10 Children, Teens and Suicide Loss If your child discovered the body or saw the death happen, they may benefit from meeting with a professional counselor who can help them process the experience. What if the body is never found or the person is missing and presumed dead? If there is no body, you and your children may have a difficult time believing that the person who’s missing is really dead, or that they died of suicide. Even if you don’t know what happened, you can grieve the person’s absence. Some people worry that if they grieve openly, it will appear as if they’ve given up all hope that the person is still alive. Reassure yourself and your children that you can still grieve while holding out hope. Your mother isn’t here with us now. Whether or not she is found, it’s okay to be sad about missing her. Helping Young People Cope and Heal Creating a Space for Healing Listen Without Judgment When young people are grieving, adults can be quick to offer them advice, give opinions, and make judgments. Listen without judging, interpreting, or evaluating. With young children especially, sometimes the best response is to simply repeat what they’ve said so they know they’ve been heard (e.g., “You really miss your mom, especially when you wake up in the morning”). Once children or teens trust that you will listen and be understanding, they’ll be more likely to come to you when they’re hurting or in need of advice. If they’re not ready to talk about what they’re experiencing, reassure them that you are available to them whenever they do want to talk.