Embrace life by facing death: A journey for couples

Unearth the beauty of life and loss, facing death together.

A new revolutionary app from a leader in relationship skills training is helping couples all over the world embrace life more fully by empowering them to reflect upon death and loss.

The Purpose Built Families Foundation app, aptly named “A Meditation on Death and Loss,” offers a suite of interactive prompts and resources designed to facilitate meaningful conversations about a topic that can be difficult to discuss.

“By encouraging users to explore their perspectives and emotions related to death and loss, the app helps couples gain insight into each other’s views and opinions on this sometimes-taboo subject,” says Chief Wellness Officer Rachel Marmor, a licensed marriage and family therapist.

Additionally, the app provides users with access to resources such as articles, videos, and experienced AI-supported professionals who are available to answer any questions or provide further guidance.

“What is usually true about this exercise,” marriage and family therapist, Dr. Lori Heyman Gordon, said 20 years ago, is “even though it may not seem that way, is that it has a powerful effect of increasing our pleasure in life, increasing our awareness that time passes and we never know when the end will come.”

Dr. Gordon founded PAIRS (Practical Application of Intimate Relationship Skills) in 1977. She died four years ago. “Many of us live as though life is endless, as if there is lots of time, there is no hurry,” Dr. Gordon said. “All of a sudden, something may happen and we become aware of our regrets about the time that was missed. This exercise is not designed to be depressing, but to enhance our pleasure in living by realizing how much we appreciate who is here, what we have, what can be now,” she added.

“This innovative technology has already helped many couples deepen their bond and create a better understanding of what matters most in life,” says Purpose Built Families Foundation CEO Seth Eisenberg, Dr. Gordon’s youngest son.

In today’s ever-changing world, A Meditation on Death and Loss is proving to be an invaluable resource for exploring a topic that is often left untouched.

Eisenberg said the app is available presently by invitation only and will be released to professionals later this year. The nationally-accredited nonprofit did provide a preview of key exercises through the video below.

Eisenberg says that beyond couples, the app will also help any individual grieving the loss or imminent loss of a loved one as well as those searching for words to speak at a funeral or afterwards.

“For years, hospice chaplains have used this PAIRS exercise to help people facing end of life conversations have a safe, healing structure for those conversations to take place. We look forward to making this profound tool available to more professionals throughout the world,” Eisenberg says.