5 Strategies for Healing Through Grief

While it’s impossible to shield your children from loss, you can support them as they navigate through grief. Every child experiences loss, whether it’s a close friend, a beloved pet, or a treasured item. Some face challenging health issues, while others witness the suffering of family members. Moving to a new home or school also signifies a significant life change that often involves feelings of loss and sadness.

How can you aid your children in healing? This guide offers practical and uplifting suggestions across five categories: spirit, heart, soul, body, and mind, providing various approaches to cope with loss.

Grief is a personal journey, and a healthy expression of emotions such as sorrow, confusion, and fear is vital for both children and adults. Although confronting the emotional turmoil of loss can be daunting, embracing grief is necessary for recovery. Allowing feelings to emerge rather than suppressing them fosters healing and helps ease the burden of grief.

Spirit

Many find solace in a connection with a higher power during the tumultuous waves of grief. Faith can provide comfort and hope amidst challenging times.

Encourage your children to explore their spiritual beliefs. If discussing spirituality feels uncomfortable for you, consider introducing them to reliable individuals, books, or resources that address their questions. Allow your children the space to grieve in their own way, even if you don’t fully grasp their journey.

Heart

“Kids don’t always want to share their problems with adults,” said 10-year-old Jessie following a family loss. “But it helps to talk about it. Being with other kids who have lost something really comforted me; they understood.”

A grief support group offered Jessie a sense of community and security. The activities and discussions provided a space to decompress and lighten the heavy feeling of sadness.

Connecting your children with peers experiencing loss can foster authentic friendships outside of the family. Such relationships can alleviate feelings of isolation, promote independence, and provide a safe space for self-expression.

Organizations like Camp Kerry, which specializes in bereavement support, provide programs that encourage group engagement and collective healing among children and their families.

Soul

While death may bring an end to a life, it doesn’t eliminate the bonds formed with loved ones. Remembering relationships with people, pets, and places serves as a healthy way to navigate grief and keep memories alive. Many find creative outlets such as songwriting, storytelling, and art beneficial for expressing their feelings.

“One of our traditions is creating a family memory lantern,” explains Dr. Heather Mohan, executive director of Camp Kerry Society. “Families reflect on their loved ones and then decorate a lantern with personal touches. This lantern symbolizes their beloved person, and the process can be as simple or intricate as each family desires.”

Such activities can easily be incorporated into home rituals shared with loved ones.

Body

“Children, especially preteens and teens, often want to blend in with their peers,” says Mohan. “They might hesitate to openly mourn if it makes them feel different.” She notes that one of the common emotional hurdles during grief is the feeling of loneliness or isolation.

Even teens who aren’t keen on grief groups or family therapy need a channel for their emotions. Engaging in shared activities can foster feelings of connection, reassuring them they’re not alone.

Consider group sports or communal activities that reflect shared experiences. For example, your family could participate in a charity walk or marathon supporting a cause meaningful to you.

This collective effort can redirect children’s emotions and energy toward creating positive outcomes. Furthermore, physical activities release happiness-inducing chemicals—endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin—to help uplift spirits.

Mind

Loss can feel surreal as everything seems to change while life continues. Families must still contend with school, work, and daily responsibilities. Grief can invoke feelings of confusion and emotional instability, leading many to feel as though they’re “losing their mind.”

Discuss with your children the bewildering emotions associated with loss. By sharing your thoughts, you create space for them to express their own. Explore the various cultural mourning practices together or differentiate between funerals and celebrations of life.

“It’s important to communicate openly about your feelings and memories of those who have passed,” advises Mohan. “Reassure your children that they don’t have to shoulder your emotions alone. You have your own support systems, and together you’ll navigate this journey as a family.”

Every child grieves differently, but they possess remarkable resilience. They have the innate ability to overcome adversity, as do you. Take the time to traverse through this challenging period, with the trust that you and your family will emerge into a new chapter of life.