Someone I Know Is Grieving: Caring with Humility and Compassion

Ask the Christian Counselor

by Edward T. Welch

Bestselling author and counselor Edward T. Welch walks readers through the difficult task of coming alongside grieving people with genuine compassion and humility. When someone is grieving, it can be hard to know what to say or do. We want to be helpful, not hurtful, but it’s easy to go wrong. The good news is that we can learn to approach those who are grieving with the same compassion that Jesus shows us when we are grieving. It starts with humility and listening well and expands into practical support as the Spirit leads us. In Someone I Know Is Grieving , Edward T. Welch leans on his many years of counseling grieving people to help readers learn from their compassionate Savior how to respond to people’s sadness and hard times without advice or trying to “fix it,” but to instead hear their story, learn from others’ experiences, and depend on the Spirit for wisdom for what to say and do.

Genres: Counselling, Christian

80 pages, Paperback

Published September 4, 2023

About the author

Edward T. Welch, M.Div., Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). He has counseled for thirty years and is the best-selling author of many books including When People Are Big and God Is Small; Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave; Blame It on the Brain?; Depression: A Stubborn Darkness; Crossroads: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Addiction; Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest; and When I Am Afraid: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Fear and Anxiety. He and his wife Sheri have two daughters, two sons-in-law, and four grandchildren.

Reviews

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Wise care grows out of the partnership of humility and love”

wish I read sooner!

[Katie Koppin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and powerful resource to have in my collection. Ed Welch writes with such compassion and truth and this book is no exception. He has been a huge influence in my life since high school and I’m thankful he is so humble and skilled in pointing people to Christ. A must read.

[Wagner Floriani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Practical and winsome in approach. A help for helpers.

[Anete Ābola · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5?
Very solid book. A little practical, too.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Ask the Christian Counselor Series from New Growth Press! Being in Ministry I am always looking for books to help me glean insight so that I can help others the best I can. When I heard of the book, Someone I Know Is Grieving: Responding with Humility and Compassion I knew I needed to read it. When I realized that it was written by Edward T. Welch, I knew it was going to be excellent. In four chapters, Mr. Welch uses his expertise and the Biblical Wisdom and Knowledge he has gleaned over the years to show readers the best way to be there for people who are grieving is to show various forms of compassion. There are also resources in the back of the book for more information on the topic.

First of all, I have never read a book that was equal parts informational and convicting all at the same time as I have in Someone I Know Is Grieving: Responding with Humility and Compassion. I’m thankful that Someone I Know Is Grieving is written by someone who is a counselor and has expertise. Mr. Welch’s heart for the subject matter shows in the writing along with the care to detail he brings to the subject. Mr. Welch opened my eyes to things and situations that we don’t always think about and how what we think is kindness and compassion may not come across that way to the one grieving. What Mr. Welch says in Someone I Know Is Grieving: Responding with Humility and Compassion is profound common sense. Someone I Know Is Grieving really makes you think how to respond to a person who is grieving and gives you pointers to do it effectively. The resources in the book are also worth a look too. Someone I Know Is Grieving: Responding with Humility and Compassion by Edward T Welch is a great resource for anyone in Ministry, the mental health field, and those working with children. I highly recommend it!

I would like to thank New Growth Press for giving me a copy of Someone I Know Is Grieving: Responding with Humility and Compassion to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is also on my blog, Leslie's Library Escape.

[Shirley Alarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Edward T. Welch’s Someone I Know is Grieving is a quick and straightforward primer for anyone trying to offer support to a grieving person. As part of New Growth Press’s ‘Ask the Christian Counselor Series’, this installment teaches humble and compassionate caring for those who are grieving.

We’ve all dealt with people who are grieving, so Welch acknowledges our previous attempts and challenges us to respond to suffering wisely, by being more considerate with our words.

While this first section of the book may not feel like ‘new information’ it might be enlightening for readers to understand that their previous approach to helping someone who is grieving might not have hit the mark. (My hand is raised.)

Welch then digs into the Christian wisdom that should shape our efforts to support those who are grieving. This is a step many of us lay-people might not always consider.

