Accompanying Those Who Mourn is a free, self-paced course for leaders interested in beginning or improving a parish bereavement ministry. It’s also helpful to anyone interested in examining grief and how to companion someone in her/his sorrow.
Developed by Patrick Metts, a Licensed Professional Counselor, and a Marriage and Family Studies graduate from The John Paul II Institute in Valencia, Spain, the course content utilizes the book Understanding Your Grief, 2nd ed., by Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD., and includes video instruction and reflection questions for use individually or with a group. Leaders will benefit from topics such as: a companion model of care, the art of listening and accompaniment, practicing active empathy, group dynamics, and coping with loss in the Catholic context.
The host site is the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers (ACMHM). Although Accompanying those Who Mourn is designed for bereavement ministry leaders, there are parallel lessons for someone interested in mental health ministry, as both are ministries of “presence.”