Companioning the Bereaved: A Soulful Guide for Counselors & Caregivers

Renowned author and educator Alan Wolfelt redefines the role of the grief counselor in this guide for caregivers. His new model for “companioning” the bereaved gives a viable alternative to the limitations of the medical establishment, encouraging counselors and other caregivers to aspire to a more compassionate philosophy.

This approach argues that grief needs no longer be defined, diagnosed, and treated as an illness but rather should be an acknowledgment of an event that forever changes a person’s worldview. Through careful listening and observation, the caregiver learns to support mourners and help them help themselves heal.

Soul really has to do with a sense of the heart being touched by feelings. An open heart that is grieving is a “well of reception;” it is moved entirely by what it has perceived. Soul also has to do with the overall journey of life as a story, as a representation of deep inner meaning. Soul is not a thing, but a dimension of experiencing life and living. I see soul as the primary essence of our true nature, our spirit self, or our life force.