“Companioning is about going into the wilderness of the soul with another human being; it is not about thinking you are responsible for finding the way out” – Dr. Alan Wolfelt

Dr Alan Wolfelt’s concept of companioning is another way to look at our roles. Dr. Wolfelt is the Director of the Centre for Loss and Transition and he talks about our work as:

“Going into the wilderness of the soul with another human being, not about thinking you are responsible for finding the way out”

This cannot be stressed enough: there is no “normal” or “right” way to grieve. To provide grief support, we have to listen to people with empathy, being aware of our own judgements and not trying to change or fix them. The point is to companion people on their journey, not make them act or feel a particular way.

Bringing our exquisite presence to people as we listen, hold space and companion them on their own unique journey, will help to stimulate the person’s own inner wisdom about coping/resilience