Children experience grief differently from adults—yet their feelings are just as deep and real. In this episode of Lighting the Path, Melissa Lunardini, Chief Clinical Officer for Help Texts and nationally recognized expert in children's grief, explores how we can better support children and teens who are grieving.
Drawing on her 20 years of experience, Melissa dispels common myths about how children understand and express loss. She shares practical ways adults can offer genuine help without unintentionally causing harm—highlighting specific words and phrases to avoid when comforting younger children.
Melissa also offers two key insights for helping grieving teens, whose needs often differ from younger children and adults alike. While grief touches all ages, she reminds us that the way people need to grieve can differ significantly based on age, development, and emotional capacity.
The episode concludes with a helpful tool Melissa recommends for anyone—parents, teachers, clinicians, or clergy—who walks alongside children and teens in grief.
Key Discussion Points:
Common misconceptions about how children grieve
Why language matters: what not to say to grieving children
Two practical ways to support grieving teens
Understanding developmental differences in the grieving process
A practical tool to help children and teens process loss
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