As a grief counselor I am expected to be the one in the role of teacher and helper, but I have often found that it is myself who is the student.

All of you whom I interact with have so much to teach me, as well as everyone around you. I’ve no problem admitting that when I first began working for Hospice I was rather naïve in terms of what constitutes helping those who are grieving.

I think, though, that many of us probably share this mentality.

Often times those in the mental health field, including myself, feel that there is a need for highly involved therapeutic intervention to help those who are in pain. This is certainly true, at times. Often, though, the simplest intervention is the most helpful. This is most assuredly true with those who are grieving.

Many times as friends and family of someone who is grieving, we see our loved one in pain and feel that they need professional help in coping with their loss. We are afraid to step in and help, because we feel we might say or do the wrong thing. As I have come to learn, again, the simplest interventions are the most helpful ones.

Never underestimate the power of a hand written letter or a telephone call to say "I was thinking about you.”.

Do not give a second thought to inviting a grieving person to lunch, or just stopping by to say "hello.”

Most people don’t need to speak with a mental health professional to be okay, they simply need to know that you are thinking about them and that you understand their pain.

They need to know that someone is there, to listen, if they need to talk. They need to know that although they feel isolated and alone, they are not. They need to feel loved. You don’t need to have a degree in counseling to help someone in pain.

You simply need to care.

These are the therapeutic interventions that grieving people need.