Bereavement & Loss

The Professional Diploma in Bereavement, Loss, and Grief is a intensive 10-week online programme designed for helping professionals who wish to deepen their clinical understanding of grief and strengthen their capacity to support individuals experiencing loss. Suitable for therapists, counsellors, social workers, and related practitioners, the course integrates theory, research, and practice to address the multifaceted nature of bereavement across diverse contexts.

Participants engage with established and contemporary theories of grief, including stage-based, task-oriented, and non-linear models, while critically examining how grief manifests psychologically, emotionally, and physically. Through real-life case studies, reflective exercises, and applied learning activities, learners develop practical, evidence-informed skills for working compassionately and effectively with grieving clients. Particular emphasis is placed on recognising complicated and prolonged grief, supporting different populations across the lifespan, and responding ethically and sensitively within varied cultural and religious frameworks.

The course progresses from foundational concepts of bereavement and loss to advanced applications in grief counselling, cultural competence, and post-loss integration. Weekly modules explore grief in children, adults, and older populations; the impact of grief on mental and physical health; and strategies for fostering resilience, meaning-making, and healing after loss.

Delivered in a flexible online format, the programme allows participants to learn at their own pace while engaging with a supportive professional learning community. By the end of the course, graduates will be well equipped to provide high-quality, empathetic, and culturally responsive grief support in professional practice.