Along with the experiences of falling in love, feeling joy at the birth of a child and wondering about the unknown, human beings also feel grief when they lose someone close to them, especially through death. All cultures have customs and rituals for dealing with death, including ideas about mourning, but individuals experience grief in their own particular ways. For some, it is an emotional adjustment with a beginning and an end. Other people feel overwhelmed by their grief and find it difficult to function. Grief counselors are trained to help people come to terms with their loss and find ways to cope with their grief.
Job Description
Grief counselors, also known as bereavement counselors, are healthcare professionals who are trained to offer support and guidance to clients who are struggling with personal loss. Often the loss is the death of a loved one, but grief is a common response to the end of a relationship or a divorce, the loss of a pet or home, or the loss of function or mobility due to an accident or illness. Grieving clients may have emotional, mental or physical grief-related symptoms, such as sleeplessness, withdrawal, anger, anxiety, fatigue, loss of appetite, confusion or denial. Grief counselors work with clients of all ages, from young children to terminally ill seniors.
There are several routes to becoming a grief counselor. There are one-year career studies certificate programs, or four-year Bachelor’s Degree programs in human services that provide theoretical background and therapeutic skills in bereavement counseling. There are also continuing education certificate programs and graduate programs for licensed or registered healthcare professionals, including social workers, nurses, mental health counselors, funeral directors and clergy who want specialized training in this area.
Necessary Skills and Interests
Grief counselors must inspire trust and confidence in their clients and abide by professional ethics. Compassion, respect for cultural differences and good problem-solving skills are also necessary characteristics for this career.
Grief Counseling Programs
- Certificate. Community colleges offer career studies certificates in grief counseling through the human services department. You will need a high school diploma and appropriate placement scores to enroll. This human services program will qualify you to work in hospitals, hospice care, AIDS facilities, funeral homes and long-term care facilities. Some of these jobs will require a criminal record and sexual offender background check and TB screening.
- Degrees. Some grief counselors complete a four-year Bachelor’s Degree in social work or counseling, with a focus on bereavement counseling. They may decide to get certification through a continuing education program or pursue a Master’s Degree in Thanatology (the study of death). Licensed mental health counselors can also take additional courses in grief counseling if they want to work in this field.
- Continuing Education. The American Academy of Grief Counseling (AAGC) offers online continuing education courses and certification to qualified applicants who want to specialize in grief counseling. Applicants must be a registered or licensed healthcare professional or funeral director, ordained minister, or have a Bachelor’s Degree in human services, human behavior or psychology. In some cases, relevant work experience may be accepted. Once you are given certification, you must adhere to the Code of Ethics for Certified Grief Counselors and abide by their Standards of Practice. AAGC also offers advanced courses leading to Fellowship Certification, as well as certification in Child and Adolescent Grief Counseling, Pet-Loss Grief Specialist and Christian Grief Counseling.
Job Prospects
Grief counselors work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, hospices, funeral homes, jails, schools and private institutions. Job prospects for the mental health professions are promising since the population is more willing to look for these services and insurance companies are more willing to cover counseling in their policies. With the aging population, there will be a growing demand for grief counselors in hospice and long-term care settings.
Salary
The average annual salary for a grief counselor is $43,000. Licensed or registered healthcare professionals and counselors with advanced training or certification can expect to earn more than those with a career studies certificate.
Loss and grief are an inevitable part of the human experience—and so is having a compassionate person available who can offer support and guidance. There are many roles for grief counselors, from helping someone cope with the death of a child, spouse or parent to working with a patient with a terminal illness. If this area of counseling appeals to you, research your options and take the steps necessary to become a grief counselor.