Grief Recovery Institute Article - The Art of Condolence

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John James, founder of The Grief Recovery Institute

John W. James

Founder of The Grief Recovery Institute^®
Co-Author of The Grief Recovery
Handbook & When Children Grieve

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Where were you when I needed you?

The saddest question we ever hear is, "Where were you when I needed you?"

That's what people ask when they find out what we do in helping grievers. We're presenting helpful and accurate information on this site, at the time you need it most, with the hope that you'll never need to ask that question.

It's an honor and a sad privilege to be addressing you, knowing that each of you has recently experienced the death of someone important to you. We also know some of you are reading this because of your care and concern for someone who is confronted by the death of someone important in their life.

We bring our personal experience in dealing with the deaths of people who were important to us, and our professional know-how in helping grievers for more than 30 years. We'll help you distinguish between the "raw grief" that is your normal and natural reaction to the death, and the equally normal "unresolved grief" that relates to the unfinished emotions that are part of the physical ending of all relationships.

A basic reality for most grieving people is difficulty concentrating or focusing. With that in mind, we asked Tributes.com to print our articles in a large type font to make them easier to read. Sharing our concern for grieving people, they agreed.

From our hearts to yours,

John

Learn More About John & the Grief Recovery Institute »

Articles & Media

The Art of Condolence

by Russell Friedman & John W. James of The Grief Recovery Institute

When an acquaintance has lost a loved one, it can be difficult to know what to say or do. Here’s some guidance on offering sympathy with grace. Click here to read the full article on ExperienceLife.com.

© 2022 John W. James and The Grief Recovery Institute^®. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint this and other articles please contact The Grief Recovery Institute at [email protected] or by phone, 800-334-7606.

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