February 8 2016

Last week we talked about Grief Companioning as a safe place to get support, share about your loss experiences and quiet your mind.  Grief Companioning might be new to some of you.  Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D., author, educator and grief counselor developed the companioning philosophy after years of walking with others on their grief journeys.  The companioning model is different than the treating model.  Treat comes from the Latin root word which means “to drag” and patient means “passive long-term sufferer.”  Therefore, treating patients can mean “to drag long-term sufferers.”  On the other hand, companion’s Latin roots mean “with bread.” Companioning is more like sharing a meal with that person. 

“Companioning the bereaved is not about assessing, analyzing, fixing or resolving another’s grief.  Instead, it is about being totally present to the mourner even being a temporary guardian of her soul.”                                                                                   ~Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D.