A Typical Day as a Grief Counselor at a Funeral Home
Well your day starts at home when you get up. The first thing you do is read the obituaries, so you kind of brief yourself on what your day may be like. Then when you get to work I always bake a couple batches of cookies. (Yes cookies) That is so if we have any appointments or families coming in that day we would offer them cookies and coffee or something to drink.
I answer the phone and take messages. I also may talk to other funeral directors or the florist. I may go out and flag the space so I can show the family when they arrive where their loved one will be buried. You never know what you will up against for that particular day. All families grieve different and we have had some nice as can be , on the other hand we have had some that are rude. It is all a facet of the grieving process.
It is a high stress job, and I have found a lot of compassion and at times humor can create a buffer that can help ease the transition for families. Additional stresses exist with dealing with legal matters. Divorces and changes in legal status of families can affect previously purchased plots.
I have had burn victims and their families who were great, children, all walks of life. You learn so much every day. Each person is so unique and accordingly so is their family. In time my ability to approach every situation different has grown, still sometimes I feel lost as to what is the appropriate way to provide for a grieving family.
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