What To Say When a Friend Is in Trauma or Crisis

Here’s a better way to think about giving—and getting—support during a tough time

Life can knock the wind out of you.

And when it does, things like basic words and the concept of time fly out the window. People ask what you want or need, and you stare back at them, bewildered by how they’re still standing upright. Didn’t the world just collapse?

Knowing what to say and how to hold space for people can sometimes feel impossible. It mi…