About The Author
Thomas M. Ellis
Perhaps no one has more professional depth and tangible experience in topics relating to the grief process than Thomas M. Ellis. An accomplished therapist, author, and public speaker, Tom was born into a family that lived and worked in a small-town funeral home. "Not uncommonly," Tom writes, "Dad awakened us in the night as he was called to work or as he called on us for help at the scene of a death. I invariably knew the persons who died or some members of their families. Witnessing their pain was often tough for us, but it was what we did."
"After one 3 a.m. death, I declared that I would never be a funeral director. I couldn't wait to grow up and move on. So, following a brief sojourn at school in another city, I decided to continue in the field of mortuary science and purchase the family business. My experience since then of being with others at times of death has been challenging and humbling. "
Through his experience, Tom has formed the belief that grief is not about clear, predictable "stages." Rather, it is a natural process of dynamic changes with the power to ebb and flow as it may. This is especially true amidst a culture overcome with demands, expectations and stress.
Tom is a licensed marriage and family therapist based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is also clinical supervisor and executive director of the Center for Grief, Loss, and Transition in Saint Paul. He lives in Hastings, Minnesota with his two daughters.
