A friend has experienced the death of someone loved.  How can you help?  To begin with, you can be an active listener.  Your physical presence and desire to listen without judging are your critical helping tools.  Don't worry so much about what you will say.  Just concentrate on listening to the words being shared with you.

You should also strive to be compassionate.  Give your friend permission to express his or her feelings without fear of criticism. Allow him or her to experience all the hurt, sorrow and pain that he or she is feeling at the time.  Enter into your friend's feelings, but never try to take them away.

The following brochures provide many other practical suggestions for helping others with grief:

• Helping a Friend in Grief
• Helping AIDS Survivors Heal
• Helping a Homicide Survivor Heal
• Helping SIDS Survivors Heal
• Helping a Suicide Survivor Heal
• Helping Children Cope with Grief
• Helping Teenagers Cope with Grief
• Helping Infants and Toddlers When Someone They Love Dies
• Helping Children with Funerals
• Helping Bereaved Siblings Heal
• Helping Grieving Children at School

Author of these Helping Series brochures, Dr. Alan Wolfelt is an internationally noted author, teacher and practicing clinical thanatologist.  He serves as Director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition and is on the faculty at the University of Colorado Medical School's Department of Family Medicine.

To obtain a copy of any of these brochures, contact us
1.800.524.8389.