When someone has died of suicide, their family and friends are left not only feeling tremendous guilt, but also carrying a million unanswered questions. The session is a good time for them to get those answers.
Many times, people who have died of suicide do not go into the light. They feel they do not deserve God's love. So it is extremely important that you ask if they went into the light, and that you gently explain to them that going into the light is needed for them to heal.
Prepare your client before you begin. Let them know that if the loved one has not crossed, you will help them cross today, and that they will get to speak with them first. Take the fear of judgment off the table. The light is love. The light is home. No soul is ever turned away — not for how they died, not for anything.
Be aware of what may surface for you. Sitting with another person's grief — especially grief tied to suicide — can stir up your own losses. Notice it, breathe through it, and stay present for your client. This is one of the reasons your own continued healing matters so much in this work.
Practice
Practice saying out loud, in a calm, matter-of-fact tone: 'That's okay — we're going to help them cross today.' Say it until it sounds as ordinary as offering a glass of water. That tone is what holds the room.