Remember, if others are still in shock, their thinking will be slowed and rather concrete. They may become lost in conversations they formerly would have easily understood. If they appear to pose no danger to self or others, it is often best to leave them alone. If, on the other hand, you sense trouble, stay close by and monitor how they are doing. Many times Passive Listening is the best approach use attentive silence and keep responses to a minimum.
Overreaction is counterproductive to cathartic ventilation.
There is a concept in communication known as Rehearsal Drop basically a point in conversation where the listener s listening ends and his or her formation of a question or response begins. The next section gives you an idea about one such pattern of helper behavior that is often counterproductive. When the survivors are ready to talk, there is no way to avoid getting their feelings. Following the TWA 800 crash, the governor of NY sent in hundreds of well meaning, untrained volunteers who kept hitting on survivors with that same question. Someone who is only available to serve for a short time is often impatient wanting to make something meaningful happen during his or her short time on the job.