Capital Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

So, I went to a very interesting presentation yesterday on bereavement in the workplace which was mainly aimed at HR professionals but I thought it was worthwhile attending.

So often, when people come for help with bereavement and grief, they are confused and distraught and don’t know what they need to do logistically and I wanted to be able to help clients handle the practical side of things to allow them to cope with the grieving process and loss more easily.

Grieving is often a painful process so we need to do whatever we can for those left behind to make it as bearable as possible in our absence.

This seminar, which was given by four very eloquent and professional people, focused on four different aspects:

• How to be organised in preparation for emergencies,

• How to handle death/loss within the work place,

• The procedure to follow when someone dies regarding the authorities/funeral arrangements etc and

• The legal side of wills/inheritance/probate etc.

The main nugget of information I took away was the importance of being prepared for all eventualities.

No one thinks it is going to happen to them but when it does, having all the necessary documentation etc to hand and knowing what to do and who to turn to, makes the

situation easier to cope with and allows those left behind to come to terms with their loss.

And yes, the first thing you should do is empty the bank account!

Wanda Bronkhorst from Priority Management explained to us the versatility of Outlook for recording not just contact details, but also documents, contact details of next of kin, insurance policies, bank accounts etc – who knew Outlook it was so useful!

And, available on your phone and easy to share....

Hazel Kurian explained the process HR professionals need to follow

to ensure that all aspects of an employee’s death or relative’s death are handled appropriately.

Vivian Meassistance, who has his own funeral company, knows the ins and outs of documentation required, what happens to the body, options for funeral arrangements

etc and will handle the whole thing if required and give a free consult.

I spoke with Vivian after the presentation about how we could maybe work together to provide grief therapy for those left behind.

Interestingly, Vivian said that those often overlooked are children as people aren’t sure

how to handle talking about death with them.

The final presentation by Tasleem Sayani, a Partner at law firm James Berry and Associates, who specializes in wills, probate and inheritance gave a very informative and interesting talk that pointed out how important it is to ensure that a will is in place for everyone to ensure that their wishes are followed in the event of their death and how crucial it is to seek legal, qualified advice rather than hoping that it will all turn out okay – particularly in this

region where the complexities of Sharia Law can affect the outcome quite considerably!

Grieving is often a painful process so we need to do whatever we can for those left behind to

make it as bearable as possible in our absence.

This resonated with me from our experience at Mind Solutions where our clients, family members and loved-ones often find that the effect of grief usually comes in waves of emotion at different points in time and the process of healing from bereavement is much longer than they ever expected.

What our clients find beneficial is to understand and recognise the various emotional stages that will face them and be able to process and deal with them and our job is to help them on their journey of coping with their loss in an emphatic and caring way that allows them to accept and move forward with their lives.

If you or anyone you know is suffering from bereavement and need professional, caring and discrete support, we are here to help. Simply contact us for a free, 1 hour consultation with one of our psychotherapy experts.

Anna Yates

Psychotherapist, Hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner