What is a Grief Companion?

Who is grieving in your world that needs you to walk alongside them as a companion?

The part you play in that person’s life is more meaningful than you might even realize. How we walk as a companion matters. What I learned while taking the Hospice volunteer training course was that “companioning” was actually a skillset I needed to grow in.

What is Companioning?

The word “companion,” comes from the Latin word meaning “messmate.” The word itself includes COM which means “with” and PAN which means “bread.”

A companion is someone who shares a meal with a friend as an equal (you can be a companion without any physical bread which was good to know). Alan Wolfelt was the one who took the noun “companion” and made it into a verb — “companioning.”

Companioning is sitting together at a table or walking on a path, or sharing the same space with or without actual food. It’s about sharing life together, hearing the story, and being with each other.

Companioning is not about assessing, analyzing, fixing or resolving someone’s grief. It is about being fully present to the person. It’s letting the person who’s grieving be the teaching.

Final Thought

As you spend time with those who are grieving in your life, may you relax into the role of not needing answers, or a similar story, or to fix anything. May you just show up as someone who comes alongside with time and empathy to be with the person in that moment.

Source: Companioning the Bereaved by Alan D. Wolfelt p. 17-18

For more insights on how to grieve well, check out our online course:
Discover How to Live Again After Loss