The Five F’s
tools to help you understand group members
Facts
- name, loss, occupation, interests, time since loss, emotional impact of loss
Family
- family of origin, spouse & children, extended family, complex family dynamics
Faith
- faith background, spiritual vs religious, spiritual pain, level of support from faith
Fears
- anger, anxiety or worry, permanence of grief, will anything be the same, heaven
Future
- vision of next steps, life beyond loss, capacity to see a future, stuck or moving ahead
Bridge Questions
tools to help the group “go deeper”
Expectations
- What is on your mind today?
- What are your expectations of this group today?
- How can we be helpful to you today?
Support
- What is it that helps you get through your loss?
- Where do you find support to make it through each day?
- Tell me more about that…
Existential Pain
- What are your greatest concerns?
- What if anything, are you afraid of?
- Describe the changes you see happening to you
- How do you feel about those changes?
- Are you angry at anyone specifically?
- Are you experiencing any guilt feelings?
- What in your life do you control?
Spiritual Connection
- Take me back to a time when you felt a strong spiritual connection – describe that experience for me
- If that experience you just described was a “10” where are you right now?
- How can we move toward the “10”?