Intro to Grief & Loss Counselling

Course Overview

Processing grief and dealing with emotions that come with loss is a painful process. Some people choose to work through the stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – on their own and others seek professional assistance in the form of counselling.  

Grief counselling aims to help people cope with the physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and cognitive responses to loss. Counselling can help people process their emotions in a healthy manner. 

The Intro to Grief & Loss Counselling micro-credential provides a comprehensive understanding of grief counselling principles and practical applications for individuals involved in supporting others through grief. 

This 8-week course explores topics such as defining grief, navigating bereaved relationships, conducting effective bereavement counselling sessions, addressing complicated grief reactions, and providing specialized support for children and adolescents.  

Additionally, emphasis is placed on developing self-awareness and self-care practices for caregivers and importantly, fostering post-traumatic growth in clients is explored.  

The course is suitable for both novice and experienced counsellors, this course offers valuable insights and strategies for effectively supporting individuals through the grieving process.  

Note:  This foundational course does not address counselling skills training. It provides knowledge and practical skills within the context of grief and loss counselling for people who already have training in basic counselling skills. Formal counselling skills training is required to assist people with grief and loss. Completing this course does not make you a counsellor or mental health practitioner. 

Time commitment per week

An average of 10 – 13 hours weekly.

Is this course for you?

If you want to better support others through the process of grief – then this micro-credential is for you. 

What is grief counselling?    

Grief counselling assists people who have been bereaved and seek support in coping with their grief.  

Dates

• Class of 2025 February: 10 February – 6 April 
• Class of 2025 April: 7 April – 1 June
• Class of 2025 May: 12 May – 6 July
• Class of 2025 July: 7 July – 31 August
• Class of 2025 August: 11 August – 5 October
• Class of 2025 October: 6 October – 30 November

Learners do not have to attend any online classes or webinars. Course content is released on a weekly basis allowing you to work through the course material, and meet weekly targets, at a time that is most convenient to you. 

Certification

Upon completion, you will receive a digital certificate of competence as evidence of the skills and knowledge demonstrated. 

This course has been designed and developed by experts in the field of psychology. The Intro to Grief & Loss Counselling micro-credential is for anyone needing to upskill in this area and offers 80 hours of learning and assessment. 

Learners study online with peers and receive robust academic content while acquiring practical industry-relevant skills. 

Stackable Credentials

Stack specified combinations of micro-credentials and they can be recognised as equivalent to a module within the Bachelor of Applied Social Science Degree at SACAP.

Dealing with Grief & Loss can be stacked with Intro to Grief & Loss Counselling and if you meet the minimum entrance criteria, you can enrol for the Bachelor of Applied Social Science Degree and apply for module exemption.

What You’ll Need

• Access to Microsoft Word
• Google Chrome (recommended)
• Stable internet connection

What You’ll Learn

Over the course of eight (8) weeks, through videos, readings and discussions, you will explore the following topics:

• Week 1: The role of grief counselling and the principles and applications of grief counselling.
• Week 2: Explore adaptation to grief in various systems, specifically family systems. 
• Week 3: lntegrate the various theories on grief in practical scenarios and learn how to build a supportive relationship.
• Week 4: Learn about complicated grief and how it differs from normal grief. Familiarise yourself with strategies and techniques to use when supporting people who are struggling with complicated grief.
• Week 5: Identify developmental considerations that need to be taken into account when working with children and adolescents in the grief process. Providing support to children and adolescents in the grieving process.
• Week 6: Learn about the importance of maintaining personal wellness when dealing with clients experiencing grief and loss.
• Week 7: Explore post-traumatic growth, understanding how individuals can experience positive psychological transformation following a loss. Develop skills to facilitate post-traumatic growth, including identifying strengths, fostering resilience, and helping clients find meaning and purpose after loss.   
• Week 8: Learn to develop a personalized self-care plan and strategies tailored to mitigate the emotional demands of grief counselling. 

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain the role of grief counselling in the grieving process. 
• Describe various types of impact bereavement has on relationships, coping mechanisms and support. 
• Provide an overview of different approaches to bereavement counselling. 
• Identify, assess, and formulate possible interventions for individuals experiencing complicated grief and disenfranchised grief. 
• Describe and apply techniques used for support in counselling children and teenagers. 
• Apply the skill of reflective practice to promote self-awareness, empathy and boundaries for effective counselling. 
• Define post-traumatic growth in relation to the grieving process. 
• Develop adequate self-care strategies to utilise when working with bereaved individuals.  

The Team

Our short course developers and assessors are expert practitioners. They have been selected for the breadth and depth of experience in their respective disciplines. The team loves sharing their knowledge and online learning expertise to help you get the most out of your learning journey.