Training supportive adults to be present with children's grief through compassionate witnessing rather than fixing, teaching, or minimizing.
Mirabai's poetry was witnessed by her community—heard, honored, held. She did not need her listeners to 'fix' her longing; she needed them to receive it. For grieving children, the most healing adults are those who can witness without rushing to resolve. Witnessing means: being present without distraction, listening to what the child expresses, reflecting back what you hear, tolerating silence and tears, resisting the urge to offer false comfort or premature hope. It means saying 'I see you' rather than 'you should feel better.' Many adults struggle with this, uncomfortable with pain, desperate to make it stop. But children often need permission to feel fully before they can begin to move through grief. Training caregivers in witnessing—in becoming safe containers for a child's authentic experience—is foundational work. When a child feels truly seen, their nervous system settles. They trust their own experience. They develop the resilience that comes from being held, not from being rushed.
Peri can explain this concept, give practical examples, help you decide whether it applies to your situation, or recommend a journey if appropriate.
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