Facilitating a support group – especially one focused on grief – is both rewarding and deeply challenging. It’s not just about showing up; it’s about creating a space where people feel heard, safe, and understood.
Whether you’re running your first session or looking to strengthen your skills, here are the core competencies every facilitator needs to lead with compassion and confidence.
📢 Our Online Training is Now Live
Explore all of our courses, including How to Lead Support Groups, on our grief and mental health training page.
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1. Active Listening
^ Three example pages from our free grief group curriculum pdf (created for therapists and mental health professionals).
A grief support group is not therapy — it’s a peer-based, compassionate space where people can share their experiences, learn from others, and feel less alone in their loss.
Active listening means more than hearing words – it’s about tuning in to the emotions, pauses, and body language behind them.
- Maintain gentle eye contact (or visual cues in online groups).
- Avoid interrupting.
- Reflect back what you’ve heard to show understanding.
2. Empathy Without Overidentifying
You don’t need to have experienced the same loss to offer empathy.
- Validate feelings (“That sounds incredibly painful”).
- Avoid turning the focus to your own story unless it serves the group’s needs.
- Remember: empathy connects, sympathy can sometimes distance.
Grief worksheets
Explore the activities from our Grief Workbook…
⚖️ The Dual Process Model Grief Worksheet – balancing grief with everyday life.
🫙 The Jar Model Grief Worksheet – showing how grief stays the same, but life grows around it.
🛤️ The Tasks of Mourning Grief Worksheet – guiding steps for processing loss.
🔗 Attachment Theory Grief Worksheet – exploring how our bonds shape grief.
🌊 The Kübler-Ross Five Stages of Grief Worksheet – exploring denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance as common responses to bereavement.
3. Boundary Setting
Boundaries protect both you and the group.
- Stick to agreed ground rules.
- Keep discussions on track.
- Know when to step in if conversations become harmful or overly intense.
4. Group Management Skills
A skilled facilitator balances personalities and ensures everyone has a voice.
- Gently invite quieter members to share.
- Manage dominant voices without shaming.
- Use discussion prompts to keep energy flowing.
At The Loss Foundation, we recognise that grief is deeply personal and varies for everyone. Rather than a fixed path through set stages, we see it as a fluid process – waves of emotion that rise and fall over time, shaped by each individual’s unique experience and connection to their loss.
5. Sensitivity to Triggers
In grief groups, certain words, stories, or anniversaries can cause distress.
- Learn to recognise signs of overwhelm.
- Offer breaks or pauses.
- Remind participants they can pass on answering questions.
6. Adaptability
No two groups are alike.
- Adjust the structure based on group needs.
- Be open to changing activities or topics in the moment.
- Adapt for online vs. in-person dynamics.
A Resource for Support Group Facilitators
This workbook offers a guided framework of exercises, insights, and practical resources designed to support people in grief, combining opportunities for reflection with effective coping techniques and processing activities.
📖 73 pages, 20 supportive activities & 8 audio meditations
🧠 Created by our Clinical Psychologists
✍️ A blend of reflection, practical exercises & coping strategies
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Your Grief Journey Workbook£15.00
“Supporting someone to navigate the complexities of grief can feel challenging. These worksheets aim to shed light on the grieving process and equip a person with tools to process loss, while looking after themselves in grief.“
Dr Erin Hope Thompson MBE – Founder and Director of The Loss Foundation
7. Self-Care for Facilitators
Leading a support group can be emotionally demanding.
- Debrief after sessions.
- Set boundaries around availability.
- Engage in your own support networks or supervision.
📢 Our Online Training is Now Live
Explore all of our courses, including How to Lead Support Groups, on our grief and mental health training page.
-
Product on saleOriginal price was: £104.99.£74.99Current price is: £74.99.
-
Product on saleOriginal price was: £79.99.£59.99Current price is: £59.99.
Keep Learning: Your Next Step
Facilitation is a skill you refine over time. If you’re ready to explore the step-by-step process of running a grief support group, read our detailed guide here: How to Run a Grief Support Group: A Step-by-Step Guide for New Facilitators
Final Thoughts
Good facilitation is equal parts structure and heart. With the right skills, you can create a space that not only supports members but also honours their grief journey.
The Loss Foundation’s Bereavement Training
The Loss Foundation’s Bereavement Training equips professionals with the tools to support grieving individuals effectively. Delivered by Clinical Psychologists, the training is tailored for nonprofits, businesses, healthcare providers, and nurses who encounter bereavement in their roles.
“She was so passionate about her work… which made learning from her interesting.” – Training Delegate
Dr. Erin Hope Thompson MBE, Founder and Director of The Loss Foundation, leads the content creation and delivery of our bereavement training.
As a Clinical Psychologist, she has extensive experience across the NHS, private, and third sectors. In 2022, Dr. Thompson was awarded an MBE for her services to bereaved families.
Contact us about our bereavement training
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🧠 Understand the ‘Stages’ of Grief
Many people first encounter grief through the idea of “stages,” but the model is often simplified or misunderstood.
Our Stages of Grief page looks at where the framework began, what each stage represents, and how it can support understanding – without suggesting that grief unfolds in a tidy order.
Explore the page to learn:
📘 A clear explanation of what the Five Stages are (and what they’re not)
🧭 Why grief rarely moves in a straight line
🌊 How feelings can rise and fall in waves
🧩 Other grief models that may resonate more with your experience
Photo by youssef naddam on Unsplash