Studied counseling skills that nurses in Lebanon use in facilitating physical and psychological recovery in patients with major war-related and non-war-related physical disabilities. 138 patients were interviewed by 69 student nurses at the American University of Beirut. Data included (1) patient information, (2) subjective evaluation of the patient's emotional status, (3) verbatim transcript of verbal contact with the patient, and (4) description of nonverbal communication. It was found that both war-related and non-war-related groups had similar stressors and used similar coping strategies and that nurses were able to help all patients move through the stages of the grieving process toward adjustment through effective communication and counseling.