
Caring for Families & Caring for Yourself: Self Care Resources for Funeral Service Professionals
About the Resources
The Funeral Service Foundation commissioned the handbook and complementing poster through the COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund. Both resources are available FREE OF CHARGE to funeral service professionals.
Funeral service professionals are first responders – sometimes called “last responders” in a high-touch, high-stress environment. Effectively managing that stress is part and parcel of the vocation and essential to a funeral service professional’s well-being. Finding ways to manage stress is key to maintaining healthy relationships with loved ones, and boosts a funeral director’s capacity to compassionately serve families.

A special thank you to author Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD for his commitment to serving those who are caring for others at their time of greatest need.
Self-Care Handbook
Use this handbook to explore effective self-care techniques, specially designed to help funeral service professionals maintain a healthy work/life balance and prevent burnout.
The handbook features tips, guidance, quizzes and journaling prompts that use proven methods to help funeral service professionals:
- Evaluate experiences, thoughts, and feelings
- Manage stress
- Navigate a path to self-care
- Uncover a deeper sense of self-understanding
Self-Care Manifesto Poster
Use this FREE poster in your work room for a gentle, helpful, and constant reminder of the self-care manifesto featured in the handbook. Read through each point to stay connected with your thoughts, feelings, and self-care goals to maintain a healthy work/life balance and to be the best funeral service professional you can be.
- The poster is included with each handbook order of 5, 10 or 25, and is also available separately.