A useful companion can handle the small practical task that lets someone focus on the difficult one.

Help is often most useful at the edges of the hard thing. Someone facing a difficult conversation, a hospital appointment or a deadline has only so much attention, and a surprising amount of it goes to parking, meals, laundry and the phone calls that have nothing to do with the actual problem. Taking one of those away does not look like much, and it gives back the exact resource that is running short.

Pick a specific practical task and do it rather than offering generally. Drop off food, handle the form, take the school run, sit in the car while they go in.