE, Suite B
SEATTLE, WA 98115
United States
6827 Oswego Place NE, Suite B
SEATTLE, WA 98115
United States
Photo of Dr. Gary Bell

Dr. Gary Bell

Sep
2023
01

Facing the Fear of Death

Dr. Gary Bell

Aging and Geriatric IssuesAnxietyFamily CounselingGrief and loss CounselingIndividual Counseling

How do you think you might react if you were diagnosed with a terminal illness like cancer? Elizabeth Kübler-Ross (1969), who worked with the founders of hospice care, described the process of an individual accepting his own death. She proposed five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

PODCAST - Facing the Fear of DeathMost individuals experience these stages, but the stages may occur in different orders, depending on the individual. Also, not all people experience all the stages. It is also important to note that some psychologists believe that the more a dying person fights death, the more likely he is to remain stuck in the denial phase.

Like us if you are enjoying this content.

This could make it difficult for the dying person to face death with dignity. However, other psychologists believe that not facing death until the very end is an adaptive coping mechanism for some people.

Whether due to illness or old age, not everyone facing death or the loss of a loved one experiences the negative emotions outlined in the Kübler-Ross model. For example, research suggests that people with religious or spiritual beliefs are better able to cope with death because of their hope in an afterlife and because of social support from religious or spiritual associations.

A prominent example of a person creating meaning through death is Randy Pausch, who was a well-loved and respected professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in his mid-forties and given only 3–6 months to live, Pausch focused on living in a fulfilling way in the time he had left.

PODCAST - Facing the Fear of Death 1Instead of becoming angry and depressed, he presented his now-famous last lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” In his moving, yet humorous talk, he shares his insights on seeing the good in others, overcoming obstacles, and experiencing zero gravity, among many other things. Despite his terminal diagnosis, Pausch lived the final year of his life with joy and hope, showing us that our plans still matter, even if we know that we are dying.

Death marks the endpoint of our lifespan. There are many ways that we might react when facing death. Kübler-Ross developed a five-stage model of grief to explain this process. Many people facing death choose hospice care, which allows them to spend their last days at home in a comfortable, supportive environment.

“The idea of death, the fear of it, haunts the human animal like nothing else,” wrote Earnest Becker in his book, The Denial of Death. It’s a fear strong enough to compel us to force kale down our throats, run sweatily on a treadmill at 7 am on a Monday, and show our genitals to a stranger with cold hands and a white coat if we feel something’s a little off.

But our impending end isn’t just a benevolent supplier of healthy behaviors. Researchers have found that death can decide our prejudices, whether we give to charity or wear sunscreen, our desire to be famous, what type of leader we vote for, how we name our children, and even how we feel about breastfeeding.

Tune in and learn all about facing death!

Photos:
“Ocean View”, Courtesy of TL, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Forest Walk on a Foggy Day”, Courtesy of Stepan Unar, Unsplash.com, CC0 License

DISCLAIMER: THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this article are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please contact one of our counselors for further information.

  • Share on Facebook
  • Tweet it
  • ↑ Back to top
Photo of Dr. Gary Bell
Schedule with Dr. Gary
  • Appointment Info

  • Your Info

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Dr. Gary Bell

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
(206) 965-9991 garyb@seattlechristiancounseling.com

People are my calling. My job is to help people like you heal their lives, relationships, and families. With over two decades of experience helping tens of thousands of individuals, couples, and families, I offer empathy, a listening ear, and a healthy dose of wisdom. I am straightforward and often use humor in my practice. I believe it’s so important to be relaxed in this work. I work quickly and don’t waste time getting down to the business of healing people of all ages, backgrounds, genders, relationships, and cultures. Read more articles by Dr. Gary »

Other articles that might interest you...

The Process of Christian Counseling
Seattle Christian Counseling

The Process of Christian Counseling

A conversation about the process of Christian Counseling with Ryan Likes, Community Counselor at Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission. Nitish: What...

continue reading »
3 Therapeutic Tips for Parents -- Reflective Language (Part 1)
Seattle Christian Counseling

Why Children’s Counseling?

As you decorate a child’s room with art at their eye level, age-appropriate toys, and child-sized furniture, so children’s counseling...

continue reading »
Christian Pre-Marital Counseling and Conflict
Photo of Benjamin Deu

Benjamin Deu

Christian Pre-Marital Counseling and ...

Eyes Wide Open Ben Franklin advised those considering entering into matrimony, “Keep your eyes wide open before marriage and half-shut...

continue reading »

About Dr. Gary

Photo of Dr. Gary Bell

Dr. Gary Bell, Ed.D, LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

People are my calling. My job is to help people like you heal their lives, relationships, and families. With over two decades of experience helping tens of thousands of individuals, couples, and families, I offer empathy, a listening ear, and a healthy dose of wisdom. I am straightforward and often use humor in my practice. I believe it’s so important to be relaxed in this work. I work quickly and don’t waste time getting down to the business of healing people of all ages, backgrounds, genders, relationships, and cultures. View Dr. Gary's Profile

Recent articles by Dr. Gary

  • Dec 22 · Psychology and Religion
  • Dec 15 · The Desperate Price of Loneliness
  • Dec 8 · Hopelessness and Joy
See all articles by Dr. Gary »

Related Services

  • Aging and Geriatric Issues
  • Anxiety
  • Family Counseling
  • Grief and loss Counseling
  • Individual Counseling

Dr. Gary's Office Locations

  • Photo of the Seattle Greenlake office

    Seattle Greenlake

    Washington

    General Office Number

    (206) 388-3929
    6827 Oswego Place NE, Suite B Seattle, WA 98115

    View Office Details
  • Photo of the Edmonds office

    Edmonds

    Washington

    General Office Number

    (206) 620-1404
    316 Main Street Edmonds, WA 98020

    View Office Details
  • Photo of the Online (WA only) office

    Online (WA only)

    General Office Number

    (206) 388-3929
    ,  

    View Office Details
Seattle Christian Counseling Logo
Seattle Christian Counseling
Professional help with faith-based values
Welcome to Seattle Christian Counseling. We are an association of professional, independently licensed Christian counselors with more than 20 office locations throughout Washington state for your convenience, including the Seattle neighborhoods of Greenlake, Ballard, and Downtown Lower Queen Anne. We look forward to meeting you soon.
© 2025 Seattle Christian Counseling. All rights reserved.
6827 Oswego Place NE, Suite B, Seattle, WA 98115. Tel (206) 388-3929.
Facebook Twitter Online Counseling About Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use Feel free to contact us!
We are open for business. In person and online counseling are available now.