The physical and/or mental health of up to one-third of those who have experienced a substantial loss (such as the loss of a spouse or kid) reports being severely negatively impacted. A quarter or so of partners who have lost a spouse experience clinical despair and anxiety. All people eventually have to deal with grief, which is one of the most difficult and hard things to deal with.
You might think about pursuing a career in counseling if you’re a compassionate person looking for a profession that will allow you to genuinely improve the lives of others in your community. You might be able to encourage folks who are going through some of the most trying periods in their lives by working as a grief and bereavement counselor. You might wonder, ” how to become a grief counselor and “What does a grief counselor do? ” This guide discusses.
What is a Grief Counselor?
A licensed clinician who works with people of all ages who have experienced the death of someone close to them, such as a partner, parent, child, or friend, is a grief counselor who offers services in a therapeutic mental health environment. The five stages of grief are frequently brought up while talking about sadness and bereavement. Denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, and acceptance are the five stages.
It’s commonly believed that grieving people go through these stages in order. However, it’s crucial to realize that sorrow is extremely complex, and that each person will experience it differently. Some people might not go through all five stages, and some people might alternate between two stages (for example, between rage and depression).
Students pursuing careers as grief counselors nowadays will learn more current, widely accepted grief theories. Modern grief theories frequently acknowledge that grieving is made up of fluid, overlapping, and non-linear processes rather than necessarily occurring in stages in every person.
Another method to comprehend grief is to consider how it affects the mind, body, and soul on a daily basis. Any of the following answers can be the outcome of the complicated grief-related emotions:
- Expressing unwarranted or unjustifiable rage against someone
- Having difficulty sleeping or sleeping excessively
- Having problems or overeating when you eat
- Physical signs including headaches and stomachaches.
The truth is that every person experiences sorrow differently, thus it is the responsibility of a grief counselor to tailor the counseling strategy to each patient’s needs. Within a year following the death, the majority of grieving people will be able to handle their grief effectively.
However, a small number of those who have experienced a loss may develop protracted mourning disorder. Long-term preoccupation with and significant impact from the loss are symptoms of the recognized mental health disease known as extended grief disorder. People who are affected frequently struggle with daily functioning.
Types of Grief Counseling
People of all ages might benefit from grief counseling to help them deal with the sadness and other feelings that are a typical response to losing a loved one. In contrast, if your grief is too great for you to handle, you might benefit from alternative types of treatment. Here are some additional options that you have.
Grief Therapy
This type of therapy can assist with behavioral and physical issues you can experience following a loss. If you find it difficult to emotionally distance yourself from the deceased, it may still be helpful to you.
Complicated Grief Therapy
When you are experiencing complicated grief, the emotion takes control of you and won’t let go. You may experience unsettling thoughts, dysfunctional behaviors, and trouble controlling your emotions as a result, which will make it more difficult for you to adjust to life without your loved one. A type of psychotherapy called complicated grief therapy (CGT) can assist you in overcoming this kind of sadness.
Traumatic Grief Therapy
If you lost a loved one unexpectedly or if you were present when they passed away, you can go through traumatic bereavement. You can learn coping mechanisms, manage the severity of your grieving, and lessen the symptoms of trauma with the assistance of trauma-informed grief counseling.
What Does a Grief Counselor Do?
The major objectives of a grief counselor are to assist the client in accepting the loss, engaging in healthy coping mechanisms, adjusting to a new life, establishing new relationships, and creating an altered sense of self. By creating a secure, judgment-free counseling environment and reassuring their clients that their reactions to grieving are completely normal, counselors can also benefit their patients. People who have lost a loved one will always mourn them, so sadness never truly goes away, but it is possible to learn to live with it, to adjust, and to move on.
A bereavement counselor may do the following tasks among others:
- Establish a rapport with the client so they can confide in you and talk openly about your feelings.
- Conduct a client evaluation to determine their issues, needs, and reactions to loss.
- Create a treatment strategy using particular therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
- To assist the client process the loss and accept their emotional responses, encourage them to talk about their departed loved one.
- Help the client change their negative emotions into positive ones by encouraging them to appreciate their loved one’s happy memories rather than feel guilty.
These professionally qualified and often certified mental health counselors also regularly carry out case management tasks. Some therapists may have their own practice, in which case they are also involved in all facets of managing a small business.
Also Read: What Does a Compliance Officer Do?
Do Grief Counselors Have a Demand?
Grief counselors are included in the same category as substance addiction, behavioral disorder, and all other mental health counselors by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which monitors employment data in the U.S. The BLS projects a 23% increase in employment for mental health counselors between 2010 and 2030. By the end of the decade, there should be 41,000 new job openings for these individuals per year at current rate of growth.
How to Become a Grief Counselor
The path to becoming a grief counselor is satisfying. Talk to your guidance counselor about adding psychology, communications, and other health-related courses to your schedule if you’re still a high school student. You must prepare to obtain a bachelor’s degree when your graduation date draws near.
You are not required to obtain a bachelor’s degree in grief counseling, however you are more than welcome to do so if you so choose. You may, for instance, graduate with a general psychology or counseling degree without a focus. You must complete a master’s degree after receiving your undergraduate degree in mental health in order to be eligible to apply for licensure.
Other choices include obtaining a graduate certificate or a doctoral degree, albeit these are optional. You must get a master’s degree in addition to passing a national certification exam, a supervised clinical internship, and state licensure requirements.
Getting Your Undergraduate Degree in Mental Health
The first stage in the process of how to become a grief counselor is to obtain a bachelor’s degree after high school. There is some latitude in the type of degree you can obtain, but it must be one in a field that is relevant, such psychology, counseling, mental health, or social work. It is not necessary to select a degree with a specialty at this point in your schooling; if you’d rather, you might choose to pursue a general degree in mental health.
You can build a solid foundation of mental health competences with the help of your undergraduate degree in mental health. The foundations of human behaviors and thought processes will be examined. Additionally, you’ll learn about the scientific foundations of the field, including proper methods for scientific observations, data gathering, and analysis.
Utilize your time as a college student to look into internship and job shadowing opportunities in mental health facilities. These possibilities will provide you an inside look at what clinicians perform on a daily basis, enabling you to decide for sure if you’ve chosen the proper career path.
Acquiring a Master’s Degree in Mental Health
You should almost likely enroll in a master’s degree program as soon as you receive your bachelor’s degree because all states require mental health counselors to be licensed in order to work in private practice.
The Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is one option, and graduates may be eligible to take the state licensing examination. Depending on the university you select, another option is to select a concentration in grief and bereavement counseling. You can delve deeply into the ideas and methods associated with grief counseling by earning a Master of Science in Mental Health and Wellness with an Emphasis in Grief and Bereavement.
However, that type of degree might not necessarily lead to licensing depending on the college and particular program you select, so be sure to check that. Keep in mind that even without clinical licensing, it is feasible to work as a grief counselor, though career options will be somewhat constrained. Additionally, even while some businesses (such hospice groups) may not demand clinical licensing, they nonetheless demand or indicate a preference for counselors with master’s degrees.
Although the particular curriculum varies from university to university and program to program, you may generally anticipate to study subjects like the ones listed below:
- The development of grief theory study over time, covering types of loss and grieving manifestations
- Biopsychosocial reactions to loss and grief, as well as effective coping mechanisms
- Theories and case studies on end-of-life issues, grief management, dying, and sociocultural elements of death.
Although not all schools might have this requirement, it is typical for master’s degree programs to ask students to finish a master’s thesis. A master’s thesis typically takes two semesters to complete and ranges in length from 40 to 80 pages. An original piece of research is not required for a master’s thesis.
Should You Pursue a Doctorate?
Aspiring psychologists must get a doctoral degree, such as a PhD; grief counselors, however, are not required to hold a doctoral degree in order to become licensed and work in private practice. But in the future, you might choose to go back to school to get your PhD.
You can update your knowledge and abilities, gain a deeper grasp of how to support your clients, and build your professional credibility in the industry by obtaining a doctorate in counseling. It can also provide you the chance to apply for a job teaching at a university.
Is Earning a Graduate Certificate Right for You?
A graduate certificate is an additional qualification that you ought to strongly examine. In general, earning a graduate certificate takes less time than earning a master’s degree (precise program lengths depend on the school and the student’s schedule). But keep in mind that you’ll still need a master’s degree to be eligible for licensure.
Your graduate certificate could be a useful addition to your master’s degree. This is especially true if your master’s degree was in counseling rather than counseling for sorrow and loss. You can focus your professional efforts and acquire in-depth knowledge in the field by earning a graduate certificate in grief and bereavement counseling.
By obtaining a graduate degree in grief and bereavement, you can show prospective employers that you are committed to developing professionally and providing the finest care possible for patients. Since a graduate certificate does not award a degree, it takes fewer courses than a master’s degree. Additionally, it typically doesn’t call for finishing a large endeavor, like a capstone course or a drawn-out research report.
Complete Your Supervised Clinical Hours
You won’t actually become a certified mental health counselor until after you have earned your master’s degree in mental health. Before they can engage in private practice, mental health counselors must obtain a license from their state. To be qualified to pursue licensure, you must demonstrate that you have accrued the necessary number of hours of supervised clinical experience in addition to your academic credentials.
States have different requirements for supervised field hours. To find out what steps you need to take and how many hours you need to finish, contact the board of licensing in your state. You might discover opportunities to accrue clinical hours in hospitals, social service organizations, and community outreach programs as an aspiring grief and bereavement counselor.
An experienced, licensed counselor will be your mentor and supervisor during your training. Don’t be scared to make notes and ask questions. Additionally, periodically request comments on your performance.
You can anticipate working with clients one-on-one while under supervision. You will conduct assessments, create treatment plans, deliver counseling, and make suitable referrals. You can also hold group counseling sessions, like those for a bereavement support group.
Obtain a Mental Health Counselor License
You will start your supervised clinical hours in the field after graduating and passing the license exam, which will eventually lead to independent licensure.
Prior to the test date, you should allot enough of time to study for the exam. The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) sells study guides for the certification exam. Other study aids, such practice exams and flash cards, are also made available by independent organizations.
You’ll be prepared to start working as a mental health counselor with a focus on bereavement counseling once you pass the exam and satisfy any additional criteria imposed by your state. To keep your license active, you must periodically earn continuing education credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ideal degree for a grief counselor?
A master's degree in community counseling, mental health counseling, or family counseling is typically required of grief counselors. Having said that, you can also decide to pursue a degree in thanatology, community health, social work, or gerontology while also obtaining a graduate certificate in bereavement counseling.
What abilities do bereavement counselors require?
Understanding how other people feel is called empathy. To help you articulate and process your feelings, use your listening and questioning skills. Professional abilities and expertise include knowing when and how to offer assistance and advice as well as knowing how to react when someone is in grave danger.
What are masked griefs?
Grief that is not acknowledged or that is covered up is referred to as "masked grief." This can be typical among men, or in societies and cultures where there are laws that specify how you must act or present yourself after losing a loved one.
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