How do I bring up the subject of grief counseling?
The death of a sibling, especially at such a young age, will probably affect Fred for the rest of his life, so dealing with it is very important. And you’re right, it doesn’t seem that he is dealing with it appropriately, and I’d agree that he does need help. He seems to be suffering from survivor’s guilt, also. He’s really lucky that you noticed this and that you care enough to try to help him. My friend was in her thirties and had never gotten over the fact that her fiance died when he was 21. She was unable to move on with her life and unable to have a meaningful romantic relationship. She waited way too long to get counseling, but when she finally did, it changed her life. She was able to put a lot of her baggage, her feelings that she didn’t do enough for her fiance, her guilt that she was still here, etc., behind and begin to move on. She now says that it was the best thing she’s ever done, and she can’t believe she waited so long. Sometimes people are really reluctant to get hel
