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It is complicated enough for adults to navigate their grief let alone expect a child to fully grasp it. Children often don’t understand the permanency of death. It can be explained to them but at the end of the day they wonder when the deceased will be coming home. When a death occurs, family members will become overwhelmed and get caught up in the details of loss. Because the child “appears” to be doing well, it can be mistaken that the child is dealing with death just fine. Most times, it is not that the child is doing well but it’s
because he doesn’t know what he is feeling, nor does he have the words to express what he is feeling. He is quiet and/or withdrawn. This is where the term, “Silent Griever” comes in. It is promising that a child will share his thoughts with a grief coach because they understand what he needs and are well-trained to help him talk about what he is feeling. This is not an overnight healing. It is a process. It takes time.

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Lori Thomas, Certified grief coach, has a gift of coming alongside children and connecting with them. She is a mother of 4 and Nana of 11 grandchildren. Lori has 20 years of experience teaching children while using her horses as therapy. She also teaches music to children who struggle with confidence, anxiety or depression. Before losing her daughter in a car accident, Lori and her daughter Aimee were the founders of H.A.L.O. a horse program for children grieving the loss of their parents. Today, Lori and her husband Stan work with grieving parents who have lost a child as well as children who have
lost a parent or a loved one.