Calgary marriage therapy

Losing someone close can create an emotional hole that seems unbridgeable. Your help can be a lifeline for someone you love going through trying circumstances. The grief counselling in Calgary can play a vital role in helping individuals navigate their emotions, but your presence and understanding can significantly complement their healing journey. Giving sincere help calls for empathy, patience, and a readiness to listen free from judgment. Four key strategies below will help a loved one through loss and toward healing.

Establish an emotional safe space

Those who are grieving often go on an emotional rollercoaster that spans guilt and uncertainty from despair and fury. Create a place where they feel free to communicate these emotions if you are to properly help them. Unless they directly ask for it, resist the urge to provide fast fixes or guidance. Just being present silent, hugging, or over a shared cup of coffee can be quite consoling. Encouragement of their crying or venting free from criticism helps children to realize their emotions are legitimate and understandable.

Implement active listening techniques

Active listening is really connecting with what your loved one is sharing, not only hearing words. Set aside distractions, make eye contact, and respond affirmatively to their emotions that is, “I understand how that could be painful.” Helping people feel heard by reflecting their feelings back to them that example, by stating, “It sounds like this is really overwhelming for you” Recall, you are not supposed to know everything. Sometimes the most powerful help you can provide is just sympathetic listening.

Approach the process patiently

Healing from loss is not straight-forward and it most definitely is not instantaneous. Even after months of improvement, your loved one could go through setbacks or have periods of great sadness. Over this period, patience is really vital. Tell them it’s OK to grieve at their own speed and avoid setting deadlines or expectations on their recovery. If they decide to seek professional help, such as grief counselling in Calgary, encourage them wholeheartedly.  Their path toward healing will be much different depending on the mix of expert direction and your relentless support.

Although the loss can be isolating, the caring support of a loved one can help to lessen the load. Offering a listening ear, motivating good behavior, and honoring their chronology will help them negotiate the suffering. Remember, even if their path of grieving is particular to them, your presence reminds them that they do not have to go through it by themselves.