On Saturday, November 26th, The Grief Recovery Institute lost an important member of our family. Russell Friedman, our executive director, died peacefully in his own home, surrounded by his loving wife, Alice, and family. Russell was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, and it rapidly metastasized throughout his body.
If you are reading this post, it is very likely that you are not a professionally trained grief support specialist, but rather someone who has been thrust into this role and is seeking assistance. You are hardly alone.
With the holiday season approaching, we are constantly bombarded by images of happy families together sharing the joy of the season. If you are a griever, however, this may not be the picture that you can imagine at this point. Holidays, birthdays, or other days that were a special part of your family traditions trigger painful feelings of loss and grief.
As a caring professional, you likely know that your “presence” is far more valuable than any “present” you can offer anyone experiencing a loss of any kind.
The United States has just completed the 2016 election process and we are bombarded by reports in the media concerning people’s surprise, elation, dismay, excitement and even protests after the votes were counted. One word that we have yet to hear from any prominent media outlet is “grief” related to the outcome and how it touches us on a very personal level.
Have you ever been in such a dark place that you thought there was no way out? You experienced the death of someone you love, the end of a romantic relationship, or the loss of yourself?
Recently, we wrote about how many people tend to isolate themselves when grieving the loss of a close person in their life. We've analyzed why this is a bad plan for everyone and how being around supportive people helps the grieving process into the future.
As professionals who deal with those who have experienced a loss, there are certain things that we know are better ways of helping. The comfort from family and friends is sometimes helpful to the bereaved but on a professional level, there are a few specific things to remember when working with a person who is grieving a loss.