💬 What to Say (and Not Say) to Someone Who’s Grieving (+ Why Training Matters)

What People Really Want to Know About Supporting the Bereaved — And How Training Can Help

When someone experiences a loss, finding the right words – or even knowing how to say them – can feel like walking a tightrope. If you’ve ever had to navigate a conversation with someone who’s grieving, you’ve likely asked yourself: “Am I saying the right thing?” (and you’re not alone).

What organisations are asking us for

At The Loss Foundation, we run grief-informed bereavement training for charities, support services, and workplaces. When we start a session, we always ask:

🗣️ “Why are you here today?”

The responses we get offer a clear window into what people need – and what they’re Googling late at night before that call, that meeting, that moment of connection.

Here’s what we hear again and again:

💬 “I want to find the best language to use.”
💬 “How do I have difficult conversations?”
💬 “I want nuggets I can use in in-memory stewardship.”
💬 “How can I help someone feel safe enough to share their story?”
💬 “I want a skillset I can use every day — not just in support groups.”
💬 “I want to be clued up.”

These aren’t just passing curiosities – they’re real, practical needs from professionals working directly with grieving individuals.

What our training covers

Recently, a member of the HR team at a FTSE 100 financial company reached out to us. They were setting up a dedicated bereavement team to handle support calls and wanted training to cover the following:

🗣️ How to communicate with those who are grieving

💛 How to show empathy in a way that feels genuine and appropriate

❌✅ What to say — and what not to say

📍 How to signpost callers to additional support

This kind of request isn’t unusual. In fact, across organisations including national charities and NHS departments, teams working in supporter care, fundraising, media, HR and clinical roles are asking for:

✅ Practical, compassionate language
✅ Confidence in emotionally charged conversations
✅ Tools to host story-sharing spaces
✅ Guidance for phone and Zoom interactions
✅ Awareness of the grief experience – and how it shows up at work

It’s not about having the perfect words. It’s about being present.

There’s no script for grief. But there are ways to build confidence, improve clarity, and communicate with greater kindness. Our sessions don’t give people rigid templates – they offer a space to learn, reflect, and try things out together.

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Need support for your team?
We offer grief-informed training via Teams or in-person, for groups as small as 5 or as large as 50. Whether you’re building a bereavement response team or want your staff to feel more confident in supporter comms, we can help.

📩 Get in touch to learn more: hello@thelossfoundation.org