The heart of the book includes interesting and valuable insights into the care we can offer that’s shaped by compassion and humility. I found these two sections to be especially helpful and enlightening, especially the valuable suggestions of things NOT to do or say and things to do or say.

Who would like this book: This book would be helpful for any Christian counselor or grief counselor. It’s also valuable for anyone who wants to offer compassionate support to those who are grieving, such as teen counselors, support group leaders, or simply caring friends and neighbors.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gentle and compassionate offering, structured simply and effectively way, in four easy to read chapters. He begins noting we want to help people well, and to do so we need to be shaped by Christ’s wisdom. Care should be shaped by both compassion and humility. Compassion means we want to know people, and we understand that life experiences and emotions are complex. Humility means we listen to what people want and need, and don’t assume that we know better. He gives practical examples of what both would look like. The end of each chapter has questions to prompt further thought and consider how it personally applies (the book is really acting as a counsellor at this point). Welch has combined the theological realities about God’s care, sovereignty, and love for his people with thoughtful application about how to apply that to those who are grieving.

(For a more detailed review see: https://musingsinadelaide.blogspot.co...)

[Chase Riebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welch's Someone I Know is Grieving is difficult, if not impossible, to gripe about. The book opens with the understanding that many people counsel as they have been counseled, but all should take a step back and reevaluate their counseling. Do you jump to solutions as opposed letting the grieving party lead? Does your counseling style involve personal anecdotes that could undermine the suffering of others? These questions and more are answered with a simple solution: rely on the LORD for the humility to ask for (and receive) wisdom. Rely on the LORD to culture within you compassion for the person in your life that is grieving.

Welch's book is simple, small, and practical. This book is helpful and more than deserving of consideration.

[Katelyn Friesen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great little tool on how to comfort both those in grief and even any other kind of prolonged suffering. Complete with questions, examples of what to do/say and not to do/say as well as how someone in grief might interpret what you’re doing or saying, Ed Welch explains very straight forwardly how to come alongside and offer comfort to the hurting among us. Perfect for any counselor, pastor, church leader, or lay person! Easy, informative read, chalked full of gooey tie bits!

[Anthony King · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUPER Practical Guidance to Help

SO many times, you don’t know what to say, or worse, say something unhelpful. This short, easy read is chock full of wisdom and help for those who seek to come alongside those who are hurting. Incredibly practical and helpful guidance from Ed Welch again!

[Lorelai Westerlund · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We talk to God knowing that he is the one that formed the Ear, because he listens”
As someone who struggles to pray this line was an absolute banger.
I loved Welch’s just understanding and empathy upon the topic. It was such a great book to think and listen to as it was so raw and full of wisdom.

[Paul Tautges · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Christ-centered book is a treasure chest of biblical wisdom and practical guidance for becoming a conduit of compassion. Reading it made me want to be more like Jesus. I look forward to seeing how the Holy Spirit uses it to help individuals and churches grow in humility and grace.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book may be slim, but it's packed with tender wisdom both for the grieving and those who want to care for them. The comfort of God echoes in how Ed Welch describes what it looks like to respond to grieving people with compassion and humility.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very brief with multiple pages of questions to work through (68 pages). Left me wanting a bit. I am more confused on how to comfort the grieving. There was alot of "do this" but be careful because you might "do this". The underlying overall advice on being humble and compassionate is good.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic booklet that shares important insights on how to care for others who are going through trials. Much of the focus is on the heart, expressing how to sensitively be compassionate to others with humility. I found it helpful to think through, pray about, and reflect upon.

[Andrew Krom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book is a straight forward, pastorally sensitive, and intensely practical guide on how to care for others. Welch notes that compassion and humility go together and are essential in caring for other people. This book will make the heart of Christ clearer for you.

[Bekah Nussbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and practical book about caring for others well through suffering. A short read, but I appreciated that there was no “fluff” in this book, it was very meaningful and to the point.

[Caroline McGill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you know someone grieving or walking through suffering? This short book is incredibly helpful for thinking of how to do that well.

[Eric Huber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wise words from years if counseling.

Welch gives gentle guidance learned over years of experience to help us not say unhelpful things to those who are already hurtling.

[April Parman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ Good resource. Strongest part of the book was when he discussed the “do’s and don’ts” when caring for those who are grieving.