Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, MD, (1926–2004) was an American-Swiss psychiatrist and author of the groundbreaking book *On Death and Dying*, in which she developed the ‘five stages of grief’. The book marked a turning point in medical thinking and laid the foundations for change, initially in the US and subsequently throughout the Western world, regarding the proper support of patients, their families, and the medical staff caring for them. Her psychodynamic, anthropological and metaphysical approach has been documented in a total of twenty-four books, published in thirty-six languages worldwide, helping millions of people to cope with their own death or the death of a loved one. Her work has contributed to the good practice of medicine and is continued through the efforts of hundreds of organisations worldwide, including The Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation: EKRFoundation.org.