Ellen Vandenbroeck
Ellen Vandenbroeck is a Gestalt psychotherapist and theologian whose work bridges research, existential reflection, and clinical practice. She specialises in grief, loss, and end-of-life processes, and has over ten years of experience teaching and training healthcare professionals.
​
In her clinical work, she supports adults and elderly facing bereavement, chronic illness, dementia, and palliative situations. Her academic and clinical interests centre on how grief, attachment, shame, and meaning-making unfold within the therapeutic and caregiving
relationship. Drawing on Gestalt theory and field-oriented thinking, she explores how suffering is shaped by interpersonal, institutional, and societal contexts, and how healing emerges through dialogue, presence, and embodied connection.
​
Through her teaching, writing, and clinical work, Ellen aims to connect theory and lived experience, and to foster interdisciplinary dialogue - helping professionals develop an integrated and authentic way of accompanying people through profound loss.
Breaking the Boundaries of Grief: An Integrated Process Model of Threatened Connections.
Whether it is a death, a life-altering diagnosis, a debilitating illness, or another form of loss, people often describe that the solid ground beneath their feet vanishes, and they often find themselves adrift on the open sea. How do we help our clients navigate these unpredictable waves? Grieving is far more than an emotion or linear parcours; it is a field-oriented process that fundamentally impacts our sense of self, our body, our
relationships, and our very existence.
Aligning with the congress theme ‘Breaking Boundaries’, this interactive session bridges Grief theory, Gestalt research, and clinical practice. We will explore the ’Integrated Process Model of Threatened Connections’, a metaphorical framework designed to provide insight and some support during the storm of loss.
​
This workshop offers a synergy between theory and clinical experience, helping you develop an authentic way to accompany clients through their most profound losses. Let's expand the boundaries of how we understand grieving, healing and our therapeutic role in their process.