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People have complex, multidimensional needs.

Difficulty identifying emotions can lead to unidentified and unmet needs.

Asking others what they need is much more compassionate than telling them to take care of themselves.

I asked this question about a million times as a support group co-facilitator, usually while gesturing toward the poster outlining the predictable "emotional stages of reactions." Each phase detailed a level of challenge that individuals and families affected by mental illness face, along with accompanying needs, as we walked through the varying storms that brought us to group. Narrowing down what might help proved difficult and vital.

It's been years since I co-facilitated these groups. Yet, I find myself asking the same question.

I have charts in my office detailing common emotions and corresponding needs. Sometimes I will hand a client a stack of feeling cards and go from there.

When caught in a whirlwind, a seemingly simple question like this can become quite complex.

As my father has been facing advanced-stage cancer,........

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