Grief Educator & Guide
The Grief Educator and Guide Certificate Program provides training and mentorship for End of Life Doulas, hospice bereavement staff, palliative care professionals, therapists, health-care practitioners, social workers, and spiritual care professionals who are interested in acquiring competencies that would allow them to support their clients through the experiences of grief and bereavement, through an engaged, contemplative approach.
We all grieve. And until we embark on the grief journey, we may not know what to expect, or what support we will need along the way. This program is designed to provide End of Life Doulas, Healthcare professionals, Therapists, those in the Funeral/End of Life Care sectors, with the the knowledge, skills and techniques to offer compassionate guidance and support for the grieving and bereaved.
CERTIFICATE
Purpose
The Program was developed to equip End of Life Doulas, and other professionals in end of life care and grief and bereavement support, with effective, compassionate, culturally safe, and trauma-informed skills and practices to support our grieving community members. We are committed to our role as a leader in a revolutionary development of human awareness that is transforming how we live, die and grieve.
CERTIFICATE
Schedule
Through 18+ video modules scheduled over a 4 month period, plus 3 live virtual sessions held once a month, you will learn how to support and guide those who are grieving and bereaved. The program includes 2 additional optional discussion/integration sessions allowing you to ask questions and delve into the material more thoroughly. These additional sessions are also held virtually.
CERTIFICATE
Approach
Modules consist of pre-recorded lessons, reading materials, experiential and self-reflection assignments. You will be introduced to a number of strategies and practices which will allow you to provide guidance and education to individuals and groups who are grieving. The focus is on grief from death, though much of the training can be applied to grief in general - from relationship endings, loss of job, etc.
How is it that the world keeps going, breathing in and out unchanged, while in my soul there is a permanent scattering?
Chimamanda Adichie
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Affordability
- Early Registration Discount
- Affordable Tuition Fees
- CEOLC Graduate Discount
Virtual Program
- Virtual Classroom via Zoom
- Part-time Schedule
- Study from Anywhere
Engaged Experience
- Guidance and Mentorship from Skilled Facilitator
- Practical & Experiential in-class exercises
- Connections & Resources in Grief Support
*NEXT COHORT SCHEDULE & DATES
Please open & review the Registration below for current dates & tuition
CONTEMPLATIVE APPROACH
Our training program introduces a contemplative dimension to grief support, providing students with a foundation in mindfulness, compassion and acceptance.
SCHEDULE
The program consists of 4 months of online and in-person virtual sessions.
The program begins in September each year, with a live session in October, November, December.
In addition to these mandatory live sessions, students can join 2 optional evening question & answer/integration sessions.
*See Registration Form for Details on dates, times and fees.
The work of the mature person is to carry grief in one hand and gratitude in the other and to be stretched large by them.
Francis Weller
CURRICULUM
The program guides students on an exploration of various theories, practices, techniques and compassionate approaches to education and supportive care of individuals and groups experiencing grief and bereavement.
The following topics will be reviewed in the program
- Nature of Grief
- Impact of Loss
- Types of Grief
- Emotions of Grief
- Listening & Communication Skills for Grief Support
- Types of Forgiveness
- Taking Care of Basic Needs
- Impact of Culture on Grief
- Leaning into Grief
- Loneliness & Connection
- Continuing the Bond & Legacy
- Community Centred Grief
- Spirituality & Existential Questions
- Working with Difficult Emotions - Regret, Anger, Guilt
- Rebuilding Identity
- Rediscovering Purpose & Meaning
- Moving Ahead
- Meaningful Endings & Rituals
- Referrals & Evidence Based Resources
- Offering Individual & Group Programs
If grief can be a doorway to love, then let us all weep for the world we are breaking apart so we can love it back to wholeness again.
Robin Wall Kimmerer
BENEFITS
Whether you are interested in expanding your services as an End of Life Doula; supporting grieving clients as a Therapist; gaining essential communication skills as healthcare provider; or seeking to facilitate grief groups in a hospice or funeral home, this program will provide you with numerous learning opportunities to develop both professionally and personally.
- Develop the skills and practical strategies to support the grieving and bereaved
- Build confidence as an Educator/Grief Group Facilitator
- Expand your scope of practice/services
- Receive mentorship and guidance via question and answer sessions
- Deepen your understanding of Grief & Loss
- Learn to apply skills and approaches to Non-Death losses
- Learn to apply a contemplative approach to your support services
- Develop Active Listening & Communication Skills
- Deepen your capacity to witness and hold suffering with presence and compassion
- Learn ways to utilize rituals and journalling
- Learn to apply a contemplative, psychosocial approach to supporting the grieving
- Expand your abilities to create community centred grief experiences
- Learn to apply trauma-informed grief care
- Gain skills in mindfulness, meditation, guided imagery and visualization
- Have access to evidence-based resources
- Leave the training with a complete Grief Support Program Outline
Blessed are those who welcome grief in themselves and others;
They shall be intimate with the hearts of all beings, they shall laugh with vast joy, they shall trust the way of things. They shall know the way of compassion.
Erin Geesaman Rabke
A Step by Step Support Program
In addition to introducing the concepts, approaches and skills for supporting and companioning those who are grieving, the program provides students with a 18 step guide for developing a grief support program for individuals or groups.
Terrain of Grief
nature of grief, an overview of the process, and the impact of different types of loss as well as the impact of other losses
Processing Emotions
broad array of emotions, the nonlinear nature of moving through grief, the unpredictability of triggers
New Reality
The world is changed and the person grieving needs to make practical adjustments, role adjustments, etc
Managing Daily Tasks
insuring the person grieving is taking care of their basic needs for taking care of basic needs: eating, sleep and exercise
Forgiveness
when there are things that need forgiving; holding onto this pain may complicate the work of grief and limit healing
The Firsts
in the first year of grief there are many "firsts" to handle, from birthdays, to holidays, to the death itself
Exploring Spirituality
facing impermanence and the feeling of vulnerability; questioning what life is about and the nature of death
Joy and Gratitude
many people in grief believe that they aren't entitled to feel joy; guiding them to a place where they can experience grief & joy
Journalling
approaches to journaling to process the emotions and experiences of grief, as well as track how the person is doing
Healing
an internal commitment to heal, and recommitting at the times when they feel emotionally exhausted by their grief
Loneliness and Connection
the struggle is to stay connected, feeling part of the social fabric around us, support comes from engagement in relationship
Rebuilding Identity
the identity of the person grieving can be severely shaken or even shattered, healing by rebuilding a sense of identity
The Path Ahead
there comes a time when a person grieving has to step out of the comfort of the coping strategies they have been using
Difficult Emotions
intense emotions of regret, anger, guilt, and the what-ifs, the often overwhelming emotions that need to be processed
Leaning In
to move along in grief is to lean into the experience. Healing occurs through being with and processing grief over and over
Continued Bond And Legacy
when someone dies they still live inside the people who grieve them, how do we nurture this connection and their legacy
Purpose and Meaning
purpose and meaning are essential for living a life that feels good, tells us that we matter, and provides direction
Rituals and Endings
ritual is a profound way to acknowledge death, transitions in grief, and to create meaningful endings
MEET HENRY
Social Worker, Author, End of Life Doula, Mentor, Educator, Speaker
Henry Fersko-Weiss
Director
Henry has been involved in End of Life and Grief work for almost three decades and has guided hundreds of dying individuals and their loved ones as a hospice social worker, social service manager and End of Life Doula. Henry created the first hospice-based doula program in the U.S. and brought the doula work to hospices, end of life facilities and communities across the U.S. and internationally. Henry has maintained a private practice for 25 years, focused on helping people face death and grieve their losses. Henry founded one of the first doula training organizations, the End of Life Doula Association (INELDA) in North America and is the author of the book, Finding Peace at the End of Life.
It is Henry's way - his way of sharing, holding space, witnessing, that moved me and taught me deeply. His wisdom and approach to caring has impacted me for life - personally and professionally. M.Stinsin
Frequently Asked Questions
FOR CURRENT SCHEDULE, DATES & FEES - SEE REGISTRATION FORM
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