Grief accompaniment: What is really behind it?

More than just a handkerchief is enough – a comprehensive guide

How do you deal with a loss that throws the world out of joint? Grief is a complex feeling that touches everyone differently.

Grief is the price we pay for love. ’

This phrase goes to the heart of what many of us feel and fear. The loss leaves a deep wound that needs to heal. But how do you deal with this pain? How do you find a way to accept life again despite everything? In this post, we would like to show you how grief support can help you cope with your grief and regain hope.

It is often assumed that grief accompaniment means simply listening. This is an important component, but it is far from everything. Each accompaniment is as individual as the mourning person himself. Mourners need a safe space where they can freely express their feelings without being evaluated. An experienced guide who accompanies them on their individual mourning journey.

What exactly constitutes grief accompaniment?

In addition to actively listening, the accompaniment helps you understand and process your grief. Together, you can create rituals to say goodbye and learn relaxation techniques to reduce stress. Even with practical questions and challenges in everyday life, your companion is at your side.

The accompaniment will help you:

Understanding your unique grief: Your*e Companion*in helps you recognize and accept your individual grief patterns.

Strengthen your resources: He supports you in mobilizing your inner forces and developing new perspectives.

To shape your future: Together you can find ways to find joy and meaning in life again.

In addition, she supports you with the following topics:

Creating relationships: How can you maintain your relationships with friends and family during the grief phase?

Overcoming Guilt: How can you deal with feelings of guilt, recognize where they come from and re-evaluate them?

Developing Rituals: How can you design personal rituals to say goodbye and preserve memories?

Integrating spirituality: If spirituality is important to you, your companion can help you place your grief in a larger context.

Developing future plans: How can you regain hope and formulate new goals for your life?

A lady told me about her dream to make a trip to Italy, which she had planned together with her husband. After his death, she did not dare to realize this dream for a long time. But with my support she was able to take the courage to start the journey and create new beautiful memories.

What are the goals of mourning?

The goals of mourning can vary depending on the individual situation and the needs of the mourner. It is important to emphasize that grief is a natural process that is different for each person. Grief guidance helps to understand and accept individual grief responses.

Processing of feelings: Grief accompaniment helps mourners to recognize, name and process their various feelings (e.g. grief, anger, guilt, longing).

Strengthening own resources: Mourners are guided to identify their individual strengths and competences and to activate them in everyday life. These can be, for example: creativity, humor, social skills, resilience or a strong sense of values.

Development of new skills: Sometimes it is necessary to learn new skills in order to deal with the changed life situation.

Building a support network: The grief support helps to maintain and build a network of trusted people who can provide emotional support and practical help.

Promoting self-care: Grief guidance makes it important that mourners learn to pay attention to their own needs and to do themselves well.

Acceptance of loss: The loss cannot be undone. Grief guidance helps to integrate the loss and find a new place in life.

Prevention of complications: Grief support can help prevent or alleviate the development of mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety disorders.

Development of new perspectives: It is about finding new meanings in life and setting new goals.

Restoring quality of life: Grief accompaniment helps mourners find joy in life again and discover new activities.

What methods are used in mourning?

Research on grief has made great progress in recent years and profoundly changed our understanding of grief. We now know that grief is a highly individual process that can vary greatly from person to person. Therefore, grief support offers a variety of methods that can help to process a loss and to find a fulfilled quality of life again. The choice of suitable methods depends on the individual’s individual needs and preferences. Close cooperation between grief attendants*In and mourning is crucial.

Cognitive behavioral therapy: In addition to cognitive restructuring, behavioural therapeutic elements such as exposure or relaxation techniques can be used.

Psychodynamic therapy: This focuses on unconscious processes and previous experiences.

Narrative therapy: In narrative therapy, one’s own life story is retold in order to gain new perspectives.

Body-oriented methods:

Yoga and Tai Chi: These gentle forms of movement promote mindfulness and physical well-being.

Massage and bodywork: Physical touch can cause deep relaxation and support the processing of emotions.

Creative therapies:

Art Therapy: Painting, drawing or sculpting can help express feelings that are hard to put into words.

Music Therapy: Music can provide comfort and help with the processing of grief.

Writing therapy: Writing diaries or letters can contribute to self-reflection and processing of feelings.

Nature-based therapy:

Forest bathing: Stays in nature can reduce stress and increase well-being.

Garden therapy: Gardening can be a meaningful occupation and contribute to regeneration.

Social support:

Self-help groups: Exchange with other mourners can be an important part of grief management.

Peer advice: Conversations with people who have had similar experiences can be very helpful.

Important aspects of mourning:

Individuality: Each grief accompaniment should be individually tailored to the needs of the mourners.

Holistic approach: Body, mind and soul are closely connected. Therefore, a holistic approach that takes into account both physical and psychological aspects is important.

Need-oriented accompaniment: Grief is a process that takes time. A needs-oriented accompaniment can help to process the grief and find new life goals.

When could a grief accompaniment be useful?

Intense feelings of grief: If the grief is so severe that it significantly affects daily life and you feel overwhelmed by your tasks.

Isolation: When you withdraw from your social environment and feel like no one can understand you.

Difficulties in dealing with everyday life: If you have difficulty structuring your everyday life or making decisions.

Physical complaints: If you have physical symptoms such as sleep disturbances, loss of appetite or exhaustion that could be related to grief.

How do I recognize an*n good*n mourners*in?

Choosing the right mourning companions*in is crucial for the success of the accompaniment. Pay attention to the following criteria:

Training and experience: One*e Good luck*r mourning attendants*has an in-depth training in mourning or a related discipline.

Empathy and empathy: One*e Mourners*You should be able to put yourself in your situation and take your feelings seriously.

Duty of confidentiality: Discretion is an absolute must.

Individual support: One*e Good luck*r mourning attendants*in responds individually to your needs and wishes.

Network: He should have a network of professionals to whom he can refer you if necessary.

How do I find one*n mourners*in?

Grief Taskforce Network: The Grief Taskforce is an important association of grief experts who promote an open, diverse culture of grief. The members come from all over the German-speaking area and they offer grief support in person and online. To the crew page

Internet: Search the Internet for mourning near you. Pay attention to reviews and experience reports.

Recommendations: Ask friends, relatives, or your family doctor for recommendations.

Additional tips:

Feel inside yourself: What feeling do you have when you think of a possible grief accompaniment?

Take notes: Write down what you have in a*m mourning companion*in is important.

Should there be a specialization, e.g. for families, children, adolescents or adults

Or an accompaniment focus, such as accompaniment of star parents, for widowers, sibling grief, after suicide, grief after animal loss?

How should the accompaniment work – in person or is also conceivable online for you?

Get to know them first: Accommodation meetings with various grief attendants*Inside.

Important: The decision for an*n mourners*In is an important step. Take your time to find the right person for you, because the chemistry between you may also be right.

Grief accompaniment offers a variety of possibilities to support mourners on their individual path. It is important to find a suitable method or a combination of different methods to meet individual needs. Cooperation with an*m experienced mourners*It can be a valuable support.

FAQ – All info compact