Counseling Skills for Companioning the Mourner

An in-depth guide to the counseling process and establishing a trusting relationship with clients—from a bestselling author and grieving expert
 
Helping people in grief means being an empathetic companion—someone who allows grievers to be experts of their own experiences, who bears witness without judging, who gently encourages the expression of thoughts and feelings. But even if you approach the work with this understanding, how you “are” when you spend time with the griever also has a tremendous influence on your capacity to help. How do you develop a relationship with the griever? How do you show empathy, respect, warmth, and genuineness? Could you improve your listening, paraphrasing, clarifying, perception checking, informing, and other essential helping skills? Whether you are a professional counselor or a lay helper, whether you have years of experience or are new to the work, this guide, based on by Dr. Wolfelt’s companioning philosophy, will help you be the most effective grief companion you can be.

Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD, CT, is a speaker, a grief counselor, and the director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition. He is the author of numerous books, including Companioning the Bereaved, Companioning the Grieving Child, Healing Your Traumatized Heart, and Understanding Your Grief, among many other bestselling titles on healing in grief. He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.