{"id":43815,"date":"2025-04-25T14:03:43","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T18:03:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=43815"},"modified":"2025-04-25T14:03:43","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T18:03:43","slug":"supporting-someone-through-grief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/supporting-someone-through-grief\/","title":{"rendered":"Supporting Someone Through Grief"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

Those of you who know me personally are aware that my son Nikolai passed away in November. Our family has been navigating this unimaginable loss, and while everyone’s grief is unique, I wanted to share a few tips for those who may want to support someone going through it. One thing that has been instrumental in helping us cope is the overwhelming love and support from our community. If you’re wondering how to be there for a friend or family member, below are a few things that have truly made a difference.<\/p>\n

Tips That Have Helped Me<\/h2>\n

Offer Practical Help: <\/strong>Please don\u2019t ask me what I need, especially in the early months of grief. Often, I don\u2019t even know what I need. Offering practical support can be a game-changer. Our community set up a meal train, if you don\u2019t know what this is, look it up, because it saved our family tremendously! Friends brought over groceries; some asked what we needed, while others simply brought staples. Offering to help with things like carpooling kids can also be incredibly helpful. Sometimes small gestures make a big difference, and every act of kindness is so appreciated.<\/p>\n

When in Doubt Reach Out<\/strong>: There are times when I need solitude to process my feelings, but that doesn\u2019t mean I want to be forgotten. I don\u2019t want to be left alone entirely, I truly don\u2019t. If you\u2019re unsure how to show support, a simple text is more than enough. If I\u2019m not in a place to respond, please don\u2019t take it personally. We could go for a walk or just sit and talk. Even if I don\u2019t take you up on it right away, knowing you\u2019re there means the world.<\/p>\n

Avoid Cliche\u0301s<\/strong>: Phrases like \u201cThey\u2019re in a better place\u201d or \u201cTime heals all wounds\u201d can unintentionally minimize the pain. Acknowledging my grief without trying to fix it allows me to feel seen and understood.<\/p>\n

Celebrate the Memories<\/strong>: Say his name. Tell me any memories you have. I want to know that he is still remembered. Celebrating their life rather than focusing only on their absence can be a great comfort.<\/p>\n

Avoid Comparisons<\/strong>: Please don\u2019t compare your pain to mine, and please don\u2019t say you understand\u2014because, truthfully, you can\u2019t. Everyone\u2019s grief is deeply personal, and while your intentions may be kind, comparisons can unintentionally diminish what I\u2019m experiencing.<\/p>\n

Listen Without Judgment<\/strong>: There are days when I need to talk, vent, or even express emotions I can\u2019t fully understand. Having someone who listens without offering solutions or judgments is invaluable. Just letting me feel heard is incredibly healing.
\nTo those who have been walking with me through this journey, thank you. Your support means the world. If you’re supporting someone through grief, know that even the smallest gesture can have a lasting impact.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Those of you who know me personally are aware that my son Nikolai passed away in November. Our family has been navigating this unimaginable loss, and while everyone’s grief is unique, I wanted to share a few tips for those who may want to support someone going through it. One thing that has been instrumental […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3195,"featured_media":43817,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1863,1897],"tags":[656,770,654,655],"class_list":["post-43815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-grief-and-loss","category-trauma","tag-and-bereavement","tag-death","tag-grief","tag-loss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43815"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43815\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}