Providing Emotional Support to a Grieving Friend

Emotional support is not easy to provide to a grieving friend. If your friend is dealing with a recent loss, let Chapel of the Chimes help. In addition to offering funeral services in Oakland , we have extensive grief support services and tips on our website to help ease the pain of losing a loved one. Here are a few tips that will help you provide the emotional support your friend needs during this difficult time.  

Your Role is the Supporter

Remember that grief belongs to your friend; your role is to provide emotional support and respect for his or her unique process of grieving. The reason this is worth mentioning is because many people who are grieving are told they need to grieve, feel, or behave differently than they do. Grief is highly personal, so even if you would do things differently, follow their lead rather than trying to change their course.

Stay Present

It’s easy to talk about the past and future when the present is so unpleasant. But what your friend needs right now is someone who can stay present with them, even with the pain. Avoid saying how good his life once was or that the future will be better. And do not make generalized statements about the situation in an effort to soothe your friend or take his pain away, because these are rarely helpful. Just stick with the present—your friend is in pain, and you are there for him or her in this difficult time.

Take Care of Yourself

Providing emotional support is not easy. Your friend might not be in a place to make you feel appreciated, and your feelings may be hurt in the process. Try not to take it personally and avoid taking out your frustrations on your friend. Find other friends to lean on during this difficult time.

To learn more about the ways you can help your friend through his or her grieving process, contact Chapel of the Chimes, a leading funeral home in Oakland . In addition to providing funeral and cremation services, we provide 24/7 grief support. For more information, give us a call at (510) 654-0123 or visit our website.