Bereaved people want to be seen, heard and honoured in their unique grief experience

• Your role in supporting someone starts with creating a safe, confidential space within which a person can explore, process and express their grief
• It’s sometimes easier to share with someone who has not experienced the loss or someone not in the family or circle of friends so that the person can be open to saying and doing what they need to
• This requires you to show up with grounded, embodied presence and provide empathetic, respectful listening all while remaining aware of your own thoughts/feelings and judgments that may get in the way of being able to provide effective service
• The goal of grief support is to reduce isolation, and validate/normalize the person’s experience
• Acknowledgement is key
• And for Peer Supporters, because you have shared a similar journey, you can provide a mirror of hope to someone by modeling that learning to live with grief is possible

GOOD GRIEF SUPPORT, when done right, leaves someone with a feeling of safety, comfort, and the ability to take as long as needed to be better able to cope and live with grief.