Grief Training Programme

The Programme is one of best professional trainings in grief and loss for mental health and behavioral health professionals, delivered by twenty-six of the world’s leading experts in grief and loss.

What's included

Taught by academics, researchers and clinicians in the field of Grief

This training aims to equip professionals with the necessary knowledge and clinical tools to ensure better bereavement and loss outcomes for those they support

Unlimited access to all four Learning Modules
Complete in your own time
Access to the best international Grief Specialists

Evidence-based Grief Interventions
Client Case-Studies
Learn skills and tools that are immediately applicable.

Become Grief Trained

Overview of our online Grief Training Programme

Module 1 Module 2 Module 3 Module 4 Module 5

Module 1

Module One - Theories and Models of Grief

Module One - What you will learn

The evolution of grief theory from Freud to today, and how it applies to clinical practice.

The research behind grief theory and what it tells us about about why we grieve and what factors contribute to how we grieve.

Why the stages of grief are a myth that need to be dispelled.

Dr Irvin Yalom

Dying, Death and Grief

Liz Gleeson

Theories and Models of Grief

A look at the evolution of Grief Theory from Freud’s paper ‘Mourning & Melancholia’, to Bowlby’s Attachment Theory and including contemporary models such as the Dual Process Model, Tasks of Grief, Tonkins’ Model of Grief, Continuing Bonds, Narrative Therapy & Meaning Making.

This lecture is a fascinating resource for clinicians and gives context to many of the other modules that follow.

Dr George Bonanno

Flexibility, Resilience and Choice in Grief

This discussion puts context to this entire Grief Education series. We discuss the research findings of Dr George Bonanno, identifying that MOST people do not need grief counselling, counselling can sometimes be detrimental in early loss and that, for the majority of people, their own natural flexibility and resilience will see them through times of loss & bereavement without need for clinical intervention.

Dr. Jon Mills

Mourning and Melancholia

Dr. Denis Klass

Continuing Bonds Grief Theory

Module 2

Module Two - Types of Grief

Module Two Overview

There are many different types of grief that all need to be understood in their unique way.

We look at some types of grief such as Anticipatory Grief, Prolonged Grief Disorder, Disenfranchised Grief, Ambiguous Loss and how we might best meet them in our clinical practice.

Dr Susan Delaney

Prolonged Grief Disorder & Complicated Grief Therapy

Case Study - Fiona’s Story

Prolonged Grief Therapy

Case Study - James' Story

Prolonged Grief Therapy

Katrina Taee, Wendelien McNicoll

Anticipatory Grief

Dr Pauline Boss

Ambiguous Loss

What we learn from research and clinical work is that ambiguous loss is a relational disorder caused by the lack of facts surrounding the loss of a loved one. It is not an individual pathology because the problem emerges from the outside context and not from the psyche. It follows then that relational interventions—such as family, couple, and community-based peer interventions—may be more effective than individual therapy.

Dr Kenneth Doka

Disenfranchised Grief

Module 3

Module Three - Perspectives of Grief and Types of Loss

Module Three Overview

We examine grief from a range of perspectives to understand the unique set of themes that often emerge in:

Sibling grief, Grief after suicide (and case study), Spousal loss, Parental loss, Black Grief, Children & Grief, Perinatal loss, Divorce, Grief in Older People, LGBTQ+ Grief.

Dr Mekel Harris

Black Grief

Liz Gleeson

LGBTQ+ Grief

Brenda Casey

Perinatal Loss

Case Study - Maria's Story

Perinatal Loss

Gill Mann

Parental Bereavement

Dr Mekel Harris

Children and Grief

Dr Kale Monk

Separation and Divorce

Niamh Fitzpatrick

Sibling Death

Dr Katrin Gerber

Grief in Older People

Fiona Tuomey

Suicide Bereavement

Case Study - Cathryn’s Story

Bereaved by Suicide

Module 4

Module Four - Grief in Clinical Practice

Module Four Overview

Understand how grief theory applies to clinical practice and gain tools for immediate application.

Learn ways to become the most effective practitioner you can be, understanding how the role of our bodies, our compassion and our new knowledge can ensure the best possible bereavement outcomes for those we support.

Dr Sheila Boland

When a Child is Terminally Ill

Liz Gleeson

How Grief Manifests in the Body

Gill Mann

Pain and Choice in Grief

Liz Gleeson

The Polyvagal Theory in Clinical Practice

Liz Gleeson

Ethical Practice in Grief Counselling

Grief counselling can differ in many ways to regular psychotherapy. It is often conducted at a time of intense emotional difficulty in a person’s life and certain routine therapeutic boundaries may need to be softened in order to practice ethical grief counselling. In this presentation, grief therapist Liz Gleeson takes us through some of the different ethical dilemmas that we may come across in grief counselling.

Dr Dan Gordon

Death Denial & Death Anxiety in Clinical Practice

Liz Gleeson

Counselling in Bereavement & Loss

Liz Gleeson

Who Looks for Grief Therapy?

Dr Esther Ramsey Jones

Intimate Dying

Liz Gleeson

Burnout & Self-Care

Dr Sheila Boland

The needs of a family with a terminally ill child

Dr Diana Sands

Creating a Resilience Cloak

Dr Linda Machin

Clinical interventions

Meghan Riordan Jarvis

Traumatic Grief and Traumatic Loss

Module 5

Module Five - Death and Dying

Module Five Overview

Over the course of our professional lives, many of us may find ourselves supporting people at end of life, or their families and loved ones. This can be a time of extreme vulnerability for people and may follow an extended time of anticipatory grief. How we respond to people at this tender time can either ease or exacerbate the situation. In this module, learn how to effectively and compassionately support people at end of life.

Dr Kathryn Mannix

Communication and the Dying Process

Dr Dan Gordon & Juliet Rosenfeld

Death denial in Clinical Practice

Sheila Boland

The Needs of a Family with a Terminally Ill Child

Dr Esther Ramsay-Jones

Intimate Dying – Supporting a Tender Death

Endorsements from the Experts

Programme Contributors

Delivered by 26 global Grief Specialists, the Course will give you all the tools you need to work compassionately and effectively with those you support through grief.

Ensure those you support have the best possible bereavement outcome

Sign up for our online Programme

This course is on offer at a much-reduced price of only €398 to make Grief Education accessible to as many people as possible. Please support our ongoing work by sharing our recources with your friends and collegues.

Become Grief Trained

Participant Testimonials

"Just wanted to say a big thank you for this amazing training.

All of the team have benefited greatly and have been incorporating this within their practice when offering bereavement support. The training has brought us all a renewed sense of understanding and a great source of support."

- Julieanne Conlon
Community Social Work Co-Lead,
Northern Ireland Hospice

"Shapes of Grief, the online grief training program, is put together by Liz Gleeson with a lot of thought and passion.

The topics are selected and organized in a way that offers a holistic understanding of grief.

I am a psychotherapist with experience in grief, and I highly recommend this course."

- Salma Mahmoud
Psychotherapist, Egypt

I want to be Grief Trained

Grief Training Programme

What's included

Taught by academics, researchers and clinicians in the field of Grief

Overview of our online Grief Training Programme

Module One - Theories and Models of Grief

Module One - What you will learn

Dr Irvin Yalom

Liz Gleeson

Dr George Bonanno

Dr Colin Murray Parkes

Prof Robert Neimeyer

Prof Margaret Stroebe

Dr. Jon Mills

Dr. Denis Klass

Module Two Overview

Dr Susan Delaney

Case Study - Fiona’s Story

Prolonged Grief Therapy

Case Study - James' Story

Prolonged Grief Therapy

Katrina Taee, Wendelien McNicoll

Dr Pauline Boss

Dr Kenneth Doka

Module Three Overview

Dr Mekel Harris

Liz Gleeson

Brenda Casey

Case Study - Maria's Story

Gill Mann

Dr Mekel Harris

Dr Kale Monk

Niamh Fitzpatrick

Dr Katrin Gerber

Fiona Tuomey

Case Study - Cathryn’s Story

Module Four Overview

Dr Sheila Boland

Liz Gleeson

Gill Mann

Liz Gleeson

Liz Gleeson

Dr Dan Gordon

Liz Gleeson

Liz Gleeson

Dr Esther Ramsey Jones

Liz Gleeson

Dr Sheila Boland

Dr Diana Sands

Dr Linda Machin

Meghan Riordan Jarvis

Module Five Overview

Dr Kathryn Mannix

Dr Dan Gordon & Juliet Rosenfeld

Sheila Boland

Dr Esther Ramsay-Jones

Endorsements from the Experts

Programme Contributors

Delivered by 26 global Grief Specialists, the Course will give you all the tools you need to work compassionately and effectively with those you support through grief.

Ensure those you support have the best possible bereavement outcome

Sign up for our online Programme

Participant Testimonials