How do you write a touching and informative obituary?
Writing an obituary for someone you love is never an entirely routine task. You have to find the right words while your emotions are still running high—sometimes even before you’ve fully realized what has [...]
How can you personalize a funeral service so that it reflects the life of the deceased?
Chaque personne a son histoire. Ses habitudes, ses passions, ses petites expressions, les gens qu’elle aimait… et tous ces souvenirs qui font qu’elle ne ressemblait à personne d’autre. Il est donc tout naturel [...]
Timeframe after a death: How long does it take to arrange a funeral?
When a loved one has just passed away, one question almost always comes up—often within the first few hours: “How much time do we have to make all the arrangements?” This sense of urgency [...]
How Does a Cremation Take Place in Quebec? A Step-by-Step Guide
Choosing cremation for a loved one—or for oneself as part of prearranged funeral plans—often raises many questions. What actually happens between the time of death and the return of the ashes to the family? [...]
The role of funerals in the grieving process after a suicide
The death of a family member by suicide is a deeply traumatic experience. In addition to the grief associated with the loss, families and friends often have to cope with a complex mix of [...]
Honouring our elders: Reflections on the International Day of Older Persons
Every 1st of October, International Day of Older Persons invites us to pause for a moment. To look around us. To recognise the human richness and living memory that our elders represent. Beyond their [...]
Funeral services near Sainte-Martine: simply there for you
When you lose someone, everything becomes confusing. Memories, emotions, things that need to be done. And time seems to fly by, when all you want is a break, a moment to breathe.At Marie-Soleil Phaneuf Funeral [...]
Not for everyone – Podcast
I gave an interview to the podcast C'pas pour tout l'monde. We talked about my job as a thanatologist, my approach to bereaved families, and how I run my business. Enjoy listening! [...]
What is grief? Understanding and navigating this universal experience
Grief is a universal experience that occurs after the loss of a loved one, a close friend, or another important figure in our lives. This complex process is not limited to the death of [...]
Religious funeral rites around the world
Funeral rites are as old as humanity itself. They reflect our universal need to pay tribute to those who have left us, while providing a framework for expressing our grief. However, these practices differ [...]
Being a thanatologist: it’s much more than just a job
"Being a thanatologist is much more than just a job; it's a vocation imbued with humanity and light. People often imagine me as an ‘undertaker,’ but the reality is quite different. My role goes [...]
Prearranged funeral services: why plan your funeral in advance?
Talking about your own funeral may seem awkward, but planning ahead with funeral prearrangements is a decision that offers many advantages. By organizing everything in advance, you relieve your loved ones of a financial [...]
When Silence Speaks: The Role of Unspoken Words in Grief
Some pains don't cry out. They settle gently, in an averted gaze, a word left unsaid, a sigh that lingers too long. In the days following a death, there are tears, tributes, flowers. And [...]
How to Support a Loved One Through Grief
When someone we care about is grieving, we often feel helpless.We want to ease their pain, say the right words, offer a steady shoulder.But how do we support them gently, without being intrusive or [...]
How Long Does Normal Grief Last?
There are absences that take up all the space. A void that creeps into everyday gestures, into important dates, into silences that are heavier than before. When we lose a loved one, one question [...]
Grief and Loss: When Landmarks Disappear, How Do You Move Forward—One Step at a Time?
Losing someone you love is more than losing a presence. It's like watching a whole world of familiar landmarks quietly collapse. A voice that no longer answers. An empty seat at the table. A [...]
Collective Grief: When Loss Becomes a Shared Burden
Grief is usually something we carry in silence — inside a home, inside a heart. It fills the empty chair, the unread message, the quiet gestures of daily life. But sometimes, it spills over. [...]
HEALTH GUIDELINES IN FUNERAL HOMES: A DIRECT IMPACT THAT DISRUPTS FAMILIES’ GRIEF PROCESS
74 000 familles endeuillées affectées Press release Quebec City, March 8, 2021 — With just a few days to go before the day [...]
Marie-Soleil Phaneuf Funeral Home Honored with CTQ Distinction – Press release
Marie-Soleil Phaneuf Funeral Home obtains distinction certification Press release Quebec City – The Corporation des thanatologues du Québec [...]
Miscarriage, not false grief
Miscarriage, not false grief(January 29, 2019)A friend of mine asked me to find a text about grief related to miscarriage to put on her blog, since I have experienced a miscarriage and an involuntary termination [...]
You Have the Right to Stop Talking to Your Mother
You Have the Right to Stop Talking to Your Mother(June 11, 2018) How many times a day do you think about it? Or maybe just once a month? At Christmas? Or on their birthday, when [...]
The 7 stages of grief
ATTACHMENT AND GRIEF(Jean Monbourquette, September 3, 2016) This text explains the importance of attachment in the grieving process, as well as the seven stages of grief according to the Monbourquette approach.... To read the [...]
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