Being a good listener

I am not an expert on grief but I do meet a lot of people who are grieving and I was a Samaritan for years. And anyway, people deal with grief in different ways over different time frames. Here’s some thoughts that might help those who want to ‘be there’ for someone who is grieving.

• Concentrate on what they are saying and don’t be thinking about what your response might be until they have finished.
• Check you have understood what they are feeling by summarising.
• Only offer advice if they ask.
• Try not to rush in and share your own experiences.

These are only a few ideas but I hope they might help.