Grief Counselling Course

Lesson 1 • The Scope of Grief Experiences

Grief extends beyond death to include non-death losses such as divorce, illness, and identity change. Recognizing this breadth prepares practitioners for diverse client needs.

Lesson 2 • Defining Grief and Loss

Grief and loss are defined with precision, separating them from bereavement and mourning. This grounding enables accurate communication throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Grief vs. Depression and Anxiety

Clinical distinctions between grief and mood disorders are examined using diagnostic criteria. Accurate differentiation prevents misdiagnosis and guides appropriate support.

Lesson 1 • Dual Process and Oscillation Models

Stroebe and Schut's Dual Process Model introduces loss-oriented and restoration-oriented coping. Oscillation between both poles is identified as a marker of healthy adaptation.

Lesson 2 • Task-Based and Process Models

Worden's four tasks and Rando's six R's reframe grief as active work rather than passive stages. These models guide structured intervention planning.

Lesson 3 • Continuing Bonds Theory

Continuing bonds theory challenges the idea that healthy grief requires detachment from the deceased. Practitioners learn to support ongoing relational connections as adaptive.

Lesson 4 • Stage and Phase Models

Kübler-Ross's five stages and Bowlby's phase model are examined for their contributions and limitations. Understanding these models contextualises later, more nuanced frameworks.

Lesson 1 • Culture as a Grief Lens

Cultural norms dictate acceptable grief expression, timelines, and rituals. Recognizing these norms prevents practitioners from imposing dominant-culture assumptions.

Lesson 2 • Mourning Rituals Across Cultures

Funeral rites, memorialization, and mourning periods vary widely and serve psychological functions. Understanding rituals helps practitioners support clients in meaningful ways.

Lesson 3 • Spiritual Crisis and Growth in Grief

Loss can trigger profound spiritual questioning or deepen faith. Practitioners learn to hold space for both spiritual crisis and post-loss spiritual transformation.

Lesson 1 • Children's Grief: Developmental Stages

Children's cognitive development determines how they conceptualize death and express grief. Age-appropriate explanations and interventions are introduced for each stage.

Lesson 2 • Adult Grief: Roles and Responsibilities

Adults navigate grief while managing caregiving, work, and financial pressures. Practitioners address role overload and the suppression of grief in high-functioning adults.

Lesson 3 • Adolescent Grief and Identity

Adolescents grieve within the context of identity formation and peer influence. Practitioners learn to recognize masked grief and engage developmentally appropriate support.

Lesson 1 • Assessment Tools for Complicated Grief

Validated screening instruments for complicated grief are reviewed and practised. Accurate assessment informs treatment planning and referral decisions.

Lesson 2 • Disenfranchised Grief

Grief unacknowledged by social norms—such as pet loss or miscarriage—is examined. Practitioners learn to validate and legitimize marginalized grief experiences.

Lesson 3 • Defining Complicated Grief

Prolonged grief disorder criteria are examined alongside historical diagnostic debates. Clear operational definitions enable accurate clinical identification.

Lesson 4 • Suicide Loss and Survivor Grief

Suicide bereavement carries unique stigma, guilt, and unanswerable questions. Specialized support strategies for suicide loss survivors are introduced.

Lesson 1 • Active Listening in Grief Contexts

Active listening is adapted for grief narratives that are nonlinear and emotionally intense. Reflective techniques that honour pain without redirecting it are practised.

Lesson 2 • Therapeutic Presence and Attunement

Presence is established as the primary therapeutic instrument in grief work. Practitioners develop attunement skills that communicate safety without words.

Lesson 3 • Psychoeducation in Grief Support

Providing accurate information about grief normalises client experiences and reduces shame. Practitioners learn when and how to introduce psychoeducational content.

Lesson 4 • Managing Practitioner Emotional Responses

Practitioners examine their own grief histories and countertransference triggers. Self-awareness strategies prevent personal material from distorting client care.

Lesson 1 • Narrative and Meaning-Based Techniques

Narrative therapy tools help clients reconstruct identity and meaning after loss. Practitioners facilitate life review, letter writing, and story retelling.

Lesson 2 • Expressive and Creative Interventions

Art, music, writing, and movement offer non-verbal pathways for grief expression. Practitioners learn to introduce and debrief expressive activities safely.

Lesson 3 • Complicated Grief Treatment Protocol

The structured Complicated Grief Treatment protocol is introduced step by step. Practitioners learn its dual focus on loss processing and life restoration.

Lesson 4 • Cognitive-Behavioural Approaches to Grief

CBT techniques are adapted for grief-related cognitive distortions and avoidance behaviours. Practitioners learn to challenge unhelpful beliefs while honouring the reality of loss.

Lesson 1 • Measuring Outcomes and Evaluating Practice

Outcome measurement tools and practice evaluation methods are applied to grief interventions. Practitioners use data to refine approaches and demonstrate accountability.

Lesson 2 • Practitioner Self-Care and Compassion Fatigue

Sustained grief work creates cumulative emotional burden and compassion fatigue risk. Practitioners build individualised self-care plans grounded in evidence-based strategies.

Lesson 3 • Supervision and Reflective Practice

Regular supervision and reflective practice are positioned as professional obligations, not optional supports. Practitioners develop habits of critical self-reflection and peer consultation.

Lesson 4 • Working with Suicidal Bereaved Clients

Bereaved individuals carry elevated suicide risk, requiring specialised safety assessment. Practitioners integrate risk protocols without disrupting the therapeutic alliance.