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Why is GriefRecovery^® Certification Unique?

There are organizations that offer certificate programs in the general field of grief and loss, and some even use the words grief and recovery. A question we hear often is, "What exactly is it that distinguishes your program from the others?"

It is a very fair question and deserves an answer. In the section on Who is an ideal candidate for Certification, we talked briefly about the idea that "noble intentions" need to be coupled with effective information. The essential impediment to completion of the pain caused by loss is the mis-information which permeates our society, and is passed from generation to generation with limited regard for the validity of the information.

Grief and more importantly, recovery from the ravages of loss, is often a "stepchild" topic in many professional arenas. That is to say that it is an adjunctive element of other concerns, and gets shunted to the back burner of topics that are taught in many of the disciplines in which professionals are later called upon to help grieving people.

In all the classroom hours spent in professional schools, very few are actually focused on the specific topic of recovery from significant emotional loss. While a reasonable amount of time is spent on the history of death and funerary objects and rituals; and some time is spent studying the potential sequence of emotions involved in the "process" of dying, very little is devoted to the actions of recovery.

It is one thing to identify a problem, it is yet another to provide a practical solution to the problem. Yet, at last report from all of our personnel from all disciplines, there is still very little focus in most training schools, on the major concern - People's Reaction to Loss and What to Do about It!

The element that most distinguishes our programs from others is the singular focus on helping people deal with the "conflicting emotions caused by the change or end in anything familiar." The list of losses that produce grief includes more than 40 life events, so dealing with loss is a full time task for us.

What is especially heartwarming for us and for the people we've trained is the enhanced value of therapy, spiritual programs, and improvements in other life areas for most people after completing the GriefRecovery^® Outreach Programs or working one-on-one with one of our Certified personnel.

Also valuable to our Certificants is the fact that they have direct access to the Institute and its founders, which translates into the greatest possible safety and helpful information for those people whose lives have been painfully altered by losses of all kinds.

Every care giver has spent a considerable amount of time studying and keeping current with their specific area of expertise. Yet there is another area of awareness, that due to its universal nature, must be added to the professional tool kit. While most professionals have a working knowledge of the process of dying as outlined in Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' book, On Death and Dying, GriefRecovery^® is a totally separate and distinct field of expertise, requiring very specific knowledge and techniques.

The GriefRecovery^® Certification Program is designed to expand both personal awareness and professional ability in this specific yet universal area of human experience. The program provides education, training, and practical application of GriefRecovery^® counseling skills and techniques.

The Grief Recovery Institute is recognized by the National Board for Certified Counselors to offer 30 Contact Hours for National Certified Counselors. We adhere to NBCC Continuing Education Guidelines (#6210).

The GriefRecovery Institute^® is approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences as a Continuing Education Provider [#PCE2076]. The Certification training program qualifies for 30 CEU hours for California based MFT's, MSW's and LCSW's and the interns of those fields. Many other states and other disciplines honor the California education hours. Check with your local or state organization for their guidelines on reciprocity.

The Certification Program is also approved by CAADAC, (Provider Number 2N-105-818-0311) and NAADAC (Provider Number 531) for 30 CEHs.

Approved for Continuing Education for Chaplains by the Association of Professional Chaplains.

Approved for Continuing Education for members of the Canadian Counselling Association.

Approved provider for the National Association of Social Work Boards, NASW, 30 contact hours.

GriefRecovery^® is a registered trademark of The GriefRecovery Institute^®.

Our Certified personnel use this distinctive mark to announce their association with The GriefRecovery Institute^® and to distinguish themselves from others who help grievers. While the words grief and recovery may be generic, the phrase GriefRecovery^® is unique to the principles and actions outlined in The Grief Recovery Handbook and all other literature and programs affiliated with The GriefRecovery Institute^®. Look for GriefRecovery^® - it is your assurance of the highest level of training in the area of helping grievers complete the pain caused by significant emotional losses.

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