Bereavement Course

The 12 Course Modules

  1. Understanding death, bereavement and grief
  2. Attitudes towards dying and death. Loss and grief in life.
    People’s range of emotions following a death.
    Symptoms of grief. Physical effects of grief.
    Stages of grief. Kubler–Ross.
    Other grief models.
    The Loss Cycle
    Anticipatory grief.
    Grief resolution.
    Unresolved grief.
    How different cultures view grief. Common myths about grief and the grieving process.
    Complicated feelings. Being conflicted.
    From grief to depression: symptoms.
    Emotions that emerge after death.
    Delay in the grieving process caused by practical issues.

  3. Parental grief
  4. Dealing with the tragedy of child death
    Who is involved.
    Still birth.
    Death of a neonate
    Death of a child.

  5. Child grief
  6. Death of a parent. Grandparent. Pet death.
    Changes in a child's behaviour. Bed wetting, thumb sucking, withdrawal and other behaviours. How and why children play up after bereavement.
    Helping children deal with death. Talking to a child about death.
    Pre-counselling Fully understanding the nature and issues concerning the child and the death before counselling.
    Involving the child in the funeral.
    Memory box.
    Helping teens.
    Useful books for children.

  7. Bereaved by suicide
  8. Who commits suicide and why.
    Terminology. What the bereaved can say about the death.
    Impact of a suicide note. Impact on the parent.
    Impact on a child. Will the child copy the suicidal act?
    Practical issues: the inquest. Post mortem. Who to notify. The Bereavement Register.
    Joining a support group.

  9. Death of an adult parent.
    The widow and widower
  10. Grief after terminal illness. The impact on the carer. Recognising the centre in family structure and new roles.
    Widow and widower bereavement.
    Widowed young, widowed in later life.The first few weeks.
    The effect of death on the strong one, the breadwinner, on males.

  11. Grief counselling strategies
  12. Assessment strategies.
    Setting realistic expectations for the client’s grief: duration, impact.
    Helping the client move on. 
    Help to understand the mourning process.
    Grief counselling versus grief therapy.
    Writing exercises
    Journaling.
    Writing a letter to the deceased
    How the client can help themselves.
    Words of grief
    Strategies for coping.
    Strategies for overcoming depression.

  13. Practical issues. The funeral
  14. Registering a death. The undertaker.
    The funeral.
    Adapting and personalising the service.
    Public displays.
    Wearing black. Party or wake.

  15. After the funeral
  16. Wakes
    Rituals: public and private
    The will. Probate.
    House clearance. Inheritance tax. Selling the house.

  17. Helping other professionals to cope
  18. Teachers, medical professionals, social care staff, police and prison staff, work colleagues.
    How professionals can be affected.
    How they can help.
    What to say. What not to say.

  19. Setting up a private practice
  20. Setting up a private bereavement counselling practice
    location
    Naming your company
    How to advertise and promote your practice.
    Business plan

  21. How to charge, get paid and manage your money, and stay within the law
  22. Charging
    How to keep the books and manage your money
    Staying within the law.
    Insurance and business structure.
    Book keeping
    Accountants

  23. Launching your practice and finding clients
  24. Strategic marketing planning
    Advertising and promotion
    Personal selling
    Tips for print media
    Your potential market

    Bonus: Guide to Counselling skills

    The role and value of listening therapy.
    Active listening
    How to establish a relationship using counselling skills
    Empathy. Non-judgmental interaction. On giving advice.
    The role of silence
    Body language.
    Giving advice
    Prompts
    Terminating a session
    The client: counsellor relationship. Ethical framework
    Referring clients
    Self-care in a stress-filled role.