Apr 11, 2017
A Counsellor’s Perspective on the Funeral Profession
ASD is pleased to share this Guest Blog Post from Ben Wrigley,
a humanistic counsellor working in Sussex, UK. In this post, Ben draws several parallels
between counselling and funeral service, providing three principals that can
help anyone serving in a caring profession. He offers some great tips on
communication, empathy and the importance of self-care for those working in the funeral profession.
The Human Funeral Director
(ASD Guest Blog Post by Ben Wrigley)
During my life here in the UK, I’ve had the opportunity to
attend a number of funerals and each has been a very unique experience; some
were outdoors, some were in stuffy modern crematoriums, some have been in big
open churches. Sometimes I only knew the deceased through stories of their
close relatives and I other times I was the close relative. But one thing they
all had in common for me, was that I found myself watching and wondering about
the organizers:
“He does
this every day, I wonder what he’s thinking. I bet he’s wondering about what’s
for dinner tonight. He has no idea who is in that coffin, and I bet he doesn’t
even care.”
I admit, this says more about my mood at these events than a
fair view of the funeral profession, but I doubt I am alone in these wonderings
and this might be a useful insight for those who are in the profession.
As a counsellor in Kent, England, I work with a
number of funeral directors and I remember when I first went to introduce
myself that, without exception, each of them opened their door with a sad,
respectful, knowing air, anticipating my bereavement before they found out why
I was actually there. And each time, I was aware that they must have to meet
all clients in this way, to be respectful, but without actually knowing the
experience or the feelings of the person.
I thought it might be useful to share with you three principles
that are at the foundations of
counselling. They can help anyone in a caring
profession to offer a warm and supportive environment into which their clients
can feel free to express their needs.
Congruence
In my opinion, this is the most important of the three
principles. To be congruent is to be genuinely you, true to your own feelings
and instincts. Human beings the world over are very skilled at spotting
incongruence and we can tell when someone is acting in a way because they feel
they “should”. It’s how we’ve been trained; it’s how we train our kids to be.
Yet as soon as we notice it, the connection is lost. I’m sure you already know
that if you were to feign sadness at someone’s loss it would likely be noticed
on some deeper level and create a barrier in your relationship. When people are
met by the real you; serious, empathic and caring, and not a modified version
of you, the connection that is made is often richer and deeper.
Empathy
Often confused with sympathy, which, in England, we call ‘tea
and a chat’, true empathy is actually putting yourself in someone else’s shoes
to really understand how they might be feeling right now. I imagine that’s
exactly what some people think they are doing when being “sad, respectful, and
knowing” because this is how they “should” be. As soon as you hear that
“should” in your own mind you know you are not being genuinely empathic.
Empathy can only be real when the recipient
experiences it as real.
Unconditional Positive Regard
Total acceptance of the other’s situation. There is no judgment
here, there are no “shoulds”. There is no right and wrong in how they need to
be and what they need to help them through this process. That is not to say
that all their desires are achievable, just that they are acceptable. Very few
of us can truly be this accepting.
You may believe you have no prejudices, but I’d be surprised if
you have never experienced meeting someone with the same name as that person
you never liked. Or someone who wore the same perfume as your old girlfriend.
Or someone who sounds like your old boss. It’s nearly impossible to avoid it
all the time, and on some level, you will put those feelings out to your client
without even meaning to. The important thing here is to be aware and identify
what is actually yours and nothing to do with this person in front of you.
So how do you convey these three pillars? Mostly by actually being them and being you! If you can be
genuine, openhearted and empathic and your client experiences you as such, you
will inevitably establish a relationship (if they are willing too of course).
But to help even further we can show that we are truly listening.
Active Listening
Listening actively involves demonstrating that we are
listening, by repeating keywords, by paraphrasing what we have just heard to
show that we have clearly understood and by demonstrating our own genuine
feelings in the moment. Noticing people’s body language and how they are
responding to you and acting respectfully. If someone is folding their arms and
crossing their legs and giving you a ‘stay away’ message, notice it and respect
it.
Most people start thinking about what they want to say next
while the other person is talking. As soon as that happens, they have stopped
listening. Their own agenda has taken over, and most of the time, the other
person knows this, even unconsciously.
These ideas above will really help to establish a genuine
relationship and help your clients to feel held through the funeral planning
process. Obviously for many clients this will not be enough, and for those I
cannot stress enough the value of counselling, whether it is in-house or with
someone you can find in your local area. So many people who are coming to terms
with a loss are also faced with coming to terms with aspects of themselves
before they can truly embark on the grieving process.
And please, along the way, don’t forget that you are human too
with your own desires, feelings and limitations. I expect that whilst you are
meeting new clients and making arrangements, you are also still helping earlier
clients, and as with any caring service, this can spread a person very thinly.
So I leave you with some questions that counsellors are expected to ask
themselves every day to ensure that we are offering the best service to clients:
“How am I? How am I
looking after myself? Do I need help and where can I ask for it?”
Ben Wrigley works in private practice and the NHS as a humanistic counsellor in Sussex, UK. He is driven to help people in and out of counselling to question why they do, think and feel about themselves and the world in the way that they do. Most of Ben’s written work can be found here.
About The Author
Jess Farren (Fowler)
Jess Farren (Fowler) is a Public Relations Specialist and Staff Writer who has been a part of the ASD team since 2003. Jess manages ASD’s company blog and has been published in several funeral trade magazines. She has written articles on a variety of subjects including communication, business planning, technology, marketing and funeral trends. You can contact Jess directly at Jess@myASD.com
