What To Say, What Not To Say After Death To The Bereaved, The Dougy Center

by Chaplain Julia Rajtar, MAPS, BCC

“I’m sorry for your loss, my sympathy to you, I can’t imagine how you are feeling” are all phrases I have used when expressing empathy to those who are bereaved.   These phrases have come naturally over the years based on what others have said to me and what I have heard others say.

What to Say (And Not to Say) After a Death

Recently I found a tool that can be even more helpful to me, and others, as we express our sympathy to those who are grieving.  This resource, “What to say and not to say” from the Dougy Center and National Alliance for Children’s Grief is a tool one can use with adults or adapt to using it with teens/children.   It takes practice to adapt our language and it is worthwhile to do so.

What to say and not to say, The Dougy Center, https://www.dougy.org/.

Knowing what to say (or not to say) after a death can give you peace of mind when talking to loved ones. Want to read more about this topic? Read this blog. For more free grief resources, visit our grief support page.