In what is often called her most important book, Verena Kast examines the role of mourning in the therapeutic process. Working as a psychotherapist, Frau Kast has often observed depressive illnesses caused by painful losses which have not been adequately mourned. Traditionally, mourning has not been a subject of psychologists' attention. Frau Kast uses dreams to illustrate the stages of mourning and shows systematically how the unconscious stimulates us to encounter our grief.

Verena Kast was born in Appenzell, Switzerland. She ist Professor of Psychology at the University of Zurich, a training analyst at the C. G. Jung Institute and a psychotherapist in private practice. She lectures throughout the world and is the author of numerous successful books on psychological issues, among others, “A Time to Mourn” and “The Nature of Loving.”