What you’ll learn – The Blackford Centre

Attitudes towards dying and death. Loss and grief in life
People’s range of emotions following a death.
Symptoms of grief. Physical effects of grief.
Stages of grief. Kubler–Ross.
Other grief models.
The Loss Cycle
Anticipatory grief.
Grief resolution.
Unresolved grief.
How different cultures view grief. Common myths about grief and the grieving process.
Complicated feelings. Being conflicted.
From grief to depression: symptoms.
Emotions that emerge after death.
Delay in the grieving process caused by practical issues.

Death of a parent. Grandparent. Pet death.
Changes in a child’s behaviour. Bed wetting, thumb sucking, withdrawal and other behaviours. How and why children play up after bereavement.
Helping children deal with death. Talking to a child about death.
Pre-counselling Fully understanding the nature and issues concerning the child and the death before counselling.
Involving the child in the funeral.
Memory box.
Helping teens.
Useful books for children.

Who commits suicide and why.
Terminology. What the bereaved can say about the death.
Impact of a suicide note. Impact on the parent.
Impact on a child. Will the child copy the suicidal act?
Practical issues: the inquest. Post mortem. Who to notify. The Bereavement Register.
Joining a support group.

The widow and widower
Grief after terminal illness. The impact on the carer.
Recognising the centre in family structure and new roles.
Widow and widower bereavement.
Widowed young, widowed in later life. The first few weeks.
The effect of death on the strong one, the breadwinner, on males.

Teachers, medical professionals, social care staff, police and prison staff, work colleagues.
How professionals can be affected.
How they can help.
What to say. What not to say.

Accredited Bereavement Counselling Courses