E25: Supporting Someone #1: You Don’t Have to Be a Therapist to Comfort a Grieving Friend

Written By Shelby Forsythia

You don’t need to be a therapist to support someone grieving. In this episode, discover why presence matters more than credentials and how to show up with confidence, even when you feel unqualified.

You’ll hear:

  • Why “comforter imposter syndrome” is so common

  • How grievers often find the deepest support outside therapy

  • Three questions to ask to boost your comforter confidence

  • Practical ways to offer care without overthinking it

Listen to This Episode:

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Or Watch on YouTube:

Pre-order my new book, Of Course I’m Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving:

https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/of-course-im-here-right-now

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Download the transcript for this episode here.

Shelby Forsythia

Shelby Forsythia (she/her) is a grief coach, author, and podcast host. In 2020, she founded Life After Loss Academy, an online course and community that has helped dozens of grievers grow and find their way after death, divorce, diagnosis, and other major life transitions.

Following her mother’s death in 2013, Shelby began calling herself a “student of grief” and now devotes her days to reading, writing, and speaking about loss. Through a combination of mindfulness tools and intuitive, open-ended questions, she guides her clients to welcome grief as a teacher and create meaningful lives that honor and include the heartbreaks they’ve faced. Her work has been featured in Huffington Post, Bustle, and The Oprah Magazine.

https://www.shelbyforsythia.com
Next

E24: Pet Grief and Memorials: Honoring Animal Companions with Jana DeCristofaro of The Dougy Center