Health · Mental Health · 2 hrs ago
Psychologist Rachel Menzies and her father write about death anxiety
Clinical psychologists Rachel Menzies and her father, Ross, study death anxiety and have worked together on books about it.
Rachel says her childhood fascination with mummies helped shape her interest in death.
In 2018, they wrote a book about death anxiety for academics and clinicians.
They later wrote Mortals for the general public, and it won the 2022 Nib People’s Choice Prize.
The book explores how fear of death has shaped human society, while the pair say facing death can make life more meaningful.
Rachel also opened the Menzies Anxiety Centre in Sydney’s inner west to build a career independently of her father.
They continue to work together and plan to travel to Egypt.
Clinical psychologists Ross Menzies and his daughter, Rachel Menzies, are specialists in death anxiety.
They co-wrote a book about death anxiety for academics and clinicians in 2018.
They later wrote Mortals: How the Fear of Death Shaped Human Society for the general public.
The book won the 2022 Nib People’s Choice Prize.
Rachel says she opened the Menzies Anxiety Centre in Sydney’s inner west to build a career independently of her father.
- Who
- Clinical psychologists Professor Ross Menzies and Dr Rachel Menzies, his daughter.
- What
- They wrote books about death anxiety, including one for the general public.
- When
- They wrote a book for academics and clinicians in 2018; their public book won a prize in 2022.
- Where
- Rachel opened the Menzies Anxiety Centre in Sydney’s inner west.
- Why
- They wrote about death anxiety to address the subject; Rachel says she wanted to build something independently of her father.
Ross Menzies
Rachel Menzies
Career
Ross Menzies
He wanted to guide Rachel and did not understand why she would not join him.
Rachel Menzies
She says she needed to pursue a career independently and opened her own centre.
Rachel says her father gave her a rat’s skull he had found in the basement.
Ross and Rachel wrote a book about death anxiety for academics and clinicians.
Mortals: How the Fear of Death Shaped Human Society won the Nib People’s Choice Prize.
Rachel opened the Menzies Anxiety Centre in Sydney’s inner west.
- Clinical psychologists
- Professor Ross Menzies, 62, and Dr Rachel Menzies, 33
- First book
- Written in 2018 for academics and clinicians
- Public book
- Mortals: How the Fear of Death Shaped Human Society
- Prize
- 2022 Nib People’s Choice Prize
- Centre
- Menzies Anxiety Centre, Sydney’s inner west
What people are saying
It’s about practising what we preach: facing death because, whether you face it or not, it’s coming.
Dad has always wanted to guide me, which I’ve benefited from, but I’ve also needed to go out on my own.
Dad and I share the view that death is the end of consciousness, so when we die, there’ll be no “us” left to speak of.