From The Theory of Companioning the Bereaved by Dr. Alan Wolfelt
Tenet One:
Companioning is about being present to another person’s pain; it is not about taking away the pain.
Tenet Two:
Companioning is about going to the wilderness of the soul with another human being’ it is not about thinking you are responsible for finding the way out.
Tenet Three:
Companioning is about honoring the spirit; it is not about analyzing with the head.
Tenet Four:
Companioning is about listening with the heart; it is not about analyzing with the head.
Tenet Five:
Companioning is about bearing witness to the struggles of others; it is not about judging or directing these struggles.
Tenet Six:
Companioning is about walking alongside; it is not about leading.
Tenet Seven:
Companioning is about discovering the gifts of sacred silence; it does not mean filling up every moment with words.
Tenet Eight:
Companioning is about being still; it is not about frantic movement forward.
Tenet Nine:
Companioning is about respecting disorder and confusion; it is not about imposing order and logic.
Tenet Ten:
Companioning is about learning from others; it is not about teaching them.
Tenet Eleven:
Companioning is about compassionate curiosity; it is not about expertise.
William Schmidt Counseling 