What To Say To Someone In Grief
Posted on 22nd June 2023 at 15:56
As some of you know, I am currently adding grief education and grief support to the list of modalities I am of service to the world with.
Today, I just want to give a few tips on how you can help someone in grief and most specifically what you can say to someone grieving.
And before that, let’s the 6 needs of the grieving:
- To Have Your Pain Witnessed
- To Express Your Feelings
- To Release the Burden of Guilt
- To Be Free of Old Wounds
- To Integrate the Pain and the Love
- To Find Meaning in Life After Loss
People grieving need their pain witnessed and they need to be able to express how they feel. They need a safe space where they can be acknowledged.
I understand that sometimes we feel awkward around people who have experienced a loss and we just don’t know what to say. Here’s a basic grief relationship survival kit.
- Start by asking them – ‘who did you lose? Tell me more about your loved one. What was he/she like?’
- Then ask them – ‘how did it happen? Tell me more about the circumstances around your loved one’s death?’
- Finally, ask them – ‘how do you feel? How you really feel? emotionally, physically, spiritually, socially and materially?’
We often assume that people grieving don’t want to speak about the one they lost, but they most often do! Of course, they will most probably cry, but this process will really help them. And if at some point, you’re really stuck, well you can also stay quiet and just give them a hug. This will also be of tremendous help as you create that safe space for them to just be.
Hope you find these tips useful and please feel to share this post as you never know who needs to hear that today.
As always beuatiful people and souls take care, stay safe and talk soon.
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