Earn the Grief Counseling Training Certificate (GCTC) with this non-interactive self-study program
This Grief Counseling Certificate program analyzes the different types of grief, their history, symptoms, and ways to support. Exploration of grief across the lifespan and cultural impact on the grieving process is discussed during this training. Participants learn about current therapeutic approaches, diverse grief models, and assessment tools to help conceptualize grief. This training empowers clinicians with interventions and tools to confidently support clients as they learn to manage and live alongside their grief.
The recent the Prolonged Grief Disorder update in the DSM-V-TR is addressed.
Topics covered include:
Overview of Grief
- Grief/Mourning
- Acute Grief
- Integrated Grief
- Chronic Grief/Complicated Grief
The Many Types of Grief:
- Normal Grief
- Prolonged Grief
- Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder (PCBD)
- Ambiguous Grief
- Traumatic Grief
- Anticipatory Grief
- Distorted Grief
- Delayed Grief
- Masked Grief
- Exaggerated Grief
- Absent Grief
- Inhibited Grief
- Abbreviated Grief
- Disenfranchised Grief
- Cumulative Grief
- Collective Grief
- Primary Loss & Secondary Loss
- Elizabeth Kübler Ross and Experience of Grief
Assessment Tools for Grieving Clients:
- Beck Depression Inventory
- Hamilton Depression Rating Scale
- Core Bereavement Items
- Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist
- Revised Grief Experience Inventory
- Grief Measurement Scale
- Inventory of Complicated Grief
- Grief Experience Questionnaire
- Other Screening Tools
Culture, Spirituality, and Developmental Grief Responses:
- How does culture impact mourning?
- How does spirituality impact mourning?
- Developmental Grief Responses
Grief Model and Treatment Approaches:
- Grief counseling vs. grief treatment – what’s the difference?
- Dual Process Model – loss and restoration
- Companioning Model – being present for the mourner
- Task-Based Model - accommodating a new life
- The ATTEND Model for increased attunement
- Complicated Grief Treatment Model
- Narrative Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Ethical and professional boundary issues
The Grief Interventions:
- Tools for Acute Grief
- Containment
- Loss Timeline
- Guilt Work
- Family Sculpting
- Love after Loss
- Maintaining Connection
- Life Imprint
- Social Support
Instruction consists of 7 hours of video instruction and a post-test.
Case Studies
From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.
Upon completion of this training, professionals will be able to do the following:
Learning Objectives:
- List and explain different types of grief and their symptoms.
- Explain how the different types of grief can impact the progression of treatment.
- Recall 2-3 grief models to conceptualize grief and the clinician’s role
- Assess which grief model will be most impactful for their client
- Illustrate how grief can have an impact across the lifespan
- Recall 3-4 interventions for grief to better care for clients
Tiffani Dilworth, MA, LCPC
Tiffani Dilworth, LPC, FT, is a successful psychotherapist, author, and sought-after speaker on topics related to grief, PTSD, and sexual assault. Miss Dilworth received her Master’s in Community Counseling from Oklahoma State University. She’s a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who specializes in PTSD, Grief, and Sexual Trauma. She’s a Fellow in Thanatology and a Certified Advanced Grief Counseling Specialist.
She has worked across the US with various organizations, schools, universities, and corporations to bring awareness to the grieving process and to teach countless people how to live alongside their grief. In addition to maintaining a private practice, Ms. Dilworth is an affiliate of PsychExperts & Associates, Inc, located in Baltimore, MD.
Drawing on her rich clinical experience, Ms. Dilworth incorporates the most current information on the process of grieving with evidence-based and innovative treatment techniques that clinicians can immediately use in their practice. She’s the author of the books 11 Tools to Help Manage the Aftermath of Trauma and Types of Grief, and the host of Managing My Grief Podcast.
Credit Hours: This course consists of 7 continuing education hours of credit.
Counselors: Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.
Marriage and Family Therapists: Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations. You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.
Social Workers: Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2021 – 05/02/2024. Social workers completing this course receive 7 clinical continuing education credits.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.
Addiction Professionals: This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programing.
Psychologists: Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.
Art Therapists: Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.
Other Professionals: This course qualifies for 420 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.
This is a non-interactive, self-study course.
To receive your certificate of completion and the Grief Counseling Training Certificate (GCTC) you must complete the course in its entirety.
To complete an Online Self Study Course, one must register, log in, select the My Courses option from the menu items, click the Course Title, complete all of the modules, complete and pass the post-test(s), and complete the course evaluation.
A grade of at least 80% or more is required to pass the post-test. Retaking the post-test is possible until the participant is able to pass the test.
Psychologists and other professionals seeking CE credit through our approval with the American Psychological Association are asked but not required to complete the course evaluation before obtaining their certificate of completion, however passing a post-test for online self-study courses, and submitting one's attendance for live on-site and live webinars is required.
You can download or print your certificate of completion by logging into your account, navigating to the course by selecting the My Courses option from the menu items, clicking the Course Title, scrolling to the Certificate of Completion section, and clicking on the Certificate of Completion link to either download it or print it.
Participants may request a printed version of their certificate of completion to be delivered by mail. A shipping/handling fee of $6.95 will be charged per request. Shipping internationally may require an additional charge.
Directions for completing a course can be found by clicking here.
This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.
This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.
This course was recorded 4/21/22 and 4/22/22 and updated 4/20/23.
