Question
How to Support Someone During a Loss?
Answer
We live in a society where others shy away from their worst nightmare. If the nightmare happened to you, it could happen to me. People do not want to be reminded that such tragedies occur.
Most people, even with the best of intentions are often out of their comfort zone, lets face it, death is awkward and sometimes it is just easier to avoid.
I believe the unwillingness is not because people do not care or do not want to help. I truly believe that we are not always certain what the right thing is to say or do, but we have a fear that we might hurt the person even more.
So, for anyone who supports, interacts with someone who has loss a loved one to violence, or for that matter, any type of death, my best advice is to remember your ABCs:
A- avoid cliches,
B- be a good listener, and
C- converse.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the webinar, A Framework for Understanding and Approaching Grief for Clinicians, presented by Lisa Zoll, MSW, LCSW & Lynn Shiner.
