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Diploma in Grief and Bereavement Counselling
Course Code: 1500
Course Fee: £529.00
You can pay the full price or pay a deposit of £89.00 (0% APR), followed by 6 monthly payments of £51.00

Why study with Institute Of Counselling

We have been delivering courses to our students since 1986 – in that time over 35,000 students worldwide have used our courses to enhance their helping skills and advance their career prospects. Our longevity is testament to the quality of our courses and support.
Etablished 1985

The Diploma in Grief and Bereavement Counselling course covers the clinical and pastoral aspects of bereavement counselling training and is of special interest to those who use counselling skills with bereaved clients. It will also be very appropriate for any carers whose clients may be trying to cope with the issues of bereavement and loss.

This bereavement counselling course is a two module Diploma course which, although it is expected to take one year to complete, students may study over two years if they choose.

The first module covers the basic skills of counselling with an emphasis on the person-centred approach. The Grief and Bereavement Counselling module will then lead you to understand the major theorists of bereavement care and counselling and demonstrate how practical skills can enhance the counselling care you offer.

Your bereavement counselling training is enriched by the course resources you receive.

The guidance and help you receive from your tutor will ensure that you make the most of your counselling course.

Employer Sponsorship/Course Funding

CPD

Diploma in Grief and Bereavement Counselling Reviews

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Rated 4 stars Rated 4 stars Rated 4 stars Rated 4 stars Rated 4 stars
Thoroughly enjoyed the course, so much so I wish to continue with further modules to gain professional qualification
Joanne O, 33 days ago
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Slightly more diversity would be of help. The faith based information was quite sparse.
Heather F, 5 years ago
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Useful course, very enjoyable
Gemma E, 5 years ago
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The course content was good. Reference to particular chapters in the texts might be helpful. More online resources eg YouTube, would be useful.
Stephen G, 6 years ago
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All helpful and informative.
DAVID D, 6 years ago
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I found the material very easy to understand and very comprehensive
Marlane C, 6 years ago
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I would recommend to anyone who has contact with the bereaved.
Eirian T, 6 years ago
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The material and the content were so clear.
Nada A, 6 years ago
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great information and links to more to read watch etc.
kim p, 7 years ago

Syllabus for Diploma in Grief and Bereavement Counselling

The Diploma course comprises one foundation module, Certificate in Enhancing Skills in Counselling (Course 121) and one advanced module, Certificate in Developing Skills in Grief and Bereavement Counselling (Course 500).

Module 1, Certificate in Enhancing Skills in Counselling

includes the following topics:

  • Introduction to Counselling Theory
  • The Psychodynamic Approach
  • The Behavioural Approach
  • The Person-Centred Approach
  • The Cognitive Approach
  • The Pastoral Approach
  • The Counselling Process
  • Basic Counselling Skills
  • Core Skills of "The Skilled Helper"
  • Professional Practice


Module 2, Certificate in Developing Skills in Grief and Bereavement Counselling

includes the following topics:

  • Attitudes towards death
  • The individual nature of grief
  • Stages of grief and other grief models
  • Grieving rituals
  • The role of the bereavement counsellor
  • A child and adolescent view of death
  • The principal components of grief
  • Complicated grief
  • Counselling the dying
  • Ending long term counselling


Materials supplied with this course

The course materials includes comprehensive course notes (knowledge and practice), and consist of 20 Lessons and 10 tutor marked assignments, supplemented with suggested background reading to provide insights into the skills and techniques used by professional counsellors. You will be able to observe and become conversant with many of the practical techniques employed by professional counsellors.


Linkages to other courses

Credit Rated or CPD In addition to the Institute course certificate successful candidates will be awarded a certificate of CPD. If you require academic credit rating as part of your grief training you may wish to consider our Clinical and Pastoral Counselling Module GCU 1 plus Grief and Bereavement Counselling Module GCU 2 which are part of our Course 5000N Diploma In Clinical and Pastoral Counselling but can be taken separately.

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Experts in Clinical and Pastorial Counselling
The Institute of Counselling was founded in 1985 as a Christian based, not for profit independent educational charity. It is committed to promoting pastoral care throughout the services it provides.

Ready to start Diploma in Grief and Bereavement Counselling?

Course Code: 1500
Course Fee: £529.00
You can pay the full price or pay a deposit of £89.00 (0% APR), followed by 6 monthly payments of £51.00
Still not sure?
Ask one of our advisors or call us on 0141 204 2230
Institute of Counselling
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Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Credit rated at SCQF level 8)
I enjoyed the course and look forward to moving into the next section and learning more. The online aspect very convenient give I work. My tutor Dr Murphy was prompt and gave good feedback. I would recommend a more concise and clear 1-2 page document on expectations for assessments, assignments and dates, with clear documentation and labelling, separate to other materials, as I found this information a little disjointed to find. Otherwise very enjoyable module.
Christopher C, 9 days ago
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Certificate in Christian Counselling
Fabulous course! Thank you!
Pavlina S, 10 days ago
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Certificate in CBT 2 (Credit rated at SCQF level 8)
I have just completed the certificate and diploma in CBT. The resources, support and information I received along the way was fantastic. I would highly recommend the the Institute of Counselling and I will hopefully be back soon for some more studying.
Simon A, 26 days ago
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Diploma in Grief and Bereavement Counselling
Thoroughly enjoyed the course, so much so I wish to continue with further modules to gain professional qualification
Joanne O, 33 days ago
Rated 4 stars Rated 4 stars Rated 4 stars Rated 4 stars Rated 4 stars
Certificate in Grief and Bereavement
The course was very insightful. It gave me all the tools i needed to understand the reasoning behind how and why you take the approach to help the bereaved. Maria was informative with her comments.
Sarah O, 54 days ago
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Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
The course was excellent I thought.
Robert P, 61 days ago
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The Certificate in Christian Counselling has been a deeply enriching and formative experience. The course content was well-structured and thoughtfully integrated Christian principles with core counselling approaches like Carl Rogers’ person-centred model, Egan’s framework, and Gerkin’s pastoral method. Each assignment encouraged meaningful reflection and personal growth, and I felt the course struck a strong balance between theory and application. The distance learning format offered excellent flexibility, allowing me to engage with the material at my own pace while still feeling supported. Marie Murphy has been a consistently encouraging and insightful tutor. Her feedback was clear, constructive, and respectful, always delivered in a way that fostered confidence and deepened my understanding. I truly appreciated her presence throughout the course. One suggestion would be to include brief recorded introductions for each module or a short recommended reading list to support further learning. Overall, I’m very grateful for this experience and would gladly recommend it to others seeking a spiritually grounded approach to counselling.
Sebastian S, 68 days ago
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Certificate in Counselling
Really insightful course that's provided some foundational knowledge surrounding counselling skills in practice. Dr Marie Murphy was an incredibly helpful marker who always provided great feedback and insight (while always answering any questions I had). Highly recommend.
Paul W, 78 days ago
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Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Credit rated at SCQF level 8)
I really appreciate the support and guidance Dr Marie Murphy has given me during my studies. I really appreciated her patience and kindness since English is not my first language. She was always there to help me with assignments and gave clear and thoughtful feedback, which made the learning process so much easier and more enjoyable. Her quick responses and support kept me focused and feeling confident during the course. I’m super grateful for her help and would definitely recommend her to anyone in need of a friendly and supportive tutor!
Gabriele G, 81 days ago
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Certificate in CBT 2 (Credit rated at SCQF level 8)
I really enjoyed this course even though I became very ill half way through but I was very kindly given a extra 3 months to finished the course which I’m very grateful for ,I’m really enjoying the courses and really looking forward to moving on to the next one
Rebecca R, 81 days ago