[relictele]

Grief counseling is a do-gooder's dream come true: an opportunity to demonstrate how compassionate they are with distraught strangers who have been rendered temporarily emotionally defenseless by a tragic event and therefore much more likely to express appreciation for receipt of cringeworthy platitudes such as 'the best tribute to your friend is to live your life to the fullest' etc.

While the rest of us work and pay the bills every day an unknown but large population of these counselors seem to be kept in a holding pen waiting until the next tragedy when they are set loose on an unsuspecting student body who would probably heal faster and grow closer to each other without the 'professionals' sailing in for their rather distasteful form of help.

Like 'severe weather is on the way' and 'police are asking for the public's help' the phrase 'grief counselors will be at the school this week' is now part of the Media Cliche' Manual (TM) and can be heard with regularity on your local TV car dealer commercial - er, news.

All I can say is thank God this particular brand of compassion-for-rent wasn't around during my youth. We lost our share of friends and relatives as we grew up but - and this part may amaze and stun the grief industry - we were each other's support network, not some self-aggrandizing stranger.

[Inyo-Mono]

While the rest of us work and pay the bills every day an unknown but large population of these counselors seem to be kept in a holding pen waiting until the next tragedy when they are set loose on an unsuspecting student body who would probably heal faster and grow closer to each other without the 'professionals' sailing in for their rather distasteful form of help.

That has always been my take on it.

[litehaus]

we were each other's support network, not some self-aggrandizing stranger.

AMEN!