It is important that you are prepared with grief counseling strategies you can use at each tier, but if your experience was anything like mine, you probably didn't get a "here's how to grief counsel" handbook in grad school. It's the hardest topic to discuss with students. But with trial and error and experiences over the years I have developed some strategies to make handling a tough topic a little easier.

Grief Counseling Through Class Lessons

While it is certainly not the most fun topic to cover, grief is an inevitable part of life. It is our job to help students heal and offer love and support during difficult times.

There are 2 ways you can address grief in a class lesson:

Option 1: Teach a preventative lesson to all students so if and when a tragic event happens, students feel prepared to handle it.

Supporting a middle school student? Browse our middle school counseling resources for grief, coping skills, emotional regulation, and individual sessions